The 29th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP29) opened on November 11 in Azerbaijan. Once again, Taiwan was not invited to participate. To coincide with COP29’s opening day, DSET shared Taiwan’s perspective in an op-ed published on Nikkei Asia, one of Asia’s largest media platforms. The article, co-authored by Wen-Ling Tu, commissioner of Taiwan’s Whole-of-Society Defence Resilience Committee under the Presidential Office, and President of DSET, along with Tsaiying Lu, director of Climate Resilience and Sustainability Research Program, emphasized Taiwan’s commitment to regional climate cooperation despite its exclusion from COP.
Mukhtar Babayev, COP29 President, also chose Nikkei Asia in mid-October to release an article building up momentum for COP29. DSET’s decision to publish Taiwan’s viewpoint on the same platform as the COP President aims to showcase Taiwan’s active participation in Asia-Pacific climate initiatives and its dedication to climate action.
COP29, dubbed the “Finance COP,” focuses on establishing the “New Collective Quantified Goal” (NCQG) for climate finance to facilitate balanced fund distribution between developed and developing nations. This is essential for enabling countries to set more ambitious carbon reduction targets when they submit a new round of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) in 2025.
As Taiwan is not a UN member, it remains excluded from COP29, which serves as a preliminary stage for stronger climate negotiations anticipated at COP30. Nevertheless, Taiwan continues to engage in regional climate action through its partnerships across the Asia-Pacific.
The op-ed underscores that although Taiwan is consistently excluded from the United Nations, it remains committed to climate cooperation in the region, contributing expertise in disaster prevention, renewable energy, and climate adaptation efforts. For example, Taiwan has helped establish joint funds with small island nations, providing climate finance to support climate adaptation and resilience. Taiwan also shares disaster prevention technologies with other typhoon-affected countries through technical cooperation.
Of note, COP29 is expected to introduce a “Global Green Storage Commitment” draft, calling for the addition or renovation of over 80,000 kilometers of power grid infrastructure worldwide by 2040—equivalent to the total existing global power grid. This aligns with Taiwan’s ongoing “Power Grid Enhancement Plan,” which aims to transform Taiwan’s centralized grid into a more regionally balanced one. This shift would increase resilience to extreme weather and reduce the risk of large-scale power outages, providing a model that could benefit Taiwan’s regional allies.
Despite its exclusion from negotiations due to pressure from China, Taiwan continues to engage in global climate action through regional partnerships. Since COP27, Taiwan has actively expanded climate cooperation with allied nations, sharing knowledge and technology to address climate challenges. In contrast, while China seeks to position itself as a climate leader, its ongoing military expansion strains regional stability and exacerbates environmental damage, highlighting the risk of militarization on global decarbonization efforts. Taiwan’s approach, by contrast, prioritizes peace and stability in the region.
DSET views COP29 as a critical moment, demonstrating Taiwan’s potential to be a key driver of climate resilience and sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region. Although Taiwan cannot formally participate in climate negotiations, it makes substantial contributions to regional and global climate goals through disaster prevention, renewable energy, and climate finance. Through this op-ed, DSET underscores Taiwan’s climate initiatives and regional partnerships, advocating for a more inclusive and resilient climate future in the Asia-Pacific.