The United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in 2015, which have become a prominent focus for urban development worldwide.

Taichung City is the second-largest city in Taiwan and has been voted as the most livable city by the public. Taichung must keep pace with the progress of leading global cities and ensure sustainable management in Taichung City to make its residents feel happy.

In recent years, the global climate change situation has become increasingly severe. Countries worldwide, within the framework of the United Nations Paris Agreement, are strengthening their climate change adaptation efforts and setting goals to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Cities play a crucial role in combating climate change, and globally, 242 cities have declared net-zero emission goals or proposed policies, and Taichung City is one of them.

These international sustainability and net-zero emission issues remind us that urban development should not be shortsighted, and there should be a long-term direction. Over the past two years, the city government has actively planned and worked towards future policies through the "Sustainable Trilogy."

The first part of the trilogy involved the city government signing the "Climate Emergency Declaration" in January 2021, acknowledging the urgent climate crisis. It introduced the "Sustainable 168 Strategy," aiming to create a coal-free city and set six key policy goals, including achieving a 20% renewable energy usage rate by 2030, requiring industrial zones within the city to install solar panels on their rooftops over 50%, reducing the annual average PM2.5 concentration to 12 micrograms, achieving 100% electric buses, doubling the number of electric scooters, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 30% compared to the 2005 (baseline year). These efforts are aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The second part of the trilogy was the release of the "2021 Taichung City Voluntary Local Review" (VLR) in September 2021, outlining goals for 2030 and integrating them into Taichung City's political and construction blueprint. It included 103 indicators and 106 plans, with an annual Sustainable Promotion Committee to regularly review progress and make adjustments. In 2023, Taichung City will also develop the second edition of the Voluntary Local Review (VLR) to further advance its sustainability.

The third part of the trilogy was the announcement of the "2050 Taichung City Net-Zero Carbon Emission Pathway" on April 22, 2022, with a focus on "Clean Air and Carbon Neutrality." It promoted six key strategies, including “Revision, Green, and Zero”. Revision involves amending low-carbon autonomy regulations, Green focuses on Green energy and Green environment, and Zero pertains to Zero-carbon buildings, Zero-carbon transportation, and Zero-carbon living style. Within these sectors, 20 zero-carbon pathways were established, setting phased reduction targets to move towards net-zero emissions by 2050. In 2023, Taichung City's Sustainable Net-Zero Autonomy Regulations will be submitted to the council for review, marking a milestone for sustainable development in Taichung.