Hon Hai Group founder Terry Gou (???) has said Taiwan's government must "take its energy policy seriously" as it balances the transition to renewable energy against industrial demands for stable power generation.
Speaking at the online Cross-Strait CEO Summit (CSCS) Tuesday, Gou noted that the intermittent nature of renewable energy sources such as wind and solar made them unsuitable for high-tech industries including semiconductor manufacturing, 5G, and cloud networking, which require reliable and abundant power.
As a result, Gou, the summit's vice chairman for Taiwan, said the government must put forth a well-thought-out energy policy as it looks to meet the challenges of climate change and bring carbon emissions to net-zero by 2050.
While not specifying which type of baseload power generation should replace existing sources, Gou said industries should speed up the transition to green energy if they wished to remain competitive.
The Hon Hai founder went on to suggest common emissions standards could be set for businesses on both sides of the strait, saying the lack of such regulations currently contributed to higher costs for export-orientated businesses.
On the issue of COVID-19, Gou urged businesses in Taiwan and China to develop early-warning and surveillance systems to avoid the potentially immense economic impact of a future pandemic.
Framing such measures as an investment rather than a cost, Gou suggested creating a simple, cheap and effective COVID-19 testing mechanism as an example.
The CSCS was founded in July 2013 in Taipei and Beijing and serves as a platform for promoting cooperation between entrepreneurs and bilateral dialogue on trade and economic development strategies.
It is currently co-chaired by former Vice Premier Liu Chao-Shiuan (???) of Taiwan and former Communist Party Secretary of Beijing Guo Jinlong (???) from China.
Source: Focus Taiwan News Channel