Taiwan and UK Deepen Cooperation on Industrial Decarbonization and Net-Zero Transition

(Source: MOENV)

To deepen the Taiwan–UK climate partnership, the British Office Taipei and Taiwan's Ministry of Environment (MOENV) jointly hosted the "2026 Taiwan–UK Industrial Decarbonization Workshop" on May 12th, bringing together experts from both sides for in-depth dialogue on net-zero emissions reduction strategies.

The workshop was attended by British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones and Deputy Minister of the Environment Hsieh Yen-ju. Discussions focused on policy frameworks, power grid modernization, decarbonization pathways for heavy industry and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), as well as just transition initiatives.

Through comprehensive exchanges on the challenges and opportunities of industrial decarbonization, both sides sought to strengthen policy coordination, enhance bilateral cooperation, and accelerate the transition toward a low-carbon and sustainable economy.

British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones emphasized that the United Kingdom and Taiwan possess highly complementary strengths in the field of industrial decarbonization. At the same time, both sides face a number of common challenges. More importantly, like Taiwan, the UK views industrial decarbonization not merely as a climate issue, but as a broader economic transformation agenda.

Deputy Minister Yein-Rui Hsieh stated that Taiwan has incorporated its "2050 Net-Zero Emissions" target into law and strengthened its carbon reduction goals to 28% (±2%) by 2030 and 38% (±2%) by 2035. Taiwan's carbon pricing mechanism, which officially came into effect in 2025, will be further complemented by a NT$10 billion Taiwan Green Growth Fund aimed at accelerating the low-carbon transformation of industries across the board.

The workshop also featured keynote speeches that set the policy direction for future cooperation, delivered by Harley Collins, Head of Industrial Decarbonization Strategy at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and Lin-Yi Tsai, Director-General of Taiwan's Climate Change Administration, MOENV.

The event was followed by four thematic panel discussions involving experts from government, industry, and academia. The sessions focused on building smart and flexible grid infrastructure, scaling up practical decarbonization solutions for heavy industries, helping SMEs overcome barriers to emissions reduction, and promoting a just transition through labour support mechanisms.

Through these in-depth exchanges, both Taiwan and the UK expressed their expectation to further leverage their respective strengths and advance more substantive cooperation in the areas of decarbonization and net-zero transition in the years ahead.

Source: MOENV