202409/02
After more than two years of planning and multiple discussions and exchanges with over a hundred domestic enterprises to gather feedback, the Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency (FANCA) launched the “Carbon Sink and Biodiversity ESG Project Matching Platform” in April this year (2024). The platform aligns the global trends of achieving net-zero carbon emissions and promoting biodiversity conservation together with local communities, while helping businesses meet their ESG requirements. After the platform was launched, the FANCA provided 46 collaboration projects and there were also 3 proposals from the enterprises themselves. The first batch of 11 enterprises that were successfully matched attended a press conference organized by the FANCA today (September 2), demonstrating the public-private partnership’s ambition to jointly create forest carbon sinks and protect biodiversity.
The FANCA’s ESG Project Matching Platform offers 11 types of projects for enterprises under two general categories—“natural environment” and “forestry, society, and culture.” These include afforestation projects to increase forest carbon sinks, biodiversity projects to conserve wildlife and habitats, and socio-cultural projects to conserve important forest cultural resources or indigenous peoples’ knowledge of forests, providing enterprises with the opportunity to participate in such projects. It also encourages enterprises to utilize their own expertise and resources to proactively propose collaboration projects that positively impact biodiversity. The FANCA will monitor and evaluate the projects annually and issue certificates of achievement.
Lin Hwa-Ching, Director General of the FANCA, thanked the first batch of 11 companies that have taken the lead to collaborate in such projects, becoming forerunners in the move towards corporate governance that takes into account both the environment and society. He also emphasized that in addition to the goal of achieving positive changes for nature, the platform’s projects are designed to fulfill the United Nations’ call for forests to be protected by focusing on the livelihoods of those who depend on forests, as well as the Convention on Biological Diversity's expectation for community involvement. Thus the vast majority of projects are implemented through the investment of funds and resources by the enterprises into the local communities located within the target areas, rather than carried out by the FANCA. By providing job opportunities for local residents to carry out afforestation and management or conservation monitoring patrols, residents in the targeted forest and biodiversity zones can benefit from the ESG impact, ensuring real results for the project and demonstrating the social benefits of ESG.
Tu Wen-Jane, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, said that “Smart Resilience and Sustainable Peace of Mind” are the primary action strategies of the Ministry of Agriculture’s policy, while the FANCA has been deeply engaged in the planning of the Taiwan Ecological Network, the participation of communities and indigenous peoples, and enterprise cooperation for many years. The ESG Project Matching Platform has laid the foundation for public-private collaboration and community participation, establishing a new milestone for the future of net-zero emissions and biodiversity conservation. Not only will it serve as an important pillar for the sustainable development of Taiwan’s agricultural industry, it will also provide a concrete showcase of an innovative policy tool that embodies international trends.
Out of the first batch of 11 successfully matched projects on the FANCA’s ESG Project Matching Platform, 8 were carried out by enterprises in collaboration with local tribal communities, with the goals of enhancing natural carbon sequestration and biodiversity through afforestation, bamboo forest management, habitat creation, and eco-friendly industry development. The other 3 projects involve enterprises using their own lighting, digital technology, and land resources in innovative ways to improve habitats, promote wildlife conservation, and preserve important forestry and cultural resources.
Enterprises and Local Communities Uniting Efforts to Support Biodiversity
Through the matching service of the FANCA, Kedge Construction Co., Ltd. broke away from the traditional afforestation cooperation model with the government and joined hands with the Tsou tribal communities to create an eco-friendly habitat by planting new forests for afforestation in the catchment area of the Tsengwen Dam, which is the home the Formosan giant cicada (Formotosena seebohmi), a Level 2 protected species.UA Wood Floors, Inc. joined hands with the local community of Hushan Dam in their hometown to create an environment for the fairy pitta (Pitta nympha). Sinyi Realty Inc. and Kindom Development Co., Ltd. worked with local communities to promote sustainable forestry management through afforestation work. Chunghwa Telecom Co., Ltd. cooperated with the Atayal tribal communities in Fuxing Township, Taoyuan, to pass down the techniques of bamboo forest management. Asustek Computer Incorporation worked together with community residents to promote pangolin habitat improvement and preservation in the forestry production environment of Dasyuehshan in Taichung. Yulon Motor Co., Ltd., with factory sites located in the surrounding areas of the Huoyanshan Nature Reserve, collaborated with local NGOs to create ecological corridors. Chailease Foundation integrated resources from the communities around the Seshui Forest Trail in Nantou to develop forest therapy and eco-tourism services, driving the development of the local economy and Satoyama initiatives.
Innovative Use of Technological Resources: New Solutions for Forestry Conservation
Leotek Corporation entered into collaboration with the government and academia to create the world’s first ecological smart lighting system in the Rhagophthalmus firefly habitat found on the Matsu Islands. The aim is to reduce the impact of light sources on the reproduction of Rhagophthalmus firefly species, protecting the fireflies’ delicate light through smart lighting. Accton Technology Inc. factory site is located near the “Fengshan Creek and Touqian Creek Watershed Conservation Corridor” of the Taiwan Ecological Network, and has worked with environmental education and research teams to support monitoring surveys of endangered bat populations in this area. Femco Steel Technology Co., Ltd. used advanced 3D digital technology to help establish an image database of the key components of the Alishan Forest Railway’s century-old steam train, enabling the sustainable preservation of important cultural assets and passing on the legacy of the century-old craftmanship.