The widely accepted definition of sustainable development originates from the 1987 report *Our Common Future*, published by the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) during the 42nd session of the United Nations General Assembly. Sustainable development is defined as development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. This concept encompasses two key principles: the sustainable use of resources and the efficient utilization of the natural assets of all ecosystems. It also emphasizes that economic development must be interlinked and self-sufficient. As such, sustainable development must integrate three essential dimensions: environmental protection, social equity, and economic growth.
        The 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (COP28) was held from November 30 to December 12, 2023, in Dubai, United Arab Emirates—the world's seventh-largest oil exporter. The conference gathered participation from 198 countries and organizations across eight major climate-related themes. According to data released on the opening day by the World Meteorological Organization, 2023 is expected to be the warmest year on record, with a global temperature rise of 1.4°C above pre-industrial levels. The conference not only aimed to keep the global temperature rise within 1.5°C through international negotiations but also conducted the first Global Stocktake under the Paris Agreement (a process scheduled every five years from 2023 onward) and addressed fossil fuel-related issues, particularly relevant to the host nation.
        The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) highlighted in its Sixth Assessment Report (AR6), released in February 2022, that global warming is likely to reach 1.5°C within the next two decades. The increasing frequency of climate hazards—such as extreme weather events, heatwaves, and biodiversity loss—poses significant threats to global energy, water, and food security, and results in the displacement of human populations and the degradation of ecological habitats. The COP26 summit of the UNFCCC also called for urgent climate actions, urging nations to halve global greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 and to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050 in order to limit warming to 1.5°C and mitigate the risks of climate emergencies.
    In alignment with international efforts, Taiwan released its “2050 Net-Zero Emissions Roadmap and Strategy Guidelines” on March 30, 2022. This framework is built upon four major transitions—energy, industry, lifestyle, and society—supported by two pillars: technological R&D and climate governance. These are supplemented by twelve key strategic areas aimed at integrating inter-ministerial resources and formulating actionable plans.
     The European Union’s revised Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) entered its transitional phase on October 1, 2023. CBAM sets regulatory standards on the carbon content of imported products. If the carbon content exceeds defined thresholds, importers are required not only to purchase carbon credits but also to pay carbon tariffs. This measure is intended to reduce global carbon emissions effectively and to prevent carbon leakage, thereby strengthening the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS).
    Achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 necessitates a comprehensive transformation of societal lifestyles. The promotion of a “Net-Zero Green Lifestyle” begins with changes in consumption and behavior across multiple domains—including food, clothing, housing, transportation, education, entertainment, and purchasing. Through the adoption of shared economy models and sustainable consumption practices, these changes aim to reshape industrial supply chains and foster sustainable, low-carbon lifestyles that support the construction of a future net-zero living environment.
     This course integrates green energy technologies and negative emissions technologies into ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) sustainability frameworks and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) strategies. By aligning industrial low-carbon development needs with green energy deployment, energy-saving and carbon reduction technologies, and automated cultivation systems for carbon-sequestering organisms, as well as carbon credit trading mechanisms, the course aims to achieve carbon neutrality and accelerate progress toward net-zero goals in corporate sustainability practices.

Green energy, also referred to as clean energy, denotes energy sources that do not emit pollutants during generation. A closely related concept is that of renewable energy, which refers to energy derived from naturally replenishable resources, such as hydropower, wind power, solar energy, biomass (e.g., biogas), geothermal energy, tidal energy, and ocean thermal energy conversion. According to Taiwan’s Renewable Energy Development Act, renewable energy is defined as energy derived from solar, wind, biomass, geothermal, marine (tidal) resources, non-pumped hydroelectricity, and the direct use or treatment of general domestic and industrial waste. It may also include other forms of energy recognized by the central competent authority as being sustainably exploitable.
        In light of the global emphasis on climate change mitigation and the pursuit of sustainable development, green energy has emerged as a critical area of focus across nations. It has become a strategic sector within national energy planning and a frontier of international technological competition. Given that renewable energy sources are inherently inexhaustible, they have garnered increasing attention, particularly in countries facing energy scarcity. Notably, the U.S. Department of Energy recently expanded its definition of clean energy to include nuclear power.
    In recent years, the global challenges posed by climate change and air pollution have intensified discussions surrounding energy and electricity generation. Against this backdrop, the substitution of fossil-fuel-based power generation with green energy sources—such as wind power, solar photovoltaics, and hydrogen-based fuel cells—has become a pressing priority for power infrastructure development across many countries.