OT-2159
December 3, 2021
Remarks by AIT Director Sandra Oudkirk at the Taiwan Climate Action Expo
December 3, 2021
Deputy Minister Chen, Deputy Minister Tsai, honorable guests, friends, good morning! Dàjiā zǎo!
First of all, I would like to congratulate Executive Director Chao and all other organizers for convening the first Taiwan Climate Action Expo. This event happens at a crucial time. U.S. Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry has warned this is the “decisive decade” in which we must make good on our commitments. In addition to increasing ambition among major emitters whose climate goals are not yet aligned with a 1.5 degrees Celsius future, the world’s focus has now turned to implementing the ambitious goals expressed so far. AIT is proud to be invited to have a pavilion at the Expo to exchange information and experiences about climate actions. I hope you will have a chance to visit and talk with us.
From Day One, the Biden Administration has taken decisive action domestically and provided global leadership on climate change. We returned to the Paris Agreement. We are taking strong action at home, investing in clean energy technologies, and creating jobs while rallying other countries to do more, and strengthening our support for vulnerable countries to adapt to climate impacts. We set bold domestic goals, including reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50-52% from 2005 levels in 2030, and achieving net-zero greenhouse gas emissions economy-wide by no later than 2050.
President Biden hosted a Leaders Summit on Climate in April. At that event, he urged world leaders to commit to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions, enhancing adaptation and resilience to climate impacts, and driving clean energy innovation. He made it clear that tackling the climate crisis is not just an imperative but also the greatest economic opportunity of our time.
AIT proactively supports the priorities of the Biden Administration. Addressing the threat of climate change is one of these important issues that we are working on with our partners in Taiwan.
In October, AIT and the Taiwan External Trade and Development Council, or TAITRA, hosted a Taiwan session at the 2021 Indo-Pacific Business Forum to talk about Taiwan’s role in building a resilient supply chain to power electric vehicles. The Biden Administration has announced ambitious goals in the deployment of electric vehicles, and many Taiwanese companies are indispensable suppliers for the global EV industry.
Lastly, but not least, I’d like to share with you AIT’s commitment to being a green and good citizen in Taiwan by decreasing our environmental impact on the local community. I signed the Greening Diplomacy Initiative Pledge when I assumed office this summer. Our Taipei Office Complex is a certified green building, and our Kaohsiung Branch Office is also located in a certified green building. We also have a Green Team consisting of cross-department employees, who are keen to seek ways to improve our environmental performance.
Thank you all for your contributions to ensuring a sustainable environment for present and future generations. I wish the Taiwan Climate Action Expo a great success. Thank you.
