'Sprout Action' Japanese Edition Published, Showcasing Taiwan's Citizen Net-Zero Achievements Internationally
The Japanese edition of 'Sprout Action: Citizen Zero-Carbon Lab,' a book documenting Taiwan's civil society efforts toward net-zero, has been published. The National Science and Technology Council expressed hope that Taiwan's bottom-up approach will inspire net-zero innovation in Japan.
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- 📰 Published: May 14, 2026 at 17:08
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Central News Agency, AI Net-Zero Special Report (300 articles in total)
Digital transformation is an ongoing process for industries, and artificial intelligence and net-zero carbon emissions are two major challenges facing both government and businesses, crucial to Taiwan's future competitiveness. Central News Agency's frontline reporting team provides in-depth coverage of how the government and various industries are using AI to optimize production processes and drive green innovation, witnessing another leap for Taiwan's industry.
(Central News Agency reporter Chao Min-ya, Taipei, 14th) Taiwan's civil society's net-zero achievements are going international with the publication and launch of the Japanese edition of 'Sprout Action: Citizen Zero-Carbon Lab.' National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Deputy Minister Lin Fa-jeng stated today that during Taiwan's push for net-zero transformation, civil society has accumulated significant achievements, and he hopes the book can bring inspiration to Japan for net-zero innovation and social participation.
The NSTC held a press conference today for the publication of the Japanese edition of 'Sprout Action: Citizen Zero-Carbon Lab,' attended by Lin Fa-jeng, Deputy Representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association's Taipei Office Kawai Utsuru, Secretary-General of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Hung Ying-chieh, Chief Advisor of the Net-Zero Promotion Group Chou Su-ching, Secretary-General of the National Association for the Promotion of Community Universities Yang Chih-pin, and Legislator Chang Ya-lin.
In his speech, Lin Fa-jeng said that to achieve the 2050 net-zero emissions goal, Taiwan continues to strengthen the integration of technology policy and social innovation, and through the 'Civic Group Innovation Demonstration and Sandbox Trial Project,' it is aiding the net-zero transformation in a bottom-up manner. The Net-Zero Sandbox Project, launched in 2023, has so far nurtured 63 projects and incubated 41 civil society organizations, not only demonstrating Taiwan's foresight in institutional innovation but also embodying the governance feature of a democratic society where policy directions are gradually shaped from the grassroots level.
Lin Fa-jeng pointed out that civic groups have shown great enthusiasm and mobility. Through the sandbox experiment mechanism, various innovative ideas can be realized in real-world settings, allowing carbon reduction measures to be gradually integrated into daily life, driving behavioral change and accelerating the practice of net-zero transformation. He hopes the book will inspire Japan in net-zero innovation and social participation, and further deepen Taiwan-Japan exchanges and cooperation in areas such as net-zero transformation, social innovation, and local governance.
Kawai Utsuru stated in his speech that both Japan and Taiwan have set a 2050 net-zero emissions target and are actively promoting diverse measures, with civic awareness and social participation being an important foundation for promoting these measures. He noted that the book introduces concrete cases of Taiwanese citizens' efforts in various fields to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, exerting a positive influence on promoting the transformation of civic consciousness and sustainable practices.
Kawai Utsuru mentioned that he was deeply inspired and resonated with the book's message that sustainable action is not a slogan but is integrated into everyone's daily habits. He believes the book's publication will not only allow more people to learn from Taiwan's practices but also help promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges and cooperation.
Chou Su-ching said that the idea of promoting the Net-Zero Sandbox Project in 2023 came from a deep reflection on the issue of climate change. She pointed out that traditional government-led, top-down policy design often fails to respond to local needs in a timely manner. Therefore, the hope is to let citizens become net-zero actors who can propose solutions and conduct experiments themselves.
Chou Su-ching said this book chose a Japanese edition as the first step for international exchange because Japan has accumulated deep experience in regional revitalization, community governance, and green transformation. Taiwan, on the other hand, adopts a 'small is beautiful' strategy. Facing the common challenge of climate change, Taiwan and Japan are not just learning partners for each other but can also become partners in co-creating future governance models.
The NSTC pointed out that the net-zero sandbox mechanism emphasizes bottom-up innovation and evidence-based governance. Through cross-domain collaboration, it gradually influences policy design and becomes internalized as part of the system. In the future, it will continue to integrate ministerial resources and deepen long-term investment, expand the basis for social participation, and construct a net-zero transformation governance model with Taiwanese characteristics.
