Mayor’s remarks：
I.The water situation is concerning and I therefore appeal to the general public to conserve water and jointly weather this crisis.
I’m pleased that it started to rain in Tainan today (April 12th). Despite this timely rainfall, which is a blessing from heaven, I still urge all city residents to continue their water conservation efforts so we can jointly conquer these difficulties. I hope heaven will bless Tainan with sufficient rain without causing harm so that we can live and work in peace.
II.Facing the threat of combined disasters and being prepared in a spirit of “To prevent rather than to rescue, and to keep away from the disasters rather than to prevent them”
1.Taiwan is struck by typhoons and affected by extreme climate patterns each year. Torrential rains lead to combined disasters such as flooding and mudslides. Despite the fact that precipitation has been sparse recently, we cannot afford to lower our guard and must continue to make preparations in the spirit of “To prevent rather than to rescue, and to keep away from the disasters rather than to prevent them”
2.Recently, we have organized the annual disaster prevention and relief exercise, code-named Min-An No. 3. This exercise involved all city government units, the armed forces, and NGOs. Disasters caused in multiple areas by typhoons carrying torrential rains were simulated in maneuver simulations and actual exercises and drills. As for emergency measures taken during the typhoon and reconstruction efforts after the typhoon, all units participating in the exercise were able to gain a quick grasp of the situation and respond in a timely manner, displaying solid emergency management.
3.In the face of global climate change, Taiwan has to fulfill its responsibility as a member of the global community and cannot just stand by. We have to adopt a humble attitude toward nature and carry out preparations and exercises with the most rigorous attitude. This allows us to respond to emergencies in a prompt manner and minimize damage caused by disasters.
III.Tainan receives international praise for its efforts in the implementation of the vision of a low carbon city
1.This year we participated in the 3rd APEC Energy Smart Communities Initiative (ESCI) Best Practices Competition with our Solar City Program. This project was recognized with a gold award, the highest honor in the Low-Carbon Model Town category. Tainan City Government is the first local government in Taiwan which was honored with a gold award presented by APEC. We are grateful to Director-general Fang of the Economic Development Bureau and his colleagues for their dedicated efforts and for the assistance provided by other bureaus and departments. Our achievements in the implementation of carbon reduction and photovoltaic programs over these years have laid the foundation for the conversion of Tainan into a green energy industry hub.
2.A total of 197 entries were submitted by the 21 APEC member economies for this competition. Initially, 25 entries were selected for each of the five core categories of smart transportation, smart buildings, smart grids, smart employment and consumption, and low carbon model town. An international jury then selected a total of 10 prize-winning entries which were honored with gold and silver awards.
3.Tainan participated with its “Solar City – Greater Tainan greets the sun” project. It introduces the four main competitive advantages of the city including abundant sunshine, robust green energy foundation for industry chains, solar city service teams, and a centrally established promotion office. In addition, the city government has taken concrete action in the promotion of five main items: solar rooftops, solar public buildings, solar communities, green factory buildings, and agricultural greenhouses. Tainan defeated highly advanced Asian cities such as Guangzhou, China, Songdo, Korea, and Skolkovo, Russia, creating international exposure for the soft power of Taiwanese green energy technology.
4.Tainan has been implementing its Solar City Project for six years. By the end of March of this year, the amount of electricity generated had come up to 310 GWh, and the carbon reduction was 172,000 tons, which is equivalent to the annual carbon reduction generated by 528 Tainan parks. Our original goal was to achieve the annual power generation capacity (220MW) of the Zengwen Hydropower Plant in 2018. This goal has already been accomplished ahead of schedule in 2016. However, far from resting on our laurels, we hope to add the power generation capacity of another Zengwen Hydropower in the next two years. I am fully confident that we can achieve our projected goals.
5.Tainan City enjoys the competitive edge created by its green energy industry cluster. Academic institutions in the close vicinity also provide talent and R&D technology support. In addition, the city is fully committed to the implementation of its Solar City and Low Carbon City policies, providing upstream and downstream industries with a solid foundation for development. In the future, we will transform the city into a green energy technology cluster in line with the Shalun Green Energy Science City Project, which will spur the development of the green energy industry in Taiwan.
6.Due to the joint efforts of all bureaus and departments over the past years, significant achievements have been made in the realization of the four main goals of turning Tainan into a “Cultural Capital”, a “Low Carbon City”, a “Smart City”, and a “Tourist Paradise”. Today we have invited Acer Chairman Mr. Stan Shih to deliver a speech in city hall. His speech about the third transformation of his company in the smart industry dimension clearly indicates that greater efforts are required in the realization of the “Smart City” concept which represents one of our four main goals. Looking back on our efforts over the past years, the city government has attempted to solve urban problems with smart technology approaches, but does this mean that we can call ourselves a smart city? What are the main criteria of a smart city? Our bureau and department directors-general may refer to the case of Singapore. As of 2015, Singapore has been a smart energy nation and it is expected that Singapore will turn into a smart nation in 2025. Numerous nations and advanced cities also make constant progress toward the goal of a smart economy. We must rely on the experience and opinions of all directors-general and join hands in this great endeavor of creating a blueprint for the transformation of Tainan into a smart city and the gradual implementation of these concepts. The realization of this grand vision not only requires the cooperation of the city and central government and dedicated efforts of this city but also the collaboration with local industries and academic institutions. I sincerely hope that these planning efforts will enable us to transform Tainan into a smart city in 2025 and thereby achieve higher administrative efficiency, better services for our citizens, and greater competitiveness of our city.