Since the Industrial Revolution, rapid economic growth has changed our way of life, bringing material improvements and higher standards of education. These advancements, however, also came at the cost of the environment and even the rights of marginalized groups. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a severe threat worldwide since 2020. In addition to cooperating with the central government's epidemic prevention policies, Taipei City also established its own pandemic prevention Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Taipei City launched various epidemic prevention policies and will continue to implement the SDGs based on sustainable development principles. However, while the COVID-19 pandemic will gradually subside as vaccines are rolled out, there is no vaccine for climate change—the biggest threat to the survival of human civilization. Though Taipei City has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, the City did not allow the pandemic to hinder its efforts to promote climate actions. It has continued to implement various action plans in order to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.
Climate change impacts cities in far-reaching ways. The increase of extreme weather patterns in recent years has caused Taipei City to be affected by extreme heat and heavy rains, which highlights the importance of implementing strategies to combat climate change. On top of existing strategic roadmaps and the voluntary local reviews, the City gradually proposed measures to implement greenhouse gas control and climate change adaptation to serve as a cornerstone of climate actions. Therefore, in 2021 the City focuses on SDG 13 to reexamine the connection among various SDGs and targets and climate actions, dividing them into environmental, economic, and social aspects. The City also proposed six major strategies to net-zero emissions that promote smart zero-carbon buildings, construct photovoltaic infrastructure, increase green transportation and e-mobility, construct an environment for green innovation investment, and establish low-carbon green procurement guidelines. These efforts showcase the City's determination to promote net-zero emissions, implement various municipal tasks, and implement urban transformations to achieve environmental, economic, and social harmony and shared prosperity as Taipei City moves closer to the goal of sustainable development and becomes a “Livable and Sustainable city”.
