The COP29 climate conference gets underway next week in the Azerbaijan capital Baku. Excluded from U.N. organizations, Taiwan is barred from taking part. But environmental officials in Taipei have set up what they call a "COP29 war room" to help them keep abreast of developments coming out of the conference.
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00:00Next week, top officials from around the world will gather for a major UN climate change
00:06conference, known as COP29.
00:09But Taiwan won't be there, because it's excluded from UN organizations.
00:13So the government here is taking matters into its own hands.
00:17With just days to go before this year's meeting kicks off in Azerbaijan, Taiwan's Environment
00:22Ministry has created what it calls a COP29 War Room, a command center set up to help
00:28the government stay informed with the latest developments in international climate action.
00:50Taipei is blocked from attending UN events due to diplomatic pressure from Beijing, which
00:56claims Taiwan as part of their territory.
00:59But that is not stopping Taiwan's environment officials.
01:03They plan to send unofficial delegations to the conference in Azerbaijan, while also holding
01:07online seminars on various topics of climate action.
01:12Officials here also highlighted that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's second term
01:16in office may pose uncertainties for global climate action.
01:26Taiwan is aiming for net zero by 2050, and COP is an opportunity to pursue these goals.
01:53But over 80 percent of the country's electricity still comes from fossil fuels.
01:57To contribute to global climate action, and for the country's own green goals, Taiwan's
02:03Environment Ministry is doing what it can to stay in tune with the international community's
02:07efforts by creating its own seat at the table.
02:11Ryan Wu and Wesley Lewis in Taipei for Taiwan Plus.