As the world edges closer to the Paris Agreement’s critical 1.5°C threshold, democracies face a defining question: will geopolitics—not science—determine who gets to help solve the climate crisis?
For Taiwan, a technologically advanced and climate-vulnerable democracy of 23 million people, the answer is clear. Taiwan is cutting emissions, strengthening resilience, and investing in clean energy. Yet it does not get to participate in this year’s United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC)’s 30th Conference of the Parties (COP 30), in Belém, Brazil.
That exclusionis not only unfair. It undermines the Paris Agreement’s effectiveness.
A frontline climate actor, shut out of the system
The summer of 2025 showed the brutal new reality facing Taiwan: back-to-back typhoons, unprecedented rainfall, widespread flooding, and mounting threats to energy systems and public safety. These are not future risks—they are the daily consequences of rapid climate change on an island situated in one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions.
Taiwan has responded with ambition. It has enacted a comprehensive Climate Change Response Act, created a National Climate Change Committee, introduced carbon pricing, and voluntarily committed to greenhouse gas reduction targets aligning with the UNFCCC framework. It is accelerating offshore wind, solar, hydrogen, and grid-resilience projects, while integrating climate adaptation into agriculture, transportation, and public health.
This is precisely the kind of action the Paris Agreement seeks to encourage. Yet Taiwan cannot participate in UN climate negotiations, cannot submit official reports, and cannot join the institutional processes that shape global climate policy.
The result is a gap the world can’t afford.
What the world loses when Taiwan is excluded
Taiwan is the world’s 21st-largest economy and a hub for global manufacturing. Excluding its climate data leaves holes in the emissions inventories and risk models used for international planning—especially in the Indo-Pacific, a region central to global shipping and supply chains.
It also holds back climate-technology cooperation. Taiwan produces 70% of the world’s semiconductors and nearly all advanced chips essential for clean-tech innovation—from EVs to smart grids to grid-scale storage. Leaving Taiwan out means the world loses insight from one of the most important drivers of climate-related technological progress.
And Taiwan’s experience in democratic climate governance—transparent reporting, local-level adaptation, and strong public participation—could greatly enrich global best practices, particularly for countries seeking to build trust around energy transitions.
In short, keeping Taiwan outside the room weakens the collective effort.
A practical fix, and an opportunity for Canada
Taiwan is not asking for special treatment. It is asking for meaningful, technical participation—whether through observer status, working-level engagement, or inclusion in reporting mechanisms. All are feasible within existing UNFCCC rules, and all would strengthen the Paris Agreement’s universality and credibility.
Canada has an important role here. As a country committed to inclusive multilateralism and deeply invested in Indo-Pacific stability, Canada benefits from a stronger, more resilient climate architecture in the region. Supporting Taiwan’s participation aligns with Canadian interests: reliable supply chains, stronger climate data, and cooperation with a trusted democratic partner.
Climate change does not respect political boundaries. Nor should the global institutions created to fight it.
Taiwan is already doing the work. The world should let it contribute.
Ambassador Harry Ho-jen Tseng
Representative, Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Canada