Promoting Urban Forests, Minister Peng Chi-ming: One Tree Adopted Per Person, One Green Belt Per Kilometer
Taiwan's Minister of Environment, Peng Chi-ming, advocated for the promotion of urban forests as part of the 'Climate Change Adaptation Green Doubling Plan.' He announced a goal of one tree adopted per person and one green belt per kilometer, aiming to reduce the perceived urban temperature by 8 degrees Celsius.
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- 📰 Published: April 30, 2026 at 19:35
- 🔍 Collected: April 30, 2026 at 20:01 (26 min after Published)
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Central News Agency (Reporter Wang Shu-fen, Taipei, 30th) Minister of Environment Peng Chi-ming today reported on the 'Climate Change Adaptation Green Doubling Plan' at the '7th Presidential Office Climate Change Response Committee Meeting,' stating its objective to promote urban forests. He hopes to achieve a goal of one person adopting one tree in the city, one green shade per community, and one green belt per kilometer.
Peng Chi-ming said that according to research by the World Resources Institute (WRI), cities can lower perceived temperatures by 2 to 8 degrees Celsius through the shade and transpiration of trees, generating cool breezes.
Peng Chi-ming also cited international examples of urban forest promotion: Singapore aims to plant 1 million trees by 2030; Tokyo, Japan, mandates rooftop greening for new buildings to lower surface temperatures to 25 degrees; and New York, USA, aims for 30% tree canopy cover by 2030.
Peng Chi-ming said that in addition to planting trees in cities, the urban forest initiative also aims to transform the scattered planting model, connecting points into linear corridors, seamlessly linking urban forests with suburban forest areas to form a 'resilient green network.' Simultaneously, environmental education and eco-tourism activities will be introduced into these green corridors.
Peng Chi-ming proposed the goals of promoting urban forests, hoping that in the future, each person can adopt one tree in the city, each community can have one green shade, and every kilometer can have one green belt. He roughly estimates that with proper maintenance, existing and newly planted trees in urban areas can exceed 10 million, allowing urban residents to reach a green living circle within 6 minutes and lowering the perceived temperature by 8 degrees Celsius.
Peng Chi-ming admitted that many critical issues need to be overcome to achieve the goals of urban forests, including: lack of comprehensive national mapping data, absence of a dedicated unit and regulations, limited growth space and planting standards, lack of professional maintenance and SOPs and engineering supervision, restrictions on disposal of waste branches due to regulations, and lack of incentives and data verification for introducing corporate ESG.
Peng Chi-ming said that an investigation and review of national road tree planting, tree species, and maintenance methods will be conducted, breaking the pattern of planning after engineering. Furthermore, a 'Dedicated Unit for Landscape Planting Management' will be established, and 'Public Planting Maintenance Regulations' will be set up. At the same time, incentives will be increased to encourage afforestation on flat land.
Peng Chi-ming stated that urban forests will be regarded as critical infrastructure for urban development, but their promotion requires inter-ministerial cooperation and collaboration with local governments. Precise identification of planting locations will be made, including: urban shade gaps, high-temperature hot spots, areas with high outdoor activity frequency for sensitive groups, and school and station surroundings will be prioritized for demonstration. A six-year plan is expected to be submitted to the Executive Yuan by the end of October. (Editor: Long Bo-an) 1150430
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Peng Chi-ming said that according to research by the World Resources Institute (WRI), cities can lower perceived temperatures by 2 to 8 degrees Celsius through the shade and transpiration of trees, generating cool breezes.
Peng Chi-ming also cited international examples of urban forest promotion: Singapore aims to plant 1 million trees by 2030; Tokyo, Japan, mandates rooftop greening for new buildings to lower surface temperatures to 25 degrees; and New York, USA, aims for 30% tree canopy cover by 2030.
Peng Chi-ming said that in addition to planting trees in cities, the urban forest initiative also aims to transform the scattered planting model, connecting points into linear corridors, seamlessly linking urban forests with suburban forest areas to form a 'resilient green network.' Simultaneously, environmental education and eco-tourism activities will be introduced into these green corridors.
Peng Chi-ming proposed the goals of promoting urban forests, hoping that in the future, each person can adopt one tree in the city, each community can have one green shade, and every kilometer can have one green belt. He roughly estimates that with proper maintenance, existing and newly planted trees in urban areas can exceed 10 million, allowing urban residents to reach a green living circle within 6 minutes and lowering the perceived temperature by 8 degrees Celsius.
Peng Chi-ming admitted that many critical issues need to be overcome to achieve the goals of urban forests, including: lack of comprehensive national mapping data, absence of a dedicated unit and regulations, limited growth space and planting standards, lack of professional maintenance and SOPs and engineering supervision, restrictions on disposal of waste branches due to regulations, and lack of incentives and data verification for introducing corporate ESG.
Peng Chi-ming said that an investigation and review of national road tree planting, tree species, and maintenance methods will be conducted, breaking the pattern of planning after engineering. Furthermore, a 'Dedicated Unit for Landscape Planting Management' will be established, and 'Public Planting Maintenance Regulations' will be set up. At the same time, incentives will be increased to encourage afforestation on flat land.
Peng Chi-ming stated that urban forests will be regarded as critical infrastructure for urban development, but their promotion requires inter-ministerial cooperation and collaboration with local governments. Precise identification of planting locations will be made, including: urban shade gaps, high-temperature hot spots, areas with high outdoor activity frequency for sensitive groups, and school and station surroundings will be prioritized for demonstration. A six-year plan is expected to be submitted to the Executive Yuan by the end of October. (Editor: Long Bo-an) 1150430
Choose to stand with facts, every sponsorship you provide is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency 'First-hand News' APP to get the latest news in real time.
The text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, or publicly transmitted and used without authorization.