DSET Policy Analyst Elizabeth Frost was invited to the Research Center for Environmental Changes, Academia Sinica, to introduce DSET’s research and share her insights on the nexus of geopolitics, energy security, and climate resilience.
Frost presented her research on Taiwan’s climate diplomacy, tracing its evolution from an emphasis on participation in international mechanisms towards a focus on Taiwan’s contributions to climate action, and more recently towards building resilience amid shifting geopolitical pressures. She also reflected on how global media narratives surrounding Taiwan’s climate role have evolved over time, and examined U.S., Japanese, British, and European perspectives that link Taiwan’s energy transition to strategic priorities, particularly the semiconductor supply chain.
Alongside her research, Frost introduced DSET’s energy security and climate resilience research agenda. She outlined the challenges facing Taiwan’s semiconductor sector under climate change, including rising energy demand and concerns over water shortages. Based on DSET’s recent research Climate Change and Infrastructure Resilience: An Analysis of Water Resources and Electricity Use in Taiwan’s Semiconductor Industry, she demonstrated that the current energy outlook will be sufficient to support growing demand for industry and shared policy recommendations to strengthen resilience. She also presented findings on the growing security risks facing submarine power cables.
The seminar concluded with a discussion on Taiwan’s future climate strategy. Participants considered how Taiwan might adapt as global frameworks such as the COP process lose effectiveness, and how renewable energy and clean technologies could help de-risk supply chains and strengthen national security. Questions were also raised about Taiwan’s slower-than-expected progress in renewable energy deployment, and the risks this poses to its ambition to be seen as a leader in next-generation clean technology.