International Climate Development Institute 國際氣候發展智庫 (ICDI)

What International Climate Development Institute 國際氣候發展智庫 (ICDI) does

International Climate Development Institute (ICDI) 國際氣候發展智庫 is a Taipei-based non-profit climate think tank founded in 2015, operating under Taiwan jurisdiction as 社團法人國際氣候發展智庫學會. Its mandate is aligned with UN SDG13, and the organization functions as the first and only Taiwan-dedicated climate think tank, focusing on climate governance research, capacity building, and international climate engagement through a public-private-people (PPP) approach that bridges civil society, governments, academia, and industry. ICDI's work targets climate policy implementation at local and national levels, disaster risk reduction, and the integration of Taiwan-based climate actors into global processes such as UNFCCC COP.

ICDI's core offerings span research, events, training programs, and data products. The flagship event platform is the annual Taiwan Climate Action Expo (TWCAE / Taiwan COP), which reached its 5th edition in Kaohsiung in October 2025 and attracted over 50,000 participants in its 2024 edition. The GreenBIM Micro Climate Database Construction Project aggregates TMY3 data from 26 weather stations — collected in cooperation with the Central Weather Bureau, Taiwan Architecture & Building Center, and Delta Electronics Foundation — and applies it to Building Information Modeling for building energy efficiency; a peer-reviewed Energy and Buildings journal publication in March 2025 documented 9.67% HVAC energy savings and approximately 105 tons of CO₂ reduction at Delta's Zhongli Factory 5. Additional programs include the GCF Research initiative (observer NGO status in the Green Climate Fund since 2016), the UNDRR City Resilient disaster risk reduction training program, and Community-Based Adaptation workshops. Publications include the ICDI Year Books, the annual Global Smart Solution Report, and the bimonthly Climate & Finance newsletter.

ICDI's business model is grant- and partnership-funded rather than commercial. Revenue streams include foundation and corporate grants (notably Delta Electronics Foundation since 2016), project-based funding from international organizations and government agencies, and recurring membership/dues paid to international networks such as CAN, CityNet, WeGO, ICLEI, TNFD, and IGES. The organization maintains a headquarters in Taipei and a regional office in Tainan opened in August 2023 to anchor Southern Taiwan climate action, employs 13 people, and is led by Chairman Chiu Chi-Jung (邱祈榮, NTU professor), CEO Zhao Gong-Yue (趙恭嶽), and founding chairman Lin Zi-Lun (林子倫), who concurrently serves as Deputy Executive Director of the Executive Yuan's Energy and Carbon Reduction Office. No pricing model is publicly disclosed because ICDI does not sell commercial services.

Name

International Climate Development Institute 國際氣候發展智庫 (ICDI)

Legal name

社團法人國際氣候發展智庫學會

Website

https://icdi.network

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ICDI is a Taipei-based non-profit climate think tank founded in 2015 that conducts climate policy research, runs the annual Taiwan Climate Action Expo, and operates the GreenBIM microclimate database, serving governments, NGOs, academia, and foundations in Taiwan and internationally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Climate Policy Research and Consulting

NAICS

International Affairs (92812), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Climate Policy, Governance & NDC Support (BPADALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK), Incident Command System (ICS) & Emergency Management Training/Exercises (Tabletop/Drills) (EUAHALAE)

Keywords

• Climate policy research
• Climate finance advisory
• Disaster risk reduction
• Sustainable city forums
• Environmental capacity building

Headquarters

HQ city

Taipei

HQ country

Taiwan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation and Corporate Grants: ICDI receives funding support from foundations such as Delta Electronics Foundation for projects like international green climate finance research and GreenBIM database construction.
2. Project-based Funding: Various climate action projects funded by international organizations, government agencies, and development programs.
3. Membership and Partnership Fees: International membership fees from organizations joining Climate Action Network, CityNet, and other alliance networks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

ICDI is a climate policy think tank that delivers research, training, and convening services across climate governance, green finance, disaster risk reduction, and sustainable cities. It produces recurring publications (Year Books, Global Smart Solution Reports, Climate & Finance newsletter), runs flagship events such as the annual Taiwan Climate Action Expo (Taiwan COP) and Sustainable City Forum, and operates programs including the GreenBIM Micro Climate Database, UNDRR City Resilient training, and Community-Based Adaptation workshops.

Product overview

ICDI operates as a climate policy think tank providing research, capacity building, and knowledge dissemination rather than commercial technology products. The organization's offerings include: (1) Taiwan COP5/TWCAE - annual climate action expo event platform; (2) Green BIM - microclimate database construction project for building energy efficiency; (3) TWCOP - Taiwan Climate Action Partnership platform; (4) UNDRR City Resilient - disaster risk reduction training program; (5) GCF Research - international green climate finance research; (6) Publications including ICDI Year Books, Global Smart Solution Reports, and Climate & Finance newsletters; (7) Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) training workshops; and (8) E-Newsletter subscription service. These offerings focus on climate governance policy research, international climate conference participation, and professional knowledge sharing rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Taiwan COP (Taiwan Climate Action Expo): Annual climate action expo hosted by ICDI, previously known as TWCAE
• TWCAE (Taiwan Climate Action Exposition)
• TWCOP
• TWCAE
• Green BIM
• GreenBIM
• Climate & Finance
• CityCOP
• Community-Based Adaptation (CBA)

Products and services

• Taiwan COP5 / Taiwan Climate Action Exposition (TWCAE) Annual climate action expo bringing together government, business, academia and civil society to discuss climate governance and net-zero transition. The 5th edition will be held in Kaohsiung, Taiwan in October 2025.
• GreenBIM Micro Climate Database Construction Project Project collecting weather station data from 26 weather stations across Taiwan to produce TMY3 (Typical Meteorological Year) data for Building Information Modeling (BIM) applications to improve building energy efficiency.
• UNDRR City Resilient - Disaster Risk Reduction Training Training the Trainers program on Climate Change Adaptation and Disaster Risk Reduction using UNISDR's PCVA toolkit and Disaster Resilience Scorecard for Cities.
• GCF Research - International Green Climate Finance Development Research Research initiative observing Green Climate Fund (GCF) developments since 2016, participating as observer NGO in civil society constituency.
• ICDI Year Books Annual year books documenting ICDI's research and activities from 2015 to present, including 2015-2019, 2020-2021, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 editions.
• Global Smart Solution Report (GSSR) Annual report showcasing smart city cases from around the world. Editions cover Urban Green Transition (2024), Energy Transition (2023), Green Investment & Innovative Technology (2022), Eco-Mobility & Eco-Logistics (2021), and Inclusive Resilient Smart Sustainable Cities (2020).
• Climate & Finance Newsletter Bimonthly newsletter publication covering global climate finance developments, policies, and analysis. Published regularly from 2022 to present.
• Community-Based Adaptation (CBA) Participatory workshop program training community members, youth, and volunteers to become seed instructors for climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction at local level.

Quantifiable outcome

• GreenBIM energy savings of 9.67% achieved at Delta Electronics Zhongli Factory 5, reducing approximately 105 tons of carbon emissions and saving NT$900,000 (US$27,100) annually
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core and key.

• Climate Action Network (CAN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClimate Action Network is a worldwide network of over 1300 NGOs in over 120 countries working to promote government and individual action to limit human-induced climate change. ICDI became an international member of CAN in July 2016.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for SustainabilitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICLEI established its Kaohsiung Capacity Center (KCC) in 2012, hosted by Kaohsiung Government. ICDI established partnership with ICLEI in November 2016 and works together on sustainable city forums and climate initiatives.
• Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerGERICS was initiated by the German Federal Government in 2009. ICDI signed memorandum of cooperation with GERICS in November 2017 for climate service collaboration.
• CityNetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCityNet is the largest association of urban stakeholders committed to sustainable development in the Asia Pacific region with over 135 members. ICDI became an international member of CityNet in January 2018.
• World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization (WeGO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWeGO, established by 50 founding members in 2010, is an international association of cities and smart tech solution providers. ICDI signed memorandum of cooperation with WeGO in March 2019.
• Stanford UniversitykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerStanford Office of International Affairs runs the Stanford Off-campus Learning Opportunities (SOLO) program. ICDI formed a summer internship program with Stanford University in June 2018.
• Taiwan Alliance in International Development (Taiwan AID)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaiwan AID is a platform for Taiwan-based NGOs with nearly 30 members working worldwide in various sectors including medical service, education, gender issues, emergency relief, and humanitarian assistance.
• Universität BremenkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDI formed summer internship programs with Universität Bremen (Germany) along with other European universities in June 2019.
• IBEI (Institut Barcelona d'Estudis Internacionals)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDI formed summer internship programs with IBEI (Spain) along with other European universities in June 2019.
• TH Bingen (Technische Hochschule Bingen)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDI formed summer internship programs with TH Bingen (Germany) along with other European universities in June 2019.
• European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan Low Carbon Initiative (ECCT LCI)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerICDI became a European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan Low Carbon Initiative international member in September 2020.
• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerIGES is a key research organization for global environmental strategies. ICDI became a member of IGES in January 2021.
• Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTNFD is a market-led initiative developing a risk management and disclosure framework for nature-related risks. ICDI became a member of TNFD in September 2022.
• Delta Electronics FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelta Electronics Foundation supports ICDI's GreenBIM micro climate database construction project and international green climate finance research initiatives since 2016.
• Oxfam Hong KongkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerOxfam Hong Kong dates back to 1976, working on anti-poverty projects around the world including humanitarian assistance and advocacy.
• Taiwan Architecture & Building CenterkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in GreenBIM Micro Climate Database Construction Project, collaborating on applying TMY3 data to Building Information Modeling.
• National Museum of Marine Science & TechnologykeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in GreenBIM project where climate services improve energy efficiency of the museum building.
• 環境部氣候變遷署 (Environmental Quality Division, MOENV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner co-organizing Taiwan Climate Action Expo and supporting national climate policy initiatives.
• 國泰金控 (Cathay Financial Holding)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2022, Cathay FHC has been co-host of Taiwan Climate Action Expo, supporting green talent cultivation through youth forums and international climate engagement at COP summits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• World Resources Institute (WRI): Large global research organization with extensive work on climate policy, cities, and sustainability. Overlaps with ICDI's policy research and sustainable cities work, but with substantially more resources and broader thematic coverage.
• CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project): Global environmental disclosure organization operating the world's largest climate, water, and forest disclosure platform. Adjacent to ICDI's TNFD membership and climate finance focus, but with substantially broader corporate disclosure mandate and scale.
• Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI): Independent energy and climate think tank driving clean energy transition. Overlaps with ICDI's climate finance, sustainable city, and net-zero work, but operates at much larger scale with corporate and foundation backing.
• C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group: Major global network of cities addressing climate change. Overlaps with ICDI's sustainable city forum and CityCOP initiatives, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader geographic footprint and corporate backing.

Direct peers

• Institute for Global Environmental Strategies (IGES): Japan-based policy research organization working on global environmental strategies. ICDI became a member of IGES in January 2021, with closely aligned research-driven approach to climate policy and sustainable development.
• Climate Action Network (CAN): Worldwide network of over 1,300 NGOs in 120+ countries promoting climate action. ICDI has been an international member of CAN since July 2016, and shares the advocacy and policy engagement mission.
• E3G (Third Generation Environmentalism): Independent climate think tank focused on diplomatic and policy acceleration. Comparable to ICDI as a mission-driven policy organization bridging climate science and government action, though operating globally with a larger team.
• ICLEI - Local Governments for Sustainability: Global network of local and regional governments committed to sustainable urban development. ICDI is an active partner with ICLEI since 2016, with closely aligned missions driving city-level climate action and sustainable city forums.
• Climate Service Center Germany (GERICS): German federal climate service organization providing climate data tools and policy support. ICDI signed an MOU with GERICS in November 2017, and the two share a similar profile in translating climate science into policy and applied tools.
• Climate Bonds Initiative: International organization focused on mobilizing capital for climate action through green bond standards and climate finance research. Comparable to ICDI's GCF Research program and Climate & Finance newsletter.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalclimatedevelopmentinstitute
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-climate-development-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about International Climate Development Institute 國際氣候發展智庫 (ICDI)