Enterprises Show Dedication to Sustainable Management to Deal with Green Consumption Era

TAIPEI, Taiwan - December 27, 2009: Since 1992, the Environmental Protection Administration (EPA) has sponsored the "Annual Enterprises Environmental Protection Award (AEEPA) of the Republic of China (ROC)" for 18 consecutive years. Up to this year, 192 organizations have been recognized for their outstanding performance in promoting environmental protection, among which, 20 organizations were honored with an AEEPA for three consecutive years.

“Annual Enterprises Environmental Protection Award (AEEPA) of the Republic of China (ROC)”

To accommodate the diversified business sectors, the 18th AEEPA is divided into two groups (manufacturing and non-manufacturing) for selection. The recipients of the 18th AEEPA include 11 organizations, among which four recipients belong to non-manufacturing group.

Ching-Shi Yang, director of the EPA Department of Supervision, Evaluation and Dispute Resolution, said that Taiwan is an island state heavily relied on export and thus has been facing severe global challenges after entering WTO in 2002. The competitiveness of industries is of more importance in the face of global competition. Because environmental awareness has raised and the climate change issue is much more emphasized than it was in the past, regulation of green products has become a sort of trade barrier. Taking electronic and electrical products for example, Yang said that a product can be exported to EU only when its quality is in accordance with EU environmental protection regulations such as WEEE, RoHs, EuP and so on. Enterprises have realized that the green consumption era has arrived, and to be internationally competitive, they have to be “green”.

Yang said, to transform into a “green” industry, an enterprise should be “green” in both producing and designing; green in supply chain and marketing are also important. These innovations for the sake of building eco-friendly industries should be achieved through cultivating green culture. Among the 11 AEEPA recipient enterprises, Chi Mei Optoelectronics, AU Optronics Corporation and United Microelectronics Corp. have come up with green promises, visions or goals to gradually root green culture in the enterprise. For example, both AU’s Green DNA (green innovation, green market, green production, green recycle, green service, and green planning) and Chi Mei’s L.O.V.E globe pleasure (Green living, green management, green education and green market) show their resolutions to become green enterprises.

Other AEEPA-honored enterprises also have great performance in environmental protection. For instance, Rexchip Electronics Corporation has been promoting energy saving and waste reduction to achieve the goal of keeping costs down; Formosa Plastics Corporation-Mailiao Caustic Soda Plant has cut sludge by 67% and electricity by 11.7% by introducing policies of low-pollution technology and energy saving. As for development of green products, Tatung Company won the type II Green Mark eco-label by designing amorphous core transformer which cuts cost of standby electricity by 85%. Besides, both EPD-Electronic Paper Display designed by AU L6A plant and non-heavymetal glass substrates initiated by Corning Display Technologies Taiwan Co., Ltd. are great environmental achievements.

Yang said that manufacturing or non-manufacturing sectors both emit greenhouse gases, but in different ways. Manufacturing sectors emits directly, but service sectors emits indirectly. Considering climate change would create more and more challenges in the future, how to save energy and lower emission of greenhouse gases would be lessons for all citizens. Industries should follow government’s carbon-reduction policy to be more eco-friendly. Through actions, we can realize the dream of low-carbon society and create a healthy and sustainable Taiwan New Paradise.