TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Taiwan is hosting the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Climate Center’s climate symposium for the first time, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said Wednesday (Oct. 18).

The Oct. 17-19 event gathered experts from several APEC member economies, including the United States, Japan, Vietnam, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, the Liberty Times reported. Topics for discussion included the use of weather information, Big Data, and AI to improve energy security.

The CWA, which was hosting the symposium at its offices in Taipei City, said it was hoping to speed up Taiwan’s transition to zero carbon emissions in 2050, an official government goal. International conferences served as usual platforms to bring different parties together and exchange ways of resolving problems caused by climate change, CWA officials said.

According to the APEC Climate Center, the emergence of extreme weather incidents increased the role of accurate climate data in the energy transition process. At the symposium, the CWA also lauded the role played by the Taiwan Climate Services Partnership (TCSP), an association of six private organizations founded in 2021 to serve as a platform between weather data suppliers and customers.