VP Hsiao, EU envoy join 'sustainability' mountain hike in New Taipei

New Taipei, Nov. 29 (CNA) Taiwan's Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) on Saturday attended a hiking event promoting sustainability in New Taipei, joined by European Union (EU) Representative to Taiwan Lutz Güllner.

The event was organized by the Ministry of Environment (MOENV), inviting participants to hike up a 3.5-kilometer trail to the top of Guanyinshan and pick up trash along the way.

Hsiao said the occasion felt "especially meaningful," having recently returned from Belgium to "partner with our European friends."

The vice president, who addressed the 2025 Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) summit in Brussels on Nov. 7, said Taiwan would seek to continue working with the EU to promote sustainability.

Meanwhile, Güllner said the event aimed to "send a signal" that environmental protection "starts with small steps" and that it is a "shared goal" for the EU and Taiwan.

To reinforce its low-carbon message, the MOENV said in a statement that the event, which was open to the public, banned bottled water and encouraged participants to take public transportation or carpool.

Despite the hike's emphasis on trail cleanup and low-carbon practices, photos of the event posted by the organizers showed no visible evidence of trash pick-up, such as bags, tools or sorted waste.

Participants were instead pictured holding commemorative towels and what appeared to be a newly printed plastic banner reading "Hike Green," as well as using disposable meal boxes.

When asked by CNA about the total amount of trash collected during the event, the MOENV said it did not have such a figure.