Climate Change Education

National Taiwan University does provide a variety of education programs related to climate change. The most noticeable is the International Master/Doctoral Degree Program in Climate Change and Sustainable Development (IPCS). Established in 2015 by the College of Science, IPCS is the first Master's program that includes "Climate Change" in the tile in Taiwan. IPCS  is an interdisciplinary degree program that encompasses a global perspective and consists of 25 faculty members from 13 departments across 6 colleges in NTU. Besides IPCS, the following colleges (Science, Social Science, Engineering, Bio-Resources & Agriculture, Public Health, Law, and Life Science) all have various courses addressing "Climate Science", "Climate Impacts", "Climate Adaptation & Mitigation", "Climate in Society".

IPCS Student raising climate awareness in the nearby community.

 

Net-Zero Youth Academy (2023,2024,2025)

NTU’s Risk Society and Policy Research Center (RSPRC) is dedicated to promoting the “Youth Net-Zero Empowerment Platform” project, aiming to build a co-learning network for Taiwanese youth in net-zero knowledge and sustainability advocacy based on policy, legal frameworks, and corporate governance. Through training programs such as salons, lectures, and courses, RSPRC works with young people who aspire to engage in sustainability advocacy, careers, or related academic research to shape and implement Taiwan’s net-zero transformation goals. In 2023, RSPRC held four youth training salons and, with the sponsorship and support of the Fubon Cultural & Educational Foundation, launched the inaugural “Net-Zero Youth Academy.” The Academy provides a three-week course open to the public for free, targeting students and young professionals. Two topics in the academy are highly related to the clean energy transition including "Renewable Energy Just Transition" and "Drivers and Barriers of Community Renewable Energy Projects." RSPRC hopes that through this systematic curriculum, participants will obtain the net-zero vision with a social science perspective, cultivate knowledge of net-zero transformation in both global and local contexts, and exert substantial influence on the advocacy of net-zero legislation and policies.

In 2024, the Net-Zero Youth Academy enters its second edition with a sharpened focus on bridging global climate governance and Taiwan’s industry-contextual transformation. Built around two central research themes, “Net-Zero Transformation Governance” and “Industrial Climate Risk Assessment,” the programme unfolds over three intensive weeks. The first week invites participants to explore “Global and Taiwan Just Transitions,” where youth engage in critical dialogues about labour, supply-chain justice, and energy transition frameworks. The second week delves into “Sustainable Corporate Transformation under Net-Zero Pathways,” offering insight into how Taiwanese Small and Medium Enterprises can navigate ESG practices, identify climate-driven risks, and capture opportunities. The final week focuses on “Corporate Transformation Governance and Green Talent Development,” featuring discussions with industry-leading practitioners on how financial institutions and enterprises embed sustainability into strategy, governance and human-capital development. By coupling lecture sessions with facilitated group discussions and project presentations, the Academy aims not only to build knowledge but to empower young leaders to become change-agents. The programme underscores that Taiwan’s next thirty years of transformation cannot rely on the past logic of “cheap energy and labour,” and encourages the youth to voice their net-zero vision and shape just, inclusive pathways for industry and society.

In 2025, the Net-Zero Youth Academy embarks on its third edition with a sharpened emphasis on carbon pricing and equitable transition governance. The curriculum invites young participants to explore the evolving landscape of global emissions control and dive into the mechanics of carbon pricing systems — from fee-and-trade schemes to direct carbon taxes. Through expert lectures, interactive workshops and group dialogues, the programme emphasises how carbon pricing can operate as a lever for just energy transition, social redistribution and strategic industrial reform. Building upon earlier themes of governance and industry transformation, this year’s Academy further cultivates a critical understanding of how Taiwan and other economies might craft pricing mechanisms that strike a balance between decarbonisation urgency and societal fairness. Participants will engage with case studies, policy scenarios and role-plays that frame how carbon-pricing tools intersect with labour, equity and supply-chain dynamics. By fostering a network of youth who can think across environmental science, economics and social justice, the 2025 Academy aims to empower the next generation of change-makers to anchor Taiwan’s net-zero 2050 trajectory in both effectiveness and fairness.