"In 2023, the 7th "Asian Pulp and Paper Conference," which had been suspended for 5 years, was taken over by the Taiwan Paper Industry Association. It resumed on November 30th at the Taipei Marriott Hotel, with representatives from nearly 60 companies from Taiwan, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Myanmar, and other regions participating. The conference focused on three major themes: ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance), climate change, and technological innovation, collectively contemplating the future direction of the paper industry. The "Asian Pulp and Paper Conference" is jointly organized by the paper associations of Taiwan, Japan, China, and South Korea and is the largest event in the Asian pulp and paper industry, held every two years. The previous conference was held in October 2018 in Busan, South Korea. It was paused in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and resumed this year, with attendance returning to pre-pandemic levels, featuring representatives from 9 regions and a total of 162 participants from domestic and international backgrounds.
Kirk Hwang, Chairman of the Taiwan Paper Industry Association, emphasized the pivotal role of Asia in the global paper industry in his opening speech as the conference chairman. According to RISI, an international research organization, Asia's total paper production reached 199.92 million metric tons in 2021, accounting for 47.2% of the global total. Asia dominates five of the top ten regions, and its paper production growth rate in the last decade outpaces other regions. Vietnam has shown the fastest development, with production increasing from 1.88 million metric tons in 2012 to 4.48 million metric tons in 2021, a growth of 2.3 times. The per capita consumption is only 53.3 kilograms, indicating significant potential for Vietnam's future market development.
During the afternoon session of the conference, Professor Ho Show Chung Ho, President of the YFY Academy, delivered a keynote speech on the topic "Pulp and Paper from Genesis to New Frontier" He highlighted the paper industry's characteristics of full-cycle and carbon storage, advocating for the industry's transformation towards developing bioenergy, marketing bio-plastic products, and utilizing saccharide materials. Cheng Loong Corporation (CLC) also presented "S.M.A.R.T. Wisdom Paper, Building Sustainable Resilience," sharing five intelligent paper strategies: S (reduce resource usage), M (turn waste into energy), A (intelligent production and marketing), R (recycling and regeneration), and T (advanced processes). They also discussed creating a sustainable ecosystem through evaluation, guidance, and alliance-building.
Jori Ringman, President of the Confederation of European Paper Industries (CEPI), and the International Council of Forest and Paper Associations (ICFPA), recorded a special video emphasizing the continuous recycling of paper and its inherent carbon sequestration capabilities. The paper industry is closely tied to the timber industry, and without the paper industry in the European Union, greenhouse gas emissions would increase by 20%. They encouraged paper industry players in Europe and Asia to collaborate in creating a new future industry.
On December 1st, representatives from around the world visited the Chung Hwa Pulp Corporation's Kuanyin Mill for a factory tour. The Kuanyin Mill primarily produces environmentally friendly paper tapes (masking tape, kraft paper tape) and focuses on creating fully recyclable materials and low-carbon packaging through unique coating and processing techniques. The tour highlighted resilient operations and net-zero emissions, showcasing three exhibition areas: "Full Paper Recycling and Regenerated Materials," "Green Energy + Recycling of Waste," and "Innovations in Fiber Materials." These areas illustrated Chung Hwa's significant operational achievements in sustainable development. Through lively explanations by on-site tour guides, domestic and international representatives were shown our continuous green innovations."
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