With the world pushing for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, Taiwan has made policy announcements and taken actions which echo the global trend. As Taiwan’s premier agricultural university, the century-old National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has recognized its particular responsibility to conduct research on agricultural carbon reduction. Currently, a research team working under Associate Professor Yu-Ting Wu of the NPUST Department of Forestry is cooperating with the government to implement “Net Zero” objectives by improving soil carbon sinks (i.e. yellow carbon) and developing “carbon-negative” farming methods (where carbon removed exceeds carbon emitted).

The 17th International Warsaw Invention Show was held at the Warsaw University of Science and Technology from December 12 to 14 (2023), with fifteen countries participating in the event. This show is the second largest international exhibition of inventions in the European Union. The teams representing Taiwan at the show saw considerable success, winning 14 gold medals and 9 silver medals in total. Among the winning entries, two works submitted by a joint team from National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) and the Taiwan Air Force and Navy won Gold Medal Awards and a Special Contribution Award.

Every two years National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) publishes a Sustainability Report to keep its stakeholders and the general public informed about its efforts and performances in sustainable governance, financial management, environmental sustainability and social co-prosperity. The school also responds to the interests and concerns that stakeholders raise when it comes to sustainability issues. NPUST’s “2022 Sustainability Report” was submitted to the 2023 TCSA Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards, where it won the gold medal for the “University Sustainability Report” category. Such an honor is a clear affirmation of the efforts the university is making in environmental sustainability (E), social responsibility (S) and school governance (G).

For the past several years, National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) has been actively promoting various ‘sustainable development’ related measures as part of its effort to help implement Taiwan’s sustainable development goals and achieve its 2050 net-zero emission objective. This year, the university was a candidate for the Executive Yuan’s 2023 Annual National Sustainability Development Award on account of its “Smart Agriculture Sustainable Development Plan”. After the rigorous preliminary review of the plan and an on-site briefing consultation and examination, NPUST stood out among the contenders and won this year’s award in the Education category. On November 30, President Chin-Lung Chang personally accepted the award, which was presented by Taiwan’s Premier, Chen Chien-jen.

On December 1 (‘23), the NPUST Department of Forestry and Ching Jinglin Education Foundation held their annual tree-planting activity at the NPUST’s “Baoli Practice Farm”. The cooperative project, which began in 2019, has become a model for corporate social responsibility (CSR) and university social responsibility (USR). Over the past five years, 4,000 saplings have been successfully planted as a result of the activity, with a survival rate of over 90%. Taking account for biodiversity, the tree species planted this year include such native species as Philippine drypetes, Cinnamomum reticulatum, and persimmon.

Associate Professor Tang Chi of the National Pingtung University of Science and Technology (NPUST) Department of Soil and Water Conservation and his team were named among the top teams at this year’s (2023) Taiwan Presidential Hackathon. Their proposal, entitled the “Beauty of 4 per 1000”, was sponsored by a number of businesses and agencies including Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., Ltd., Pingtung County Government Environmental Protection Bureau, Ministry of Environment Climate Change Administration, Taiwan Agricultural Research Institute, Agricultural Experimental Institute of the Ministry of Agriculture, Eco-affinity Inc., and the Green Consumer Foundation.