Taiwan energy leaders call for accelerated net-zero transition

Stable power and energy costs are major concerns.

Industry leaders from Taiwan’s energy and technology sectors called for accelerated progress toward net-zero emissions and smarter energy transformation.

At a press conference ahead of the 2025 Taiwan International Smart Energy Week and Net-Zero Sustainability Expo, executives from SEMI, TAITRA, Apollo Power, TECO Group, SRE, and Bloom Energy shared their perspectives on the challenges, priorities, and opportunities for achieving net-zero transformation.

Shih-Lun Tsao, global chief marketing officer and Taiwan president at SEMI, said that net-zero transformation has become the foundation of global industrial competitiveness.

“Strengthening net-zero actions and ensuring a supply of low-carbon energy are no longer options, but the starting point of corporate competitiveness,” he said. “Future industrial competition will depend not only on technological innovation, but also on whether enterprises can combine green resilience and sustainable governance.”

Citing a recent KPMG report, TAITRA Exhibition Business Director Cheng-Cheng Teng also pointed out that more than 60% of corporate leaders are confident they will achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, showing that “sustainability is no longer just corporate responsibility, but a new standard of industrial competitiveness.”

He noted that Taiwanese companies are increasingly aligning with international supply chain standards, solidifying Taiwan’s role in Asia’s clean energy transition.

Apollo Power General Manager Jun-Yi Wu said that the three major issues currently most concerning for the industry are stable power supply, energy cost, and sustainable carbon reduction.

SRE Chairman Yong-Yao Lin, a developer in Taiwan’s offshore wind sector, alsoo stressed that renewable energy is vital for the future of Taiwan’s export industries.

“Taiwan, as an export-oriented economy, faces increasingly fierce global competition,” Lin said. “More than 400 companies have joined the RE100 initiative, covering not only semiconductor and IT brands but also daily goods and traditional industries. These companies are actively seeking green electricity as the core driving force for their future development.” 

Meanwhile, TECO Group Vice President Heng-Wei Chen said the surge in electricity demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI) has made financing a major challenge in energy transformation.

Adam Bacon, vice president of Bloom Energy Asia-Pacific, also highlighted the growing strain AI data centers are placing on global power systems.

“According to Goldman Sachs, by 2030, energy demand from data centers will increase by 165%,” Bacon said. “Currently, AI data centers account for 2.5% to 3.7% of global greenhouse gas emissions — already surpassing the aviation industry.”

He emphasised that hydrogen energy and fuel cell technologies provide efficient and low-carbon power solutions that will be essential to supporting both the digital economy and the energy transition.

“Taiwan must accelerate the development of renewable energy to cope with the rapidly rising electricity demand,” Bacon urged.

The 2025 Taiwan International Smart Energy Week (Energy Taiwan) and Taiwan International Net-Zero & Sustainability Expo (Net-Zero Taiwan) will take place from 29 to 31 October at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1.

This year’s event brings together 450 leading domestic and international companies, featuring nearly 1,600 booths.