The NSTC stated that the long-accumulated trust and friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan are the most important foundation for promoting citizen participation in net-zero transformation. It hopes that both sides can work together, starting from East Asia, to develop a net-zero path that combines institutional resilience and social innovation, which will not only be meaningful for Taiwan and Japan but also bring important inspiration to the international community. (Editor: Lin Chia-hsien) 1150514
Digital transformation is an ongoing process for industries, and artificial intelligence and net-zero carbon emissions are two major challenges facing both government and businesses, crucial to Taiwan's future competitiveness. Central News Agency's frontline reporting team provides in-depth coverage of how the government and various industries are using AI to optimize production processes and drive green innovation, witnessing another leap for Taiwan's industry.
(Central News Agency reporter Chao Min-ya, Taipei, 14th) Taiwan's civil society's net-zero achievements are going international with the publication and launch of the Japanese edition of 'Sprout Action: Citizen Zero-Carbon Lab.' National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) Deputy Minister Lin Fa-jeng stated today that during Taiwan's push for net-zero transformation, civil society has accumulated significant achievements, and he hopes the book can bring inspiration to Japan for net-zero innovation and social participation.
The NSTC held a press conference today for the publication of the Japanese edition of 'Sprout Action: Citizen Zero-Carbon Lab,' attended by Lin Fa-jeng, Deputy Representative of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association's Taipei Office Kawai Utsuru, Secretary-General of the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association Hung Ying-chieh, Chief Advisor of the Net-Zero Promotion Group Chou Su-ching, Secretary-General of the National Association for the Promotion of Community Universities Yang Chih-pin, and Legislator Chang Ya-lin.
In his speech, Lin Fa-jeng said that to achieve the 2050 net-zero emissions goal, Taiwan continues to strengthen the integration of technology policy and social innovation, and through the 'Civic Group Innovation Demonstration and Sandbox Trial Project,' it is aiding the net-zero transformation in a bottom-up manner. The Net-Zero Sandbox Project, launched in 2023, has so far nurtured 63 projects and incubated 41 civil society organizations, not only demonstrating Taiwan's foresight in institutional innovation but also embodying the governance feature of a democratic society where policy directions are gradually shaped from the grassroots level.
Lin Fa-jeng pointed out that civic groups have shown great enthusiasm and mobility. Through the sandbox experiment mechanism, various innovative ideas can be realized in real-world settings, allowing carbon reduction measures to be gradually integrated into daily life, driving behavioral change and accelerating the practice of net-zero transformation. He hopes the book will inspire Japan in net-zero innovation and social participation, and further deepen Taiwan-Japan exchanges and cooperation in areas such as net-zero transformation, social innovation, and local governance.
Kawai Utsuru stated in his speech that both Japan and Taiwan have set a 2050 net-zero emissions target and are actively promoting diverse measures, with civic awareness and social participation being an important foundation for promoting these measures. He noted that the book introduces concrete cases of Taiwanese citizens' efforts in various fields to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, exerting a positive influence on promoting the transformation of civic consciousness and sustainable practices.
Kawai Utsuru mentioned that he was deeply inspired and resonated with the book's message that sustainable action is not a slogan but is integrated into everyone's daily habits. He believes the book's publication will not only allow more people to learn from Taiwan's practices but also help promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges and cooperation.
Chou Su-ching said that the idea of promoting the Net-Zero Sandbox Project in 2023 came from a deep reflection on the issue of climate change. She pointed out that traditional government-led, top-down policy design often fails to respond to local needs in a timely manner. Therefore, the hope is to let citizens become net-zero actors who can propose solutions and conduct experiments themselves.
Chou Su-ching said this book chose a Japanese edition as the first step for international exchange because Japan has accumulated deep experience in regional revitalization, community governance, and green transformation. Taiwan, on the other hand, adopts a 'small is beautiful' strategy. Facing the common challenge of climate change, Taiwan and Japan are not just learning partners for each other but can also become partners in co-creating future governance models.
The NSTC pointed out that the net-zero sandbox mechanism emphasizes bottom-up innovation and evidence-based governance. Through cross-domain collaboration, it gradually influences policy design and becomes internalized as part of the system. In the future, it will continue to integrate ministerial resources and deepen long-term investment, expand the basis for social participation, and construct a net-zero transformation governance model with Taiwanese characteristics.
The NSTC stated that the long-accumulated trust and friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan are the most important foundation for promoting citizen participation in net-zero transformation. It hopes that both sides can work together, starting from East Asia, to develop a net-zero path that combines institutional resilience and social innovation, which will not only be meaningful for Taiwan and Japan but also bring important inspiration to the international community. (Editor: Lin Chia-hsien) 1150514