As the impact of climate change intensifies and sustainability issues attract greater attention, countries around the world are accelerating energy transitions and the pursuit of carbon neutrality. The European Union has introduced the Net-Zero Industry Act, the United States is advancing the Clean Competition Act, while in the Asia-Pacific region, Japan’s Green Growth Strategy and Taiwan’s Energy Transition Policy are driving efforts to develop green energy and environmental technologies.

Although there is talk of a possible delay in the implementation of CBAM, companies cannot overlook the compliance pressure and systemic transformation it represents. Export-oriented industries, in particular, will face rising customs and tax reporting costs if their supply chain carbon data and accounting systems are not yet aligned—and they may lose their competitive edge in international markets.

When Japanese and Taiwanese companies sit at the same table, language is no longer the biggest barrier. Yet misalignments often emerge—in project pacing, decision-making processes, and even interdepartmental coordination. In recent years, it's become common for Taiwanese companies to expand into Japan, and for Japanese companies to scale operations in Taiwan. Both sides are no longer strangers.

With the official release of IFRS S2 “Climate-related Disclosures,” companies are no longer just expected to report on ESG initiatives—they are now required to specifically disclose the impacts of climate change on their financial statements.
Two key disclosure obligations closely tied to finance and accounting teams are: the impact of climate risk scenarios on asset impairments, and the integration of carbon costs and policy risk factors into cash flow forecasts. However, many companies have yet to realize that conducting this level of financial risk analysis hinges on having institutionalized carbon footprint data. Without credible emissions data and climate parameters, it becomes impossible to build impairment models or support the disclosures in financial statement notes, ultimately leading to trust risks and audit challenges.

As the role of Japanese companies in Taiwan shifts—from traditionally being offshore manufacturing hubs to evolving into service-oriented, market-driven, and regional operational centers—their talent strategies are now facing structural challenges. In recent years, the attractiveness of Japanese firms to Taiwanese talent has gradually declined, not merely due to decreasing salary competitiveness, but also because their organizational culture and governance models have lagged behind the pace of change in Taiwan’s workplace environment.

On January 20, 2025, U.S. President Trump announced the country’s renewed withdrawal from the Paris Agreement. This declaration has once again heightened international sensitivities around climate commitments and disclosure policies. What companies now face is not just shifting international policies, but the real risk of fragmentation in ESG disclosure logic and standards.
While the EU continues to tighten disclosure requirements, the U.S. may move in the opposite direction, easing regulations. Without stable internal systems, companies will struggle to cope with these external shifts.
In this climate of global disclosure uncertainty, what companies need most is not more reporting templates, but a proactive early warning mechanism and a solid institutional foundation led by the finance and accounting teams.

Do you truly understand what it means when someone says, “We’ll think about it”? “How do you feel about this proposal?” — “Hmm... Let me consider it.” You leave the meeting full of hope, only to hear nothing for a week, then two. What does that silence re

As sustainability disclosure regulations become increasingly stringent, ESG reporting is no longer “just about writing a good report.” It has evolved into a critical foundation for corporate integrity and risk management. In Taiwan, both the Financial Supervisory Commission (FSC) and the Taiwan Stock Exchange Corporation（TWSE) have recently made it clear that companies are expected to establish internal control mechanisms for sustainability information—to ensure accuracy and consistency in ESG disclosures.
However, in practice, many companies still struggle with one key question: Where do we begin when building an effective ESG internal control system?