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On the evening of August 19, President Lai Ching-te attended the 2026 Net Zero Tech International Contest Award Ceremony and Networking Dinner. In remarks, President Lai commended the young contest participants for addressing climate challenges with innovative technologies. He stated that Taiwan possesses complete industry clusters and strong research capabilities, and that the government will continue to promote the development of key net-zero technologies and link resources across all sectors, helping turn research into solutions for industries and international markets and contributing to the global net-zero transformation.
A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows:
I’m very happy to return to my alma mater today for the 2026 Net Zero Tech International Contest Award Ceremony. To begin, I want to thank [National Taiwan University], TECO Technology Foundation, and all the sponsors, judges, and advisors. Thank you for building this stage for young people to gather from around the world.
I also want to congratulate all the winning teams. The judges recognized your hard work, and you earned this honor through many hours of research and experiments, plus good teamwork. Let’s give the winners another round of applause!
This contest continues to grow. In 2023, it began with 146 teams from 10 countries. This year, we have 267 teams from 20 countries. No matter the final results, we truly admire all your hard work. With your skills, you have expertly addressed climate challenges. You have shown a strong sense of responsibility and drive, putting forward solutions for the net-zero transformation.
In today’s world, most carbon reduction comes from scaling up the technologies we already have. But to reach our 2050 net-zero goals, we need new ideas. AI is growing fast, and using more power. We need new materials, energy systems, and production methods. And we must improve computing performance and energy efficiency.
After I took office in 2024, I established the National Climate Change Committee at the Presidential Office. It includes government and industry leaders, civil society groups, scholars, and experts. Together, we discuss Taiwan’s climate governance, energy transformation, and net-zero path. This ensures our policies include diverse input from experts and the public.
Last January, we proposed the beta version of our [Nationally Determined Contributions] 3.0. After consulting widely across society and further refining that plan, we completed our Comprehensive Carbon Reduction Action Plan. It sets a new target: By 2035, we will cut emissions by 38 percent, plus or minus 2 percent, from 2005 levels. This more ambitious target demonstrates Taiwan’s determination to contribute to the global sustainability transition.
Taiwan has complete industry clusters in semiconductors, ICT, and precision manufacturing. We also have strong research capabilities and robust supply chains. These advantages enable us to combine research and manufacturing and develop net-zero technologies that are globally competitive.
Our government will continue to promote net-zero innovations and the development of key technologies. We will help link resources across all sectors. And we will facilitate field verification, industry cooperation, and startup support. This will help promising research become solutions for industry – solutions that international markets are waiting for.
To all the young people here: These awards acknowledge what you have already achieved in research; they also point the way forward. On the next stage of your journey, I hope you all take your research deeper and promote real-world applications. Through this contest, you have built connections with partners from different countries and fields. And I hope you keep those connections alive, because you are all working together to develop new technologies and address climate challenges.
Once more, I’d like to congratulate every winning team. And thank you to the competitors for your dedication. Taiwan wants to be your partner: in research, in collaborations, and in the companies you go on to build. Let the ideas honored today become the force that realizes net zero tomorrow. Together, we can contribute to a more sustainable, more prosperous future for generations to come. Thank you.
