• Taiwan’s sustainable bond regime now fully incorporates blue and biodiversity bonds under its green bond framework, in line with 2025 ICMA principles.
• Marine conservation, biodiversity protection and circular economy projects are eligible categories with precedents already in the market.
• TPEx encourages issuers to engage as blue and biodiversity financing gains prominence ahead of COP30 in Brazil.

Taipei Moves to Match Global Standards

Taiwan is positioning its sustainable finance market for faster growth as investors and policymakers prepare for the heightened focus on blue and biodiversity bonds expected at COP30 in Brazil next year. The Taipei Exchange (TPEx) confirmed that Taiwan’s sustainable bond regime is now fully aligned with international guidance, including the 2025 Green Bond Principles (GBP) issued by the International Capital Market Association.

Blue bonds and biodiversity bonds are explicitly recognised in the updated GBP as part of the wider green bond category — a classification the TPEx has already embedded into its domestic framework. The exchange said issuers “can contact the Taipei Exchange (TPEx) or visit the Taipei Exchange Sustainable Bond Information Hub for more information,” signalling active encouragement for market participation.

Expanding Eligible Project Categories

At the centre of Taiwan’s approach is the “Operation Directions for Sustainable Bonds,” which defines the scope of activities that qualify for green, social or sustainability bond financing. The rulebook covers nine core green investment areas, spanning renewable energy development, clean energy technologies, biodiversity conservation, water resource conservation, and waste recycling or reuse.

Climate adaptation, circular economy initiatives and TPEx-approved environmental projects are also included. Importantly for global investors tracking the evolution of nature-related finance, Taiwan’s rules explicitly include “marine conservation” and the “marine economy” as eligible sectors.

The inclusion ensures that activities financed through blue bonds — such as sustainable fisheries, coastal ecosystem protection and ocean-based renewable energy — fall squarely within Taiwan’s green bond framework. Biodiversity bonds aimed at land-based ecosystem restoration or species protection are treated the same way.

This alignment brings Taiwan closer to the market structures used by major global exchanges and, crucially, provides issuers with a clear pathway to structure blue and biodiversity deals without needing new or separate regulatory categories.

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Market Activity Begins to Build

Taiwan already has several successful sustainable bond issuance cases that incorporate ecosystem and biodiversity objectives. One of the clearest precedents came in August 2025, when Chunghwa Telecom issued a sustainability bond with a portion of proceeds dedicated to biodiversity conservation.

That deal, while modest in scale, reinforced the message that environmental targets beyond carbon — particularly biodiversity and nature protection — are increasingly recognised as material financial risks and opportunities for Taiwanese corporates. It also demonstrated investor appetite for diversified use-of-proceeds structures that combine carbon-related and nature-related outcomes.

TPEx notes that these examples show the market is ready to support issuers interested in blue or biodiversity financing, especially as regional regulators and global institutions press for more robust nature-aligned financial flows. With the updated GBP incorporating nature-linked categories, Taiwanese issuers face fewer interpretive challenges and can match global best practice when approaching international investors.

Why It Matters for C-Suite Leaders and Investors

For corporate sustainability officers, treasurers and institutional investors, Taiwan’s approach offers a consolidated pathway for raising capital for ocean, water and biodiversity projects without navigating fragmented rules. The alignment with the 2025 GBP reduces reputational risk and ensures that Taiwanese issuers can access international capital pools without reclassifying their instruments for foreign exchanges.

It also reflects a broader shift in ESG finance as nature-related risk becomes embedded in global frameworks. Ahead of COP30, blue and biodiversity bonds are expected to feature heavily in discussions on scaling capital for nature-positive outcomes. Taiwan’s decision to integrate these instruments now positions local issuers to participate early in what many analysts expect to become a multi-billion-dollar segment of the sustainable debt market.

Global and Regional Implications

The move strengthens Asia’s role in shaping next-generation sustainable finance standards. By proactively adopting international guidance and embedding nature-based financing categories, Taiwan ensures its bond market remains competitive and credible against peers in Europe and emerging Asian hubs.

As COP30 pushes the global debate toward ecosystems, oceans and resilience financing, Taiwan’s early alignment gives issuers clarity, gives investors comparability, and gives regulators a platform to accelerate nature-positive capital flows across the region.

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