nd asked operators to place a stronger focus on the environment, in keeping with the government’s carbon reduction policy. Ma made the statement while inaugurating Display Taiwan 2008, accompanied by Yiin Chii-ming, economics minister, and some of the heavyweights of the island’s internationally famous flat-panel industry.
Taiwan’s flat-panel sector has become No. 1 in the world in terms of production value, Ma said, adding the industry will achieve production of NT$1.8 trillion by the end of 2008 and NT$2 trillion by the end of 2010.
While Taiwan’s achievement is brilliant, Ma said operators should not be complacent and should strive for higher production and service excellence.
Specifically, the president stressed the importance of environmental protection, a priority of his administration. He said Taiwan companies should work towards a better and cleaner environment, despite the fact the island is not part of the Kyoto Protocol.
“Taiwan’s various industries have contributed positively to the nation’s economy. But on the downside, they have released a surprising amount of carbon dioxide into the air during the production process,” Ma said. “We need to act now and put more efforts into reducing carbon emissions.”
Ma cited some of his green policy goals, including reduction of carbon dioxide to the level of 2008 by 2016, half the level of 2008 by 2025, and half the level of 2000 by 2050.
“Cleaning up the environment is not just the job of the Environmental Protection Administration. It is a task we all have to take on,” Ma said. “Let’s all work together to reach that goal.”
One thing companies and the public can do is to replace traditional light bulbs with LED bulbs, Ma said. Although LED bulbs cost much higher than traditional ones, they have longer life cycles and save more energy, he said.
In a related story, AU Optronics Corp., the world’s third-largest maker of liquid-crystal displays, said it expects little impact from the U.S. subprime crisis on second quarter earnings, which will likely be in line with the company’s guidance.
“We don’t see very much impact, we still feel overall demand is strong,” AU Chief Executive Officer H.B. Chen said during the fair.
Shipments of small and medium-sized LCD panels, which measure less than 10 inches diagonally, will climb by a “high- teen” percentage in the second quarter, the company said when it reported first quarter earnings on April 22. Those panels accounted for NT$10.9 billion of sales during the three months to March 31, according to the company.
Executive Vice President Paul Peng said on April 22 demand for TVs and PCs remained strong. Sales usually fall by a “mid- single digit” percentage from the first to second quarter because of seasonal cycles, he said.
Television screens accounted for 46 percent of first-quarter sales, followed by computer-monitor panels with 24 percent, AU said in its earnings statement.
