At 9:30 a.m. on April 23, on behalf of President Daniel K.Y. Han, Deputy Secretary-General Chang Yu-jung attended the inaugural ceremony of the Legislative Yuan ESG Committee initiated by Legislator Wang Ting-yu. Distinguished guests in attendance included Legislators Lin Chu-yin, Cheng Cheng-chien, Chang Chi-kai, and Chen Kuan-ting, as well as over 80 representatives from the industry, government, and academia, including Director-General Tsai Lin-yi of the Climate Change Administration at the Ministry of Environment, Deputy Director-General Wu Chih-wei of the Energy Administration at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Honorary Professor Chen Chuh-yung of the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University, and Vice Chairman Liang Yuan-wen of the New Taipei City Green Industry Association.

The opening session of the ceremony included introductions of the attending dignitaries and the passage of the committee's articles of association, followed by an address from Deputy Secretary-General Chang representing the Legislative Yuan. He emphasized that in the past, corporate risk management focused mainly on financial indicators such as cash flow, return on investment, and business models. However, in today's globalized world, sustainable development has become the common vision of all businesses. Challenges such as climate change, rising labor consciousness, social equality, and wealth disparity have become increasingly pressing issues for enterprises. Therefore, business owners, customers, investors, or financing institutions nowadays all attach great importance to the performance of companies in the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) aspects.

Deputy Secretary-General Chang pointed out that Taiwan has followed international trends by announcing its pathway and strategy to “2050 Net-Zero Emissions” in 2022. The Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) began requiring listed companies to prepare sustainability reports in 2023, and the Legislative Yuan passed the Climate Change Response Act in the third reading last year, incorporating the 2050 Net Zero Emissions goal into law. The carbon tax mechanism was officially launched this year (2024). Under the global wave of ESG, enterprises are urged by their supply chains and the regulations to adopt ESG measures. Large enterprises capable of self-transformation have already begun their transition. However, small and medium-sized enterprises find it difficult to enter the field due to insufficient resources and funds. The inauguration of the Legislative Yuan ESG Committee today demonstrates the Legislative Yuan's attention to this issue and provides a platform for domestic and international stakeholders concerned about corporate sustainable development to exchange views, allowing Taiwan to lead Asia and align with the rest of the world in ESG practices.

Following Deputy Secretary-General Chang's speech, Director-General Tsai of the Climate Change Administration at the Ministry of Environment, Deputy Director-General Wu Chih-wei of the Energy Administration at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Legislators Chang Chi-kai, Cheng Cheng-chien, Lin Chu-yin, Chen Kuan-ting, Honorary Professor Chen Chuh-yung of the Department of Chemical Engineering at National Cheng Kung University, and Vice Chairman Liang Yuan-wen of the New Taipei City Green Industry Association delivered congratulatory speeches. Representatives from various sectors expressed great enthusiasm and confidence in Taiwan's future ESG development. After a group photo session with all the distinguished guests, the event concluded successfully in about 80 minutes.