AmCham Webinar Highlights Investment and Public-Private Partnership Opportunities in Tackling the Climate Crisis
On September 8, AmCham Taiwan hosted a special event with Collin O’Mara, president and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), America’s largest wildlife conservation organization. The NWF is a longstanding partner of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Taiwan’s Environmental Protection Administration. Andrew Wylegala, president of AmCham Taiwan, introduced O’Mara at the virtual event. In his opening remarks, Wylegala discussed the alignment between the U.S. and Taiwan’s goals to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
O’Mara’s presentation highlighted the escalating climate crisis and explained how collective action and public-private partnerships are vital to achieving the U.S. and Taiwan’s energy and environmental goals. He stated his belief that clean energy will be the greatest market opportunity of most of our lifetimes, but also underscored the massive investment opportunities for Taiwan in the areas of energy efficiency, smart buildings, advanced transportation, education, and agriculture. He explained that the Chamber’s members are well-positioned to “do well and do good” at the same time, as the climate-friendly choice is often the more profitable choice. AmCham Taiwan members have vast opportunities to benefit from job and wealth creation in green energy, as well as to make an impact on mitigating the climate threat.
In the Q&A section, Mr. O’Mara discussed President Biden’s “Build Back Better” public-private partnership initiative and the interaction among the U.S. EPA, Taiwan EPA, AmCham members, and AIT to work toward net zero goals. Wylegala highlighted Chamber member Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co.’s (TSMC) efforts to increase its use of renewables and conserve water, as well as the trend among AmCham’s financial services industry members to adopt green bonds. The NWF looks forward to future opportunities to partner with the Chamber on helping the U.S. and Taiwan reach net zero by 2050.