Climate Change Response Measures

The risks caused by climate change can impact our school’s administrative and teaching environment. For example, traffic safety of teachers and students may be compromised during typhoons and heavy rains, school buildings may be damaged due to flooding, documents or electronic materials may be damaged due to flooding, water restrictions on campus due to droughts may affect campus water use, and air conditioners may need to be turned on for an extended period due to high temperatures. The financial impact of these risks on the school includes additional repair, maintenance, and insurance costs as well as increased personnel costs for disaster prevention personnel.

YunTech is committed to the sustainable school development policy and has established the “Sustainability and Social Responsibility Committee” to coordinate school sustainability and other related operations. In addition to developing management guidelines for environmental issues, we have gradually begun to address potential climate-related impacts as international organizations, and government agencies pay increasing attention to issues such as climate change. The goal is to identify the different types of climate-related risks and opportunities and manage them properly. In response to the risks posed by climate change, all school units have coordinated with the school’s disaster prevention needs, drafted and written a campus disaster prevention plan, and participated in regular disaster prevention drills to verify the plans’ feasibility. The goal is to improve the school’s potential disaster prevention and response capabilities in light of climate change and transform the campus into a disaster-resistant and resilient campus.

Climate-related Risks

Climate change response policies, identify related risks and mechanisms:

Identification and Evaluation

According to its sustainable development blueprint, YunTech will continue to control the significant impact of climate change. Consider climate-related risks and opportunities as well as potential impacts under different conditions. Identify and assess climate change issues using the “scenario analysis method” based on the preceding SWOT foundation.

Climate Change Management Indicators and Targets

YunTech’s climate-related management mechanism is mainly based on the core of the GRI guidelines, the AA1000 assurance standard v3, and the climaterelated financial disclosure recommendation report (TCFD Recommendations Report). The goal is to identify and evaluate issues through scenario analysis, carefully listen to stakeholders’ voices, fulfill the university’s social responsibility, and truthfully disclose the amount of energy used as well as sewage and waste treatment data (Section 5-2). The short-term goal is to set the annual EUI value (building power consumption intensity) to meet government regulations and ensure it is less than 61, and to increase the sewage recycling rate and tap water recycling rate by 1% in order to achieve the goal of long-term sustainable campus operation and green campus. The preceding principles examine the “future” topics through scenario analysis to facilitate strategies, pioneer target management, and formulate action plans.

Research Center for Soil & Water Resources and Natural Disaster Prevention

Mechanism and procedure

Use questionnaire surveys, in-depth visits, meeting invitations, and other methods to actively draft and assist local governments in signing memorandums of cooperation with private businesses or groups, as well as assist the government in launching a memorandum of cooperation in the event of a disaster. In 2020-2021, we assisted local governments in signing over 40 memorandums of cooperation with enterprises or groups.

Implement disaster integration work with government organizations, make disaster coping strategies and preparations

We completed the official websites for public departments in Changhua County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, and Chiayi City to connect to disaster warning platforms. Effectively provide research and study data on typhoons, heavy rains, and other disasters so that the public can obtain the relevant information at first instance and effectively speed up response work. Furthermore, the Changhua County Disaster Prevention Information Network 2.0 was created to provide real-time weather, disaster potential, and historical disaster site query functions, as well as other disaster prevention information crucial to daily life and to increase public utilization. Use the social software (Line) to transmit typhoon or torrential rain disaster information to local governments for reference and station in the disaster response center to provide weather and disaster forecasts. From 2019 to 2021, we have stationed in Changhua County, Yunlin County, Chiayi County, and Chiayi City during the Bailu Typhoon, Canshu Typhoon, and other disaster response centers.

Combining science and practice while assisting the Water Resources Agency to find usable groundwater backup water to survive the drought of the century

Groundwater resources provide important backup during droughts or emergencies and play a critical role in water resource allocation. During the 2021 drought of the century, YunTech tapped into its scientific innovation and practical experience to rapidly develop the “Drought-resistant Well Drilling Progress Management and Reporting System” according to the hydrogeological and aquifer conditions and under the principle of avoiding impact on the environment. The goal was to carefully evaluate and assist the Water Resources Department in locating groundwater emergency backup water in the shortest amount of time; and to assist in controlling and mastering the status of each drought-resistant well from bidding to bidding, pre-operation, entry operation, completion, water testing, inspection, operation, and so on, to ensure that life-saving water can be provided for Chinese people within the established schedule. During and after the drought, the surrounding groundwater observation wells were used to regularly monitor and evaluate the groundwater hydrological situation to help cope with any water shortages in the future. At the end of 2021, the Research Center for Soil & Water Resources and Natural Disaster Prevention accompanied the Water Resources Department to assist in inspecting drought-resistant water well functions and other necessary preparations and disposals. The goal is to improve the ability to respond to droughts or emergencies and prepare for the next drought that may occur.

Fully Launch Environmental and Ecological Actions

• Maintenance and operation plan for Taiwan-Vietnam Environmental Protection Overseas Research Center
  
• New Food and Agriculture Circular Economy, Green and Sustainable Central Taiwan
  
• Survey on the assessment of competition and cooperation in offshore wind power cluster development and fishing ground sea areas
  
• Employ USR for school-wide solicitation to enlist environmental and ecological action plans: There were 6 cases in 2021, and 2 were related to climate actions
  • Development of a micro-environmental sensing system (College of Future)
    
  • Chenglong Wetlands – Study on Ecological Environment and Climate Change (College of Design)