NCHU Launched the First “Office of Industrial Carbon Offset Promotions” among Universities in Taiwan

In the face of the global warming crisis, in order to assist the industry to respond to the trend of net zero carbon emissions, enhance green competitiveness, and achieve sustainability goals, National Chung Hsing University launched the first “Office of Industrial Carbon Offset Promotions” among the universities in Taiwan. The unveiling ceremony was held on January 26, 2021. The objectives of the Office are to help the industry undergo a net-zero transformation and reduce process carbon emissions to address trade barriers for product exports .

At present, the Office of Industrial Carbon Offset Promotions, NCHU prioritizes small and medium-sized enterprises for service. It is planned to provide carbon offset information and consultation to 200 small and medium-sized enterprises in the first half of the year, and cooperate with 60 companies to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in reducing about 100 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.

Last year, the United Nations COP 26 confirmed that the medium-range carbon dioxide reduction work of the Paris Agreement is to achieve a net-zero emission target by 2050, and Taiwan has also set a net-zero emission target by 2050. The EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, CBAM, is expected to start off in 2023 and be fully implemented in 2026, which will have a huge impact and challenge on Taiwan's export-oriented industries.

The Office of Industrial Carbon Offset Promotions, NCHU is established to meet the national legal target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and to assist small and medium-sized enterprises in developing low-carbon products and coping strategies, so as to ensure the export competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises. The Office will also integrate cross-disciplinary research teams and professional academic staff in the University, including specialties in green energy technology, forest and soil carbon sinks, low-carbon legal compliance, green investment and circular economy, and tax management, etc. The Office will provide all-round professional consulting services required by small and medium-sized enterprises to expand green products and develop carbon offset strategies and actions, and then establish cooperation plans to offset and match bilateral carbon reduction, achieving the sustainable development goal of industrial carbon reduction.

In the future, the Office can guide small and medium-sized enterprises to understand and develop carbon inventory to confirm the carbon footprint of products. Furthermore, it will produce corporate social responsibility (CSR) and environmental and social governance (ESG) reports in order to increase the convenience and product competitiveness in investment and financing. At the same time, it will also promote and match small and medium-sized enterprises to cooperate in carbon reduction activities, improve energy efficiency or use of alternative energy, expand scale and reduce the cost of carbon reduction, and maintain competitiveness. Moreover, the Office will provide the relevant regulations of the international greenhouse gas control that the industry should abide by, and help the industry avoid increasing costs or reducing profits. It is hoped to help the industry to align with the direction of global net- zero emissions, and complete the target of greenhouse gas reduction and net-zero transformation as soon as possible.