To improve air quality and promote environmental education, the Taichung City Government has actively participated in the “Cities Clean Air Partnership” (CCAP) and “US-Taiwan Eco-Campus Partnership Program” to enhance the environmental cooperation between Taiwan and United States. Jane Nishida, the Acting Assistant Administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Administration, visited Mayor Lin Chialung on the November 9th to invite Taichung City to host the regional workshop on environmental education in 2018 as well as establish the Global Environmental Education Partnership (GEEP) Secretariat. Mayor Lin agreed with pleasure and looked forward to the transformation of Taichung into a green, low-carbon international city through greater cooperation between the two parties in the future.

Jane Nishida made the visit to Mayor Lin accompanied by Jeffrey Horwitz (Economics Section Chief) and Frieda Kuo from the American Institute in Taiwan (AIT), Dr. Liang Yongfang, Chang Hsuanwu (Research Director and Deputy Executive Secretary, EPA, Executive Yuan), Huang Yuehguey (President of Hungkuang University), and Ms. Su Jinfeng (Chairperson, Institute of Environment and Resources). She also took part in a talk panel with the Environmental Protection Administration of Executive Yuan, Environmental Protection Bureau, Lin Ming’ray (Professor of National Taichung University of Education) and Ceng Xiuju (Section Chief of Stella Matutina Girls’ High School). She extended an invitation to Taichung to host a regional workshop on environmental education in 2018 as well as establish the GEEP Secretariat.

U.S. EPA Senior Project Manager Justin Harris stated that Taiwan has a more advanced environmental protection policy than other countries and Taichung City actively assists schools with participation in the CCAP program. The Stella Matutina Girls’ High School had previously traveled to Thailand as the representative of Taiwan for introducing the applications of air monitoring to students from across the world.

Mayor Lin noted that he himself has previously met with Jane Nishida during his visit to the U.S. in July 2014, to discuss US-Taiwan cooperation on environmental issues. Taichung has now joined the CCAP and “US-Taiwan Eco Campus Partnership” to learn from and cooperate with other international cities as well as enhance its city air quality management. The PM2.5 count of Taichung has since dropped from 27 mg per cubic meter to 22.8 mg per cubic meter. This will hopefully to be reduced to the national standard of 15 mg per cubic meter by 2020.

According to the Environmental Protection Bureau, its collaboration with the EPA on helping schools in Taichung take part in US-Taiwan environmental partnership programs has been proven very fruitful. 15 schools have received assistance with participating in the “US-Taiwan Eco-Campus program” since 2014, with one school awarded the silver certification, ten schools awarded the bronze certification, and four schools becoming sister schools with other eco-campuses in the US.

Due to its outstanding performance during the 2015 Air Quality Monitoring Camp “Kids Making Sense” organized by the EPA, the Stella Matutina Girls’ High School was chosen in 2016 to represent Taiwan at the “Kids Making Sense International” in Thailand. Stella Matutina Girls’ High School had also represented Taichung at the 3rd National Environmental Education Awards and won a merit award.

Environmental Protection Bureau Director-General Bai Zhirong said that Taichung City will promote an even greater range of environmental education activities in the future. It will also seek to connect with international standards and raise the level of environmental awareness among residents. Everyone will work together to protect environmental quality and instill the ideals of environmental protection in every corner of Taichung City. Environmental education will gradually help transform Taichung into a green city.