Taiwan Depository & Clearing Corporation

With the rise of the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) trend and the development of financial technology, under the support and guidance of the Financial Supervisory Commission, TDCC is developing a new "Shareholder e-Services" platform which is scheduled to launch on June 30, 2023. The platform will not only integrate the services of eVoting and eMeeting but also introduce the new "eNotice Platform". It will provide TWSE/TPEX listed companies, emerging companies and public companies which have transfer agents with the service of transition from paper-based dividend payment notifications to electronic notifications. This will allow investors to promptly receive dividend