The Alliance for Sustainable Development Goals (A‧SDGs) has been organizing the annual “Global Corporate Sustainability Forum (GCSF)” since 2018 in collaboration with domestic academic and research institutions. The forum aims to connect Taiwan’s academic research endeavors, address current trends, and facilitate international dialogue, with a focus on promoting sustainable education and capitalizing on corporate prospects.

As global momentum towards carbon neutrality increases, exemplified by the European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) and carbon taxation measures, Taiwan has embarked on robust efforts since 2022 to steer corporate and governmental transformation, aligning with the target of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050. This period also marks the formal institutionalization of Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) development. Domestically, businesses await pertinent legislation, carbon pricing, express interest in carbon fees, and engage with initiatives such as RE100.

This year, apart from the physical four-day event, an online forum by the Alliance for Sustainable Development Goals (A‧SDGs) is also scheduled. This virtual event will convene global sustainability discussions, fostering interactions among diverse sectors to showcase Taiwan’s prowess in advancing ESG across domains. The forum endeavors to provide attendees with current trend insights while aiding corporate entities in innovating ESG values, reinforcing supply chain partnerships, enhancing climate resilience, and collectively progressing towards net-zero emissions and sustainable practices.

The online forum organized by the Alliance for Sustainable Development Goals (A‧SDGs) commenced with many esteemed international speakers. The physical opening ceremony took place on November 14th at the Grand Ballroom of The Grand Hotel in Taipei.

GCSF

In 2022, the award ceremony was graced by distinguished guests such as Ambassador Eugene Chien, President of the Legislative Yuan You Si-kun, President of the Examination Yuan Jong-Tsun Huang, Deputy Chairperson of the Financial Supervisory Commission Hsiao Tsui-ling, and Director-General of the Health Promotion Administration under the Ministry of Health and Welfare Chao-Chun Wu, who delivered speeches and presented awards. Representatives from 14 countries, including the United States, Singapore, Germany, the Netherlands, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Thailand, were in attendance, alongside award recipients. The event saw the participation of over 200 prominent figures, including 34 Chairpersons, 4 Vice Chairpersons, 41 CEOs, 42 Vice CEOs, and 10 Presidents and Vice Presidents of educational institutions. This gathering underscored the global focus on and urgency of the net-zero transformation, a significant objective of paramount importance.

The Global Corporate Sustainability Awards (GCSA), organized by the Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE), align with the United Nations’ 2030 Agenda by embracing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. GCSA aims to recognize and commend companies, organizations, and individuals for their efforts in promoting sustainable development. Since its establishment in 2018, GCSA has solidified its position as a benchmark for sustainable development across the Asia-Pacific region.

Since its inception, GCSA has honored 143 recipients from various countries including Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, the United Kingdom, and the United States. In 2022, enterprises from 7 countries participated, marking a 20% increase in the number of participants compared to the previous year, with a total of 78 entrants. Among them, 44 companies ultimately earned a total of 46 awards across three major categories.

The Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards (TCSA), now in its 15th year, has been consistently organizing its selection event in response to the ongoing global trend towards corporate sustainability. The number of participating companies has steadily increased each year, making it the most actively participated and closely watched corporate sustainability assessment event for both domestic businesses and foreign companies operating in Taiwan.

In 2022, the number of participating companies reached a new high of 424, contributing to a cumulative total of 581 companies over the years. The combined annual revenue of these companies is 167% of Taiwan’s 2021 GDP. The evaluation process involved 577 volunteer judges and 297 renowned experts and scholars, representing 76% of the market value of Taiwan’s listed companies. Their collective annual revenue and government budget amounted to a substantial NT$36 trillion, approximately 167% of Taiwan’s 2021 GDP, involving a total of 874 evaluators.

Furthermore, observing the sustainable model companies in this edition, the average Return On Equity (ROE) for the year 2020 was 2.3 times higher than that of the top 1000 enterprises in 2020. These companies not only demonstrate high profitability but have also garnered public and consumer favor for their brands and social image.

The Sustainable Summit

In 2022, the two sessions of the Sustainable Summit focused on “Global ESG Trends Analysis” and the “Cross-Industry Sustainable Paradigm Forum.” The first session featured discussions with representatives from the world’s four renowned accounting firms: Mr. Chien-Hung Chou, Managing Partner and Alliance CEO of PwC Taiwan, Sam Lin, Deputy Managing Partner of KPMG Taiwan, Roger Tseng, Partner at EY Taiwan, and Jason Ke, President of Deloitte Taiwan. These discussions centered around industries’ efforts to transform for accelerated net-zero emissions goals and sustainable economies.

The second session hosted representatives from companies honored with the Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Award (TCSA), including Mr. Du-Wen Sun, Senior Manager at Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), Ms. Dan-Ni Chen, Assistant Manager at Sinyi Realty Inc., Ms. Tzu-Hsia Yu, Head of Sustainability and Corporate Communications at Unilever Taiwan, and Ms. Hui-Chen Lin, Vice President of Research and Development at Tunghai University. During this session, they shared their experiences and successful approaches in linking Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) with core business strategies, aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs).