Taiwan can do more for the planet: former European Commissioner for Environment

A former European commissioner warned Taiwan against prioritizing climate adaptation over mitigation during a June 3 meeting in Brussels with a delegation from Taiwan's Fair Winds Foundation.

Beyond adaptation: confronting the roots of climate change

As climate change intensifies and governments worldwide devote increasing resources to adapting to its consequences, former European Commissioner for the Environment Janez Potočnik warned that adaptation alone cannot substitute for meaningful action on mitigation.

Potočnik, speaking as a member of the Club of Rome, an international non-profit think tank, argued that a growing emphasis on adaptation reflects a troubling reality: every additional resource allocated to coping with climate impacts is a resource that cannot be invested in preventing them.

The observation came amid broader discussions on the future of sustainability policy, economic development and environmental governance with a delegation from Taiwan's Fair Winds Foundation, consisting of former premier Jiang Yi-huah (江宜樺) and young professionals from diverse backgrounds.

While adaptation measures are becoming indispensable in the face of extreme weather and mounting climate disruptions, Potočnik stressed that societies including Taiwan must not lose sight of the structural causes driving the crisis.

GDP is not the same as well-being

A recurring theme throughout the discussion was the need to reconsider how prosperity is measured.

Potočnik argued that conventional capitalism often struggles to account for the true value of natural and social assets. Market prices may assign economic worth to goods and services, but those prices frequently fail to capture their intrinsic value to society and future generations.

This distinction, he noted, extends to the relationship between economic output and quality of life.

While the United States generates a substantially larger GDP than many European countries, he observed that many Europeans would nevertheless prefer to live in Europe.

The comparison underscored a broader point increasingly debated among policymakers and sustainability advocates: economic growth alone does not necessarily translate into greater well-being.

For Taiwan, whose economy has become a critical pillar of global technology supply chains, Potočnik said the question is particularly relevant as different stakeholders within the society seek to balance industrial competitiveness with social and environmental sustainability.

Recognizing our own role in the problem

Potočnik also emphasized the importance of personal responsibility in addressing environmental challenges. Too often, he stated, individuals view sustainability problems as external phenomena rather than recognizing their own participation in them.

Using traffic congestion as an analogy, he said that people should stop saying they are “stuck in traffic” and instead acknowledge that they are part of the traffic itself. The same logic, he said, applies to environmental degradation: societies cannot solve sustainability challenges without recognizing how everyday behaviors contribute to them.

The principle reflects a broader shift in sustainability discourse, one that increasingly focuses not only on technological solutions but also on changes in consumption patterns, governance structures and public attitudes.

Potočnik called for the transition into the circular economy, arguing that the circular bio-economy is in fact the oldest concept on Earth. He said that all nature is rooted in the principles of a circular economy: nothing is wasted, and every element serves a purpose.

“We humans,” Potočnik said, “as part of nature, should abide by the same principles.”

A roadmap for Taiwan's sustainable future

Offering advice to the Taiwanese delegation, Potočnik outlined four transformations he believes are necessary for a more sustainable future.

First, economies should serve human needs rather than requiring humans to serve economic growth. Second, societies must recognize that humanity is embedded within nature rather than existing above it, since environmental destruction ultimately amounts to self-destruction.

Third, he called for a transition from extraction-based production models toward creation-based systems that reward innovation, responsibility and resource stewardship. Finally, he advocated moving beyond short-term, self-interested governance toward greater cooperation, shared sovereignty and stronger intergenerational commitments.

The challenge, Potočnik said, is whether societies are willing to act before catastrophe such as a severe El Niño forces their hand. As climate-related disasters become more frequent and severe, the question is no longer whether change is necessary, but whether governments, businesses and citizens are prepared to undertake it in time.