In 2023, the Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation's talent development program, "Thinker School: Systems Change Incubator", collaborated for the first time with a government entity, partnering with the New Taipei City Government Secretariat and SIMFO (Systems Impact Multi-Family Office). The initiative aims to cultivate young talents equipped with systems thinking to address societal challenges. During the event, New Taipei City introduced sustainability challenges for Thinker School participants to brainstorm. Participant Chiang Feng-pai, in an interview, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to engage directly with the public and enhance his understanding of how to effectively communicate New Taipei City's practical efforts in advancing the SDGs.



This year, six entities participating in the Thinker School program presented various topics for the youth fellows' project studies. Yao Ching-yu, Director-general of the New Taipei City Government Secretariat, remarked that the city is dedicated to fostering sustainability and actively facilitates dialogues across industry, government, academia, and the public. This collaboration with the Lung Yingtai Cultural Foundation to explore the potential for localizing SDGs not only enhanced public understanding of New Taipei’s sustainability initiatives but also sparked numerous innovative solutions. This exchange has broadened partnerships aimed at societal improvement.


The New Taipei City Government collaborated with five youth fellows—Chen Chia-hsuan, Chen Hao-ting, Chen Li-kuang, Huang Yu-te, and Chiang Feng-pai—in a brainstorming session that produced ten innovative solutions on how system maps can help various stakeholders understand the city’s SDG initiatives and sustainable thinking. SIMFO highlighted that system maps offer a new way for governments to communicate with the public. Previously, public communication with the government often occurred through civil representatives, which could create a sense of opposition. However, through system map workshops, everyone can collaborate to discuss issues, fostering empathy and making communication more effective.

As the SDG project required understanding public opinions, the youth fellows collected over 70 questionnaires, analyzed stakeholder feedback, and conducted in-depth interviews. Addressing the challenges encountered within the project, Fellow Chen Li-kuang noted that, being either employed or students, the participants have honed their skills in time management and the summarization of key points during the scheduling and content organization phases.

In 2015, the United Nations announced the "2030 Sustainable Development Goals" (SDGs), which include 17 core objectives such as sustainable cities and communities, gender equality, and climate action. Chen Li-kuang initially thought that New Taipei City's efforts to promote the SDGs were merely limited to policy announcements. However, he later realized that there were numerous substantial actions taken, such as the establishment of a sustainable, inclusive, and gender-friendly restroom and being the first city in Taiwan to publish a "Voluntary Local Review" (VLR). He believes that it is crucial for the government to lead the implementation of the SDGs and that collaboration and two-way interaction between the government and civil organizations are beneficial.




However, promoting the SDGs is not an easy task. Thinker School Youth Fellow Huang Yu-te noted that promoting the SDGs can be a thankless job, as the government's efforts might not always receive positive feedback from the public and require the execution across 29 municipal departments, all of which involve considerable communication costs. The Director-general of the Secretariat, Yao Ching-yu, emphasized to the departments that the SDGs are a new term but not a new policy, and that the work of each department inherently involves SDGs. She encouraged the departments to autonomously push for the implementation of the SDGs, reducing internal resistance, and successfully promoting the SDGs throughout the New Taipei City departments.

The New Taipei City Government also hopes to expand its international visibility through sustainable actions. Research by Thinker School youth fellows also indicates that increasing international exposure can enhance public concern for social issues. For instance, after the first VLR received domestic and international awards, the New Taipei City Government was inspired to produce a second report, which the departments eagerly filled with even more detailed and impressive content to share. Additionally, the second VLR was featured on the day of its release at the 26th Conference of the Parties (COP26) under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, drawing significant international attention. This was a rare opportunity for a Taiwanese city and also demonstrates that the SDGs serve as an excellent platform for building global friendships.