Taiwan Circular Economy 100 (TCE 100) Established

Vice President Chen Chien-jen presides over event in which industry, government, research institutes, academia, and media vow to work together to create a sustainable future

KAOHSIUNG, Taiwan, Oct. 21, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — The Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable, organized by the Taiwan Circular Economy Network, supervised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA) and the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA), and co-organized by the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and a number of state-run enterprises & non-profit firms, came to close on October 17 at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Hall. During the closing ceremony, Vice President of Taiwan, Chen Chien-jen, witnessed the establishment of the MOEA-led Taiwan Circular Economy 100 (TCE 100), which will help Taiwan play an important role in the global supply chain and become a leading nation in promoting the establishment of a circular economy.

Members of the TCE 100, including TSMC, Nan Ya Plastics, Everest Textile, Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI), and ITRI, are among the over 100 representatives from the industrial, government, academic and research sectors that made pledges to achieve the goals of transitioning industry to a circular economy, continuing to strengthen international competitiveness, and effectively promoting the circular economy model. Participants agreed to start with themselves by implementing circular practices within their respective enterprises. This includes boosting the efficiency of energy and resource use, developing technologies associated with key materials, designing circular products, and creating innovative business models. Secondly, this will involve expanding cooperation among enterprises in the use of energy resources, including the creation of industrial symbiosis program, promotion of industry through the development of supply networks rather than supply chains, and expansion of regional integration and cross-disciplinary collaborations. The third pledge is to cooperate in creating a resource recycling system. This aims at seizing and linking dynamic demand at home and abroad, driving production and changes in consumption habits, delivering sustainable value, and shaping a new economic development model that emphasizes resource circulation.

Vice President Chen specially remarked that the Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable marks Taiwan's first concrete demonstration in promotion of a circular economy at this stage. Local and foreign pioneers who are working to implement circular economic concepts attended the event. Chen added that in 2016 the government began promoting the 5+2 Innovative Industries Plan, with the +2 referring to the circular economy and high-value agriculture. The overall initiative has become a crucial strategy in Taiwan's national transformation. The transition to a circular economy not only can enhance the competitiveness of traditional industries, but also create more employment opportunities among regional industries. Consequently, promoting a circular economy can foster the foundation for better lives for the younger generation, he explained.

MOEA Deputy Minister Wen-Sheng (Vincent) Tseng pointed out during his remarks that the participants at the Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable pooled their energies in an effort to jointly establish a better future for sustainable development. While the event is drawing to a close, the global trend towards a circular economy is just unfolding. Seeing the participation by representatives from various sectors who have gathered under one roof, it is clear that everyone is committed to the promotion of the circular economy, he said. Tseng said he is confident that cooperation by all walks of life will enable the development of Taiwan's circular economy to become well-rounded, shaping Taiwan to be a model for the rest of the world.

ITRI Executive Vice President Alex Y.M. Peng commented that implementing the circular economy constitutes an important step by the international community in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The circular economy is a large framework and enterprises must consider even more pragmatic methods to realize this vision, he said. Peng remarked that ITRI embraces the idea that a change in thinking can create new value from waste. ITRI has already planned a "Circular Materials Verification and Matching Platform," which integrates data from a business waste declaration system and involves state-run enterprises including Taiwan CPC, Taipower, Taisugar, and China Steel interests as well as licensed waste processors.

The 2019 Asia Pacific Circular Economy Roundtable – New Frontier was held at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Hall. The event featured 18 international speakers, including experts from the UNEP's International Resource Panel, and those from countries such as the UK, Germany, Denmark, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, the Philippines, Singapore, China, and Japan, along with 49 entities from Taiwan that have practical experience in implementing the circular economy. Organizers also arranged five routes of site visit, focusing on the "Bio Cycle", "Textile Cycle", "Metal Cycle and Cross-sector Cooperation", "Plastic" and "Energy Efficiency and Industrial Symbiosis". The roundtable has enabled 500 participants from home and abroad to understand the experiences of their counterparts and communicate in depth. They have explored new opportunities associated with circular economy trends in order to find circular pathways suitable for the Asia-Pacific region.

Official Website: https://apceroundtable.com/

Photo – https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20191021/2616169-1

SOURCE Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI)