Kung-Yueh Camyale Chao
Executive Director/ICD

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COP28直擊／公正轉型會議台灣拋「松山宣言」  (businesstoday.com.tw)

 

Background

 

The "Songshan Declaration" is jointly launched by business, government, academia, and civil society, in response to the "Summary for Policymakers" of the Sixth Assessment Report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on March 20, 2023. The report sounded the alarm on global warming, stating that the earth could surpass the 1.5°C warming target in the early 2030s. Based on the Nationally Determined Contributions announced by various countries as of October 2021, the 2030 emissions reduction targets are still insufficient to limit the warming within 1.5°C by the end of this century, and even difficult to limit within 2°C.

 

In the face of this severe global climate change crisis, the industries, government, academia, and research communities all feel a deep sense of responsibility, therefore jointly released the "Songshan Declaration". The declaration aims to combine specific commitments and net-zero pathways goals from all sectors, and provide clear common goals on carbon reduction and adaptation, sustainable development goals, sustainable classification standards, sustainable living, energy transition, etc., in order to effectively respond to the climate change crisis.

 

The issuers of the "Songshan Declaration" believe that climate change is a major challenge facing the world, which requires the collective efforts and contributions of all parties. Therefore, they call on all sectors to join hands, take more proactive actions, and achieve the goal of global net-zero, leaving a better, prosperous and sustainable future for our future generations.

 

 

 

The "Summary for Policymakers" of the Sixth Assessment Report released by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) on March 20, 2023 sounded the alarm on global warming. This year's COP28 will conduct the first-ever global stocktake to assess the progress made by countries since the Paris Agreement. The world is watching whether COP28 can ultimately provide a Livable Future. Therefore, this year's Taiwan Climate Action Expo (TWCAE 3) takes the theme of "Meet the Future" and through the release of the "Songshan Declaration", it combines specific commitments and net-zero pathways from all sectors to create a sustainable future through practical climate actions.

 

Declaration content

 

We, from business, government, academia, and civil society, deeply believe that climate change is the biggest challenge facing the world today and is a key factor affecting future development of humanity. We believe that achieving the sustainable development goals, net-zero by 2050, and establishing a sustainable life in the future are the common goals that all human beings must work together to achieve.

 

After the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released the Sixth Assessment Report, we are facing an unprecedented climate crisis. The report pointed out that if countries do not immediately change their economic model by transforming from fossil fuels to clean energy, the earth will cross the "climate threshold" of 1.5°C in the early 2030s. This will lead to serious climate disasters, making it difficult for humans and ecosystems to adapt and face extreme survival challenges, pushing the earth towards an irreversible, disastrous warming direction.

 

Against this background, we call on the government, enterprises, academic institutions, and civil society to work together to implement the "Climate Change Response Act" and assist in the implementation of policy measures, actively participate in carbon reduction actions, and promote net-zero transition development.

 

As a driving force in Taiwan's sustainable development and climate action, we deeply understand the huge challenges posed by climate change, and we also believe that we have the ability to resolve these challenges. We believe that through cooperation with all sectors of society, we can realize the vision of net-zero, and create a better future for our future generations.

 

In 2050, we envision a bright, net-zero, and sustainable future. To achieve this goal, we, as representatives from the industry, government, academia, and research sectors, make the following commitments:

 

I. Carbon Reduction and Climate Change Adaptation

 

1. We will strive to achieve the goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 in our respective fields, actively participate in global decarbonization efforts, and work towards creating a more sustainable future.

2. We will continue to promote climate change adaptation measures, enhance the adaptability of society and ecosystems, and take more aggressive actions to address climate change.

3. We will vigorously promote energy transformation, accelerate the development and application of renewable and clean energy, gradually phase out fossil fuels, and achieve the goal of sustainable development.

4. We will actively adopt low-carbon, circular economy, and green technologies, promote the development of green industries and sustainable urban construction, and implement energy transformation and climate governance.

5. We will actively develop climate services, promote the mainstreaming of climate information, and support innovation and technological development of climate services to address the cross-sectoral challenges posed by climate change.

 

II. Sustainable Development Goals

 

1. We will strive to practice the global sustainable development goals and work towards achieving economic, social, and environmental sustainability.

2. We will actively participate in the Global Stocktake, assess the progress made since the implementation of the Paris Agreement, and ensure that we are making progress towards achieving sustainable development goals.

3. We will actively promote domestic and international cooperation on climate change, assist in advancing the global climate governance process, and work together to address the challenges of global climate change.

 

III. Sustainable Classification Standards

 

1. We will fully support the development and promotion of sustainable classification standards, promote the inflow of market funds into sustainable economic activities, and help enterprises develop towards more environmentally friendly and sustainable directions.

2. We will promote sustainable production models, ensure product recycling, reduce waste and resource waste, and promote environmental sustainability and biodiversity protection.

3. We will promote nature-based solutions and strive to achieve a green, climate-resilient, and environmentally-friendly ecological economic model to ensure the sustainable development of ecosystems.

 

IV. Sustainable Living

 

1. We will advocate for sustainable lifestyles, encourage the public to choose low-carbon, low-pollution, and low-waste lifestyles, reduce the impact on the environment, and lead society towards a more sustainable future.

2. We will actively promote circular economy models in various fields such as food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, and entertainment, and achieve efficient utilization and reuse of resources.

3. We will strengthen education and practice on sustainable living and consumption, promote green products and services, and guide consumers to choose more environmentally friendly and low-carbon products and services.

 

V. Climate Change Response Act

 

1. We will strive to implement the Climate Change Response Act and take various actions, including emission reduction and adaptation measures, to address the impact of climate change on Taiwan.

2. We invite all representatives from the business, government, academia, and NGO sectors to join the Songyan Declaration, propose their specific commitments and net-zero pathway goals, and demonstrate the determination of Taiwan's participation in international climate action.

 

We invite all representatives from the business, government, academia, and NGO sectors to join us in achieving the goal of net-zero emissions, and work towards global sustainable development. We firmly believe that working together is the key to achieving these commitments and building a more sustainable future.