Paris Watch - Youth Training
Past Event
2025-03-27
CCIL CATY Cohort 5 Taiwan Field Trip
From 27 to 29 March 2025, Ivy, Raven, and Karly from CarbonCare InnoLab, along with five youths —Cody, Katy, Jeff, Rachel, and Sunniva—from the 5th Cohort of the Climate Advocacy Training for Youth (CATY), travelled to Taipei. They extensively discussed sustainable development and climate action with local organisations.
Their first stop was the International Climate Development Institute (ICDI), a non-profit organisation that focuses on developmental rights in face of climate change impacts in Taiwan. Mr. Kung-Yueh Chao, the Executive Director of ICDI, highlighted the essential role of think tank in shaping climate policy and fostering international collaboration, offering specific examples and technical support for Taiwan’s climate initiatives.
Mr. Prentice Ku, project manager at Greenpeace Taiwan, shared his extensive experience in advocacy and event organisation. He explained how to effectively set goals and implement strategies that capture the attention of key stakeholders, encouraging proactive engagement with pressing issues.
During their meeting with the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), the team learned about TAISE's efforts to promote sustainable development in Taiwan through policy advocacy, education, and various competitions and forums. TAISE actively engages governments, businesses, schools, healthcare institutions, NGOs, and the public in its initiatives.
Pei Yu, head of the Taipei Community Garden Promotion Center, discussed how the center fosters community gardens under the Taipei Garden City programme. This initiative effectively connects communities with sustainability and ecology, successfully mobilising public participation in urban agriculture and food education.
The youth-led social enterprise PD. Dinos promotes climate and environmental awareness through engaging board games. Founder Mr. Su Sih-yang introduced the "Climate Emergency" board game, which teaches players about adaptation and mitigation strategies to lessen the impact of climate disasters while also addressing the balance required in national development.
Mr. Tu, founder of Selvans Garden, shared his philosophy of integrating agricultural production with social well-being. His farm aims to create a supportive space for therapy, social rehabilitation, education, and employment, achieving a model that combines economic self-sufficiency, social welfare, and environmental sustainability. With a background in social work, Mr. Tu recognises the diverse impacts of climate change on communities. He advocates for green social work through inclusive agricultural practices that provide carbon sinks, protect biodiversity, utilize renewable energy, and offer job opportunities to marginalised groups, thereby fostering environmental conservation and sustainability awareness.
Additionally, the group explored downtown Taipei by bicycle. During this tour, they observed and discussed the differences in bicycle infrastructure and promotion subsidies between Taiwan and Hong Kong, gaining insights into the urban development and planning transformations in Taipei.
Through these observations and experiences, the team compared Taiwan's local climate actions with those in Hong Kong. They noted that despite differing geographical and social contexts, both regions face similar climate challenges, including carbon emissions from urbanisation and resource waste. Taiwan's experiences provided valuable insights, demonstrating that achieving sustainable development and climate education requires collaborative efforts from governments, businesses, social organisations, and the public. By leveraging policy guidance, market mechanisms, and educational initiatives, it is possible to unite diverse stakeholders in addressing climate challenges together.