Environment Minister Peng Chi-ming (彭啓明) has said that Taiwan will finish a national plan before the end of the year aimed at making cities greener, as it advances an initiative to treat urban forests as national-level climate resilience infrastructure that helps cities cope with rising temperatures.

Peng made the remarks on Monday, July 20, at the fourth public consultation for the government’s National Green Shade Climate Adaptation Plan, held at National Taipei University of Technology. The environment ministry said nearly 1,000 people had attended four public consultation meetings in Chiayi, Kaohsiung, Taichung, and Taipei in recent weeks, feedback from which will inform a national six-year action plan.

The plan involves planting trees to increase shaded sidewalks and other pedestrian routes. The government will assess progress using indicators including canopy coverage and tree survival rates, the ministry said.

Addressing the meeting on Monday, Peng said public concern had shifted from how many trees are planted to where trees are planted and whether they can genuinely provide shade and cooling. He cited environment ministry plans to combine mapping data and scientific analysis across agencies to help local governments select suitable tree species, improve maintenance, and manage tree health.

Also speaking at the event, DPP legislator and Taipei mayoral candidate Puma Shen (沈伯洋) said urban tree planning should take a long-term view and consider how trees in Taipei will develop over the next 20, 30, or even 50 years.