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Taiwan engages with global sustainability frameworks through selective participation, outside UN-based institutions. This article explains why a politically limited yet economically central actor invests in Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) standards and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and how functional participation creates opportunities for action without treaty-based participation. Using a dual-level approach, it combines a qualitative, theory-informed analysis of state engagement with a systematic content analysis of ESG reporting by ten Taiwanese firms. The findings reveal a consistent asymmetry in issue areas. At the state level, Taiwan prioritises climate-related visibility and technical alignment, including emissions targets aligned with the Paris Agreement, a 2050 net-zero commitment, and indirect involvement with UNFCCC processes through side events and public–private platforms. Conversely, labour governance is approached more cautiously via low-profile, non-binding channels rather than rights-focused supervisory frameworks. Corporate communication reflects this pattern: environmental disclosure is extensive and standardised, while social and governance reporting is more selective and tailored to external exposure and regulatory pressure. The article demonstrates how selective engagement functions as a strategy for managing regime complexity within fragmented governance arrangements, producing internationally recognisable alignment through standards, disclosure, and risk management.
Reinhard Biedermann (Fri,) studied this question.