Allied nation officials in Taipei to promote carbon credit cooperation

Taipei, July 21 (CNA) Officials from 11 of Taiwan's 12 diplomatic allies are taking part in a three-day workshop in Taipei aimed at strengthening cooperation on carbon credits and boosting participation in international carbon markets, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday.

The event, titled "Co-Carbon Compass Workshop: Carbon Credit Collaboration and Capacity Building," officially opened Monday at MOFA's Institute of Diplomacy and International Affairs.

Participants include Anita Montoute, Saint Lucia's permanent secretary in the Department of Sustainable Development, and José Antonio López Leonardo, Guatemala's vice minister of rural economic development, according to MOFA.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Deputy Foreign Minister François Wu (吳志中) said the workshop reflects Taiwan's commitment to working with its diplomatic allies to strengthen their capabilities and resilience in engaging with international carbon markets.

Wu said he hoped the event would help build the shared understanding and expertise needed to advance future bilateral and multilateral collaboration on carbon credits and emissions reduction.

The workshop is jointly organized by MOFA and the government-funded Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), which was established in 1973 to enhance Taiwan's industrial research and development capabilities.

According to MOFA, experts from Taiwan and overseas are delivering lectures on such topics as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the Paris Agreement.

During their visit, participants will also tour ITRI, the Ministry of Environment, and the Taiwan International Cooperation and Development Fund (TaiwanICDF), Taiwan's official foreign aid agency.

Taiwan currently has 12 diplomatic allies, three located in the Pacific (Marshall Islands, Palau, Tuvalu) and seven located in the Caribbean and Latin America (Belize, Guatemala, Haiti, St. Lucia, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, and Paraguay).

The others are Eswatini in Africa and the Vatican, the only ally not represented at the workshop.