The Taichung City Government promotes corporate sustainability by hosting the A+ actions for corporate sustainability in Taichung competition, attracting strong participation from numerous companies, and fostering fierce competition. The results were recently announced, with Taiwan Canon, HIWIN Mikrosystem, and Lobsang Corp. receiving the Sustainability Leadership Award. Beyond the competition, the event highlights how the local government effectively guides industries through a comprehensive incentive system to facilitate local industries’ transition from individual green-energy projects toward fully integrated ESG governance, while collectively building a sustainable supply chain with international competitiveness.
True Value of Competition Goes Beyond Medals: Comprehensive Assessment of Corporate Sustainability for Competitiveness
“This far exceeds the value of a medal.” This sentiment is shared by many award-winning companies. Participating in the A+ actions for corporate sustainability in Taichung competition is akin to undergoing a comprehensive assessment of corporate sustainability. The competition requires companies to demonstrate concrete achievements in areas such as energy transition and efficiency governance, carbon reduction initiatives and green philanthropy, and environmental and energy sustainability. They must also quantify carbon inventories and renewable energy performance, compelling them to systematically review internal management processes and confront sustainability challenges that may have been overlooked.
In today’s global supply chain, where green barriers such as the EU's Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) are emerging, this kind of assessment is no longer optional; it can even determine future orders. The A+ actions for corporate sustainability in Taichung competition provide small and medium-sized enterprises, which may have previously lacked resources and guidance, with a practical roadmap to make ESG measurable and actionable through concrete KPIs.
From Symbiosis, Upstream Thinking, and Stubbornness: How They Became Sustainability Leaders
Taiwan Canon, an optical giant with decades of experience in Taiwan, won the Sustainability Leadership Award. Guided by their core principle of "symbiosis", they developed a series of meticulous sustainable actions, starting with "small details". For example, President Keita Sanada led the team to identify tiny leaks in the air compressor pipelines and replaced the heavy metal fans in the cooling water towers with lighter, and more efficient materials, significantly reducing the power consumption of motors.
Through a series of actions, Taiwan Canon’s Taichung Factory to save 2.1 million kWh of electricity and recycle 32,000 tons of water in a single year, decreasing electricity costs by nearly NT$10 million annually. Their story demonstrates that systematic management and employees’ full participation can transform sustainability from a cost center into a core driver of corporate competitiveness.
Similarly, Hiwin Mikrosystem Corp. (HMC), also a winner of this year’s Sustainability Leadership Award, showcases how “upstream thinking” can fundamentally solve problems. Executive Vice President Yu Kai-sheng emphasized that rather than replying on downstream, end-of-pipe fixes, it is more effective to address root causes and prevent problems before they occur.
This mindset is first reflected in product design. HMC has set an ambitious internal target of 100% repairability, aiming to eliminating the possibility of products ending up as waste, starting from the very first design phase. This philosophy extends to operational management. In 2024, for example, replacing legacy air vacuum and HVAC systems now helps the company save 850,000 kWh of electricity annually. By addressing issues at the source, HMC not only achieved a 25.9% reduction in carbon emissions in 2024 compared to its baseline year but also successfully transformed sustainability from a passive cost into a catalyst for innovation.
Another winner of the sustainability leadership award, Lobsang Corp., a leading manufacturer of stairlifts, has a sustainability journey marked by the founder Chairman Wang Shih-hsu’s relentless determination and warmth. For instance, since its inception, the company has promoted vegetarian lunches and insisted on using reusable stainless steel lunchboxes, exemplifying environmental awareness that has spanned twenty years.
Wang Shih-Hsu believes that driving sustainable transformation should not be guided solely by financial considerations. As such, he often challenges traditional financial thinking. For instance, when the company invested tens of millions to replace company vehicles that were only a few years old with hybrid cars and top-tier energy-efficient trucks, it sent a clear signal of the company’s commitment to sustainability.
With the concept of sustainability deeply ingrained in employees’ minds, it not only fosters a sense of shared purpose, but also creates intangible, immeasurable value. Wang Shi-hsu explained that when employees spontaneously formed a volunteer team to assist with typhoon recovery in Hualien, one colleague excitedly shared the joy and emotion of helping others, which is a moment that represents the truest reward of Lobsang Corp. ’s sustainable culture.
Taichung City Government Leads Way in Driving Sustainability: Initiating Transformation of Industrial Ecosystem
From Taiwan Canon’s lean carbon reduction and HMC’s upstream thinking to Lobsang’s value-driven approach, the public has witnessed the powerful momentum of companies pursuing self-directed sustainable transformation. The Taichung City Government plays a crucial role as an accelerator in this process. Mayor Lu Shiow-yen emphasized that building a sustainable city is not only the responsibility of the city government, but also requires the full cooperation of corporate partners. Corporate sustainability, she noted, is Taichung’s competitive edge. Through policy guidance, the city government facilitates industrial transformation, helping companies respond to the challenges of international green supply chains while laying the groundwork for a long-term, livable environment for citizens.
In recent years, the city government has received numerous awards for its sustainable governance. The A+ actions for corporate sustainability in Taichung competition has become the 2.0 version of its sustainability policy, elevating the framework to the level of overall corporate ESG governance. It demonstrates that the city government’s policy tools have evolved from promoting individual technologies to a strategic approach aimed at building an industrial ecosystem.
As a major hub for nine key industries, including precision machinery and bicycles, Taichung’s supply chains are largely composed of small and medium-sized enterprises. These hidden champions often face the greatest vulnerability in the wave of sustainability demands. The winners of this year’s sustainability elite award such as Aerospace Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) and Victor Taichung Machinery are not only models for their own carbon reduction efforts, but also serve as leaders within their supply chains.
Going forward, companies will not only focus on reducing their own carbon emissions but also drive upstream and downstream partners to improve collectively, creating a positive cycle of cluster-based carbon reduction. Some may even require suppliers to provide carbon footprint reports, and as they adopt green energy, the pressure for sustainable transformation will cascade through the entire industry chain. The city government’s role is to empower these leaders through awards, making their efforts visible and creating a demonstration effect that builds a solid green moat around Taichung’s key industries.
Net-Zero Transformation: Taichung Builds Sustainable Urban Ecosystem
In the A+ actions for corporate sustainability in Taichung competition, the issues identified by companies in areas such as energy conservation, carbon inventory, and green energy adoption are akin to a sustainability check-up for businesses. The competition’s slogan is your efforts deserve to be seen, attracting many companies committed to sustainable transformation. These participating companies hope to inspire more businesses to engage in sustainability initiatives through the competition, promoting the city’s industries and the public’s awareness of green energy development and global climate issues, while boosting Taichung's economic growth in green energy.
It is also hoped that through the A+ actions for corporate sustainability in Taichung competition, companies can observe, learn from, and share practical cases with one another, accumulating energy, gaining social recognition, and building brand trust. This will ensure that sustainability is no longer just a slogan, but transforms into a key competitive advantage for corporate image, product value, and international orders. Given the Taichung City Government aims to build a sustainable city, what is needed is not a one-time spectacle, but a thriving forest that can sustain itself and cycle continuously.
(Advertisement by Economic Development Bureau, Taichung City Government)
