"Aligning with International Standards × Implementing Net Zero Buildings" - ESG Summit Forum B Unveils Taiwan’s New Strategy for Architectural Transformation through Color-painted Solar BIPV and Carbon Credits
"Aligning with International Standards × Implementing Net Zero Buildings" - ESG Summit Forum B Unveils Taiwan’s New Strategy for Architectural Transformation through Color-painted Solar BIPV and Carbon Credits
The "2025 ESG Summit," hosted by the Accounting Research and Development Foundation, took place on the 7th floor of Hall 2 of the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center from August 26th to 28th, bringing together heavyweight speakers from international and domestic, covering critical topics such as sustainability disclosure, green finance, and technological decarbonization. The first wave of international highlights included representatives from organizations such as IFRS ISSB, GRI, EFRAG, XBRL International, and IVSC, setting the stage for Taiwan to align with international standards.
A group photo of distinguished guests at the 2025 ESG Summit Special Session: "Carbon Credits Driving ESG Business Opportunities - Energy Transition and New Value in Taiwan's Construction Industry." Participants included: Hsu Shu-po, Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China (5th from right); Xue Wei-li, Chairman of Join It Sustainable Technology (6th from right); Wang Rong-Jin, Director of Architecture and Building Research Institute Ministry Of the Interior(4th from right); Xu Yan-Xing, Deputy Director of National Land Management Agency Ministry of the Interior (3rd from right); Su Yi-Yun, Group Leader of the Climate Change Administration Ministry of Environment (2nd from right); Zheng Ming-Shan, Deputy Director of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) (1st from right); Fan Jian-De, Dean of the College of Sustainability at National Tsing Hua University (4th from left); Yang Qian-Rou, Chairman of the TURA(7th from left); Guo Yu-Hsin, General Manager of the TSMEG (2nd from left); Li Xi-Yi, Senior Vice President of KGI Bank (3rd from left); Chen Song-Lin, Vice President of Baopu Construction (5th from left); Architect Zhan Shi-Wei, representative of the National Architects Association (6th from left); and Fei Yu-de, CEO of ESG TIMES (1st from left).
Forum B, "Carbon Rights Drive ESG Business Opportunities: Energy Transformation and New Value of Taiwan's Construction Industry," which took place yesterday, was co-organized by Join It Sustainable Technology and ESG TIMES, with ESG TIMES CEO Fei Yude serving as moderator. It focused on two major discussion axes: policy collaboration and urban renewal and green finance. The participants spanned the Climate Change Administration of the Ministry of Environment, National Land Management Agency Ministry of the Interior, the Architecture and Building Research Institute Ministry of the Interior, the Industrial Technology Research Institute, as well as leading voices from the banking sector, the Credit Guarantee Fund, the General Chamber of Commerce, architects, and construction companies. the forum created a comprehensive linkage across policy, industry, and finance, paving practical pathways for implementation.
The speech at Forum B of the 2025 ESG Summit, Hsu Shu-po, Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce of the Republic of China, pointed out that companies are not afraid of the costs brought by ESG, and the key lies in how to recycle. He also used the example of the painted photovoltaic exterior wall model to affirm the practical value of jointly promoting carbon rights and a sustainable economy.
Industry Perspective × Policy Call | Hsu Shu-Po, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce
Hsu Shu-po, who also serves as important positions such as Chairman of the General Chamber of Commerce, emphasized that enterprises aren't afraid of the costs associated with ESG, the real key lies in the design of effective return mechanism. He cited the "color-painted photovoltaic x advertising revenue" model as an example, affirming Join It that the pragmatic approach of sustainably transforming exterior walls into assets can transform carbon reduction into stable cash flow. He also appealed to the government as an industry representative:
- Energy policy is urgent, and relevant regulations must be clarified swiftly and made practical.
- Expand green credit and guarantee tools to lower entry barriers through simultaneous financing and investment.
- Provide clear guidance on voluntary reductions and methodologies, making carbon credits verifiable and tradable.
- Drive market scaling through public-sector demonstrations and the integration of renewable solutions in public asset projects, thereby creating a positive cycle of policy–capital–technology.
Policy Roadmap | Wang Rong-Jin, Director of Architecture and Building Research Institute Ministry of the Interior
Wang Rong-Jin reviewed the progress of energy efficiency labeling and near-zero-energy building promotion for public buildings, highlighting phased achievements such as the demonstration of color-painted solar façades and the legalization of rooftop solar installations in new buildings.He also noted the successful demonstration of Join It Sustainable for its color-painted solar façade at ABRI’s Materials Testing Center, showing that the coating effectively reduces reflection, prevents light pollution, and enhances urban aesthetics. These results are helping to shape a decarbonization pathway for residential and commercial sectors. This year, public buildings will once again take the lead in advancing improvements.
Wang Rong-Jin (2nd from left), Director of Architecture and Building Research Institute Ministry of the Interior, delivered a presentation on "Practical Solutions for Net-Zero Buildings" at Forum B of the 2025 ESG Summit. He shared the results of demonstrations of energy efficiency labeling and color-painted photovoltaic facades for public buildings, and called for the simultaneous promotion of near-zero-carbon buildings through energy conservation and energy creation.
Land Governance × Legislative Amendment Progress | Xu Yan-Xing, Deputy Director of National Land Management Agency Ministry of the Interior
Deputy Director Xu Yan-Xing stated at the meeting that amendments to photovoltaic and energy-related regulations are already underway, with accelerated revisions expected to be announced by the end of this year. ESG and net-zero building standards have also been prioritized in social housing and urban renewal projects, with corresponding legal amendments already completed.Looking ahead, carbon inventory and the use of circular materials will continue to move in this direction. In terms of regional planning under the National Land Planning Act, methodologies for integrating energy systems are under review. Hsu further emphasized that by leveraging AI to integrate big data, the government aims to accelerate multi-level carbon accounting and decision-making support, thereby enhancing governance efficiency and transparency.
Climate Governance × Carbon Fees and Voluntary Reductions | Su Yi-Yun, Group Leader of the Climate Change Administration Ministry of Environment
Group Leader Su Yi-Yun pointed out that facing the wave of green transformation, the construction industry is most concerned with “costs” and “new sources of revenue.” Regarding carbon fees, cement and steel manufacturers have already been included in emissions accounting this year and will become fee-paying entities next year. This will inevitably affect construction costs through material prices. However, based on the current rate, the overall impact on construction costs is not expected to exceed 1%, remaining within a manageable range.
To avoid excessive burden on businesses, the policy framework is centered on economic incentives. Enterprises that submit voluntary reduction plans, or are identified as high-risk industries, may receive adjustments in fee rates or emissions calculations. This approach encourages early reduction actions and accelerates transformation.Su further stressed that emission reductions achieved through energy-saving and renewable energy measures, once verified through legal procedures, methodologies, and review mechanisms, can be certified as carbon credits and traded on the Taiwan Carbon Exchange via pricing or auction mechanisms, ensuring fair market value.However, he underscored that carbon credits are not the ultimate goal. Carbon reduction comes with costs, but it also generates co-benefits such as lower energy expenses, reduced operational risks, and enhanced brand value. Enterprises should not view carbon credits as the sole objective but rather as a catalyst for competitiveness—just as today’s demonstrated insulating building materials deliver both decarbonization and additional revenue streams.
Fan Jian-De (left), Dean of the College of Sustainability at National Tsing Hua University; Zheng Ming-Shan (center), Deputy Director of the Green Energy Institute of the Industrial Technology Research Institute; and Xue Weili (right), Chairman of Join It Sustainable Technology, pose for a photo at the 2025 ESG Summit, demonstrating the determination of industry, government, academia, and research to collaborate in promoting carbon credit-driven and building energy transformation.
Technological Support | Zheng Mingshan, Deputy Director of the Green Energy and Environment Research Institute, Industrial Technology Research Institute
Zheng Mingshan pointed out that the integrated solution of AI energy management (EMS), renewable energy, and energy storage is transforming buildings into nodes that can interact with the power grid. He stressed that carbon credits should be viewed as subsidies for the introduction of new technologies rather than the sole source of revenue. Companies must ensure quality through methodologies and externalities. He also affirmed the sustainable integration of innovative materials and energy modules, enabling photovoltaic modules to simultaneously provide thermal insulation and create circular economy value.
(TED) Business Model Highlights | Join It Sustainable "Facade as Asset" Creates a Circular Source of Income
At the forum, Xue Weili, founder and chairman of Join It Sustainable, unveiled a triple-value circular economy model: exterior wall photovoltaics provide green electricity, with non-glare painted surfaces offer aesthetic appeal. This model combines advertising wall revenue with renewable electricity savings and green electricity certificates or carbon credits to create a stable cash flow. A scenario simulation (500kW, 900 square meters of commercial advertising space, market conditions, and profit sharing assumptions) showed that the annualized revenue for a single exterior wall could reach approximately NT$6.18 million (actual value varies depending on site conditions). A new business model for win-win cooperation among enterprises, the public sector, and disadvantaged organizations was also shared, receiving positive feedback from the audience.
Image caption: Xue Weili, Chairman of Join It Sustainable Technology, delivered a TED speech at Forum B of the 2025 ESG Summit, proposing a new business model: "Exterior walls as assets." He emphasized that BIPV, a multi-faceted photovoltaic system, combines advertising, green electricity, and green electricity certificates or carbon rights to drive sustainable transformation in the construction industry.
(TED) Urban Renewal Takes Place | Yang Qianrou, Chairman of the Urban Renewal and Reconstruction Association of the Republic of China
In her speech titled "Urban Renewal: More Than Just a New Home," Yang Qianrou noted that over 40% of Taiwan's homes are over 30 years old. Incorporating BIPV (Bi-Physical Photovoltaic) technology, energy-saving design, and low-carbon building materials into renovation projects can simultaneously generate environmental benefits and carbon credit revenue, which can be channeled back into community funds. She illustrated this with a practical scenario: combining rental income from exterior wall advertising, savings from self-use, and income from certificates could generate a long-term return of over 10 million yuan over 20 years. "Carbon credits are the green currency of urban renewal," strengthening the long-term operation and financial stability of communities.
(TED) Academic Standards × Quality Governance | Professor Fan Jiande, School of Sustainability, National Tsing Hua University
Professor Fan Jian-De used the "Carbon Rights and Academic Perspective" to sort out the evolution from the CDM of the Kyoto Protocol to the ITMOs in Article 6 of the Paris Agreement, emphasizing the core of methodology, additionality and the MRV evidence chain to avoid the myth of "replacing actual reductions with carbon rights" and suggested establishing governance guidelines on cutting-edge issues such as voluntary market quality, satellite and blockchain monitoring, and fairness.
About this forum
Forum B is co-organized by Together for Sustainability and ESG TIMES, on August 27th from 10:00 to 11:45, and includes a host opening, three TED talks (by Xue Weili, Fan Jiande, and Yang Qianrou), and two-stage dialogues on "Policy Collaboration × Energy Transformation" and "Industry Implementation × Financial Support"; the panelists span the policy side (Climate Administration, Land Administration, Institute of Building Research, Industrial Technology Research Institute) and the implementation side (China Export and Credit Guarantee Corporation, KGI Bank, architects, and construction companies).
