2023 Fubon Forum on Sustainable Future: "Taiwan's Critical Transformation in the Face of Multiple Global Crises”

Domestic and Foreign Experts from Industry, Government, and Academia Gather Together to Build a Resilient Taiwan to Face a Sustainable Future

Fubon and Risk Society and Policy Research Center of National Taiwan University (hereinafter referred to as NTU Risk Center) held the "Fubon Forum on Sustainable Future" today (May 23), with the theme of "Taiwan's Critical Transformation in the Face of Multiple Global Crises", focusing on how Taiwan can look ahead and build a resilient society with zero transformation in the face of multiple crises such as climate change, geopolitics and global inflation. William Lai, Vice President, Cheng Wen-Tsan, Vice Premier of the Executive Yuan, and Daniel M. Tsai, Chairman of Fubon Group delivered speeches and invited domestic and foreign experts from industry, government, and academia to gather together and seek solutions for Taiwan's critical transformation in the face of multiple global crises.
Since 2016, Fubon Financial Holdings, Fubon Cultural & Educational Foundation and NTU Risk Center have been cooperating to hold the "Globalization Lecture" every year. With the worsening climate crisis, "sustainable development" has become the most important issue for human society nowadays. This year, the "Globalization Lecture" was officially renamed "Fubon Forum on Sustainable Future" to continue to connect with international research and initiatives on related issues and to promote the consensus on sustainable development in Taiwan society.

Fubon Forum on Sustainable Future kicked off with a discussion on the establishment of a climate change risk database, with experts from industry, government and academia discussed the progress and problems of database installation by Jean Chiu, Vice Chairperson of the Financial Supervisory Commission, Chang, Ching-Cheng, Researcher of the Institute of Economics, Academia Sinica, Tim Kuo, President of Taipei Fubon Bank, Ching-Pin Tung, Professor of the Department of Bioenvironmental Systems Engineering of National Taiwan University, and Sam Lin, Executive Vice President of KPMG Sustainable Development Consulting Company. Immediately afterwards, the NTU Risk Center released the results of the "TCFD Survey Report - Challenges of High-Carbon Emission Industries Facing Net-Zero Transformation", which analyzes the challenges of net-zero transformation and green finance in high-carbon industries in the investigation of climate-related financial disclosure by Taiwanese enterprises.

Continuing the morning session on green finance and net-zero, Chen Peili, Deputy Director General of the Industrial Bureau of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Huang Bing-hua, President of Tung Ho Steel Enterprise Corporation, Zsehong Tsai, Chairman of Taiwan Water Resources Conservation Union, and Ching-Ching Liu, Chief Sustainability Officer of Acer Co., Ltd., were invited to analyze the impact of risk shocks caused by climate change on Taiwan's overall energy and resource use from the perspective of return and investment of Taiwanese companies. In the context of the Global Risks Report 2023, Sophie Heading, one of the main authors of the World Economic Forum's 2023 Global Risks Report, and Wei Luo, Chief Economist of Fubon Financial Holdings, Chien, Shiuh-Shen, Distinguished Professor of the Department of Geography and Director of IPCS Program of National Taiwan University, and Mei-Lien Chen, Distinguished Professor of the Institute of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences of National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University, were invited to discuss with each other, combining international perspectives and Taiwan's local context. To discuss the major challenges facing Taiwan and what contribution it can make to the world under the multiple global crises. At the end of the forum, Chien-Hsin Lai, Director General of Water Resources Agency of Ministry of Economic Affairs, Jian Futian, Vice President of Taiwan Power Company, Shi Wanyu, Associate Professor of the Department of Urban Planning and Disaster Management of Ming Chuan University, and others were invited to discuss the resilience preparedness and challenges of Taiwan's overall industry, economy, land and energy in the face of systemic risks such as drought, heavy rainfall and high temperature.

In his speech today, Daniel M. Tsai, Chairman of Fubon Group, pointed out that climate change and extreme weather are intensifying, and the emergence of multiple crises such as energy crisis, regional political tensions, and failed climate action will become the new normal in the world, and Taiwan cannot be left behind. In the face of multiple global crises and more tests extended by the interaction of various risks, how Taiwan can look forward to a sustainable future and build a resilient society with a net-zero transformation requires the joint efforts of all sectors to find solutions. In the face of multiple risks and industrial transformation, the financial industry, which has the means to do so, must step up and help promote "climate justice". The financial industry should shoulder the responsibility of gatekeeping and capital guidance, effectively manage environmental impacts, accelerate the sustainable transformation of the value chain, and play a key role in stabilizing society, which is also Fubon's long-term expectation for itself.

Richard M. Tsai, Chairman of Fubon Financial Holdings, said that Fubon Financial Holdings regards ESG as an important development direction of enterprises, and has launched the "Sustainable Operation ESG Visioning Project" since the end of 2015, actively exerts its influence in financial and non-financial aspects, joins hands with stakeholders to move towards a sustainable future, and continues to integrate with the world, not only actively promotes the sustainable transformation of enterprises, responds to the ESG actions of major international sustainability organizations, but also is the only financial institution in Taiwan to join the World Economic Forum and has signed and disclosed the World Economic Forum SCM framework. We hope that Fubon will continue to play the role of a sustainable leader and lead Taiwan towards a sustainable future society.

Fubon Group believes in sustainable development and has been working on ESG for a long time. As a sustainability leader, Fubon Financial Holdings is committed to connecting with the international standards and leading the development of green finance in Taiwan. Since 2016, we have joined hands with the Fubon Cultural & Educational Foundation and the Risk Center of National Taiwan University to promote research and initiatives related to climate change risks and sustainable finance, in order to raise the public's awareness of sustainability and mobility, to build a better future for the next generation, and to realize the brand spirit of "Be positive All possibleTM".

2023 Fubon Forum on Sustainable Future: "Taiwan's Critical Transformation in the Face of Multiple Global Crises" Live Online: https://event.udn.com/fubon_globalrisks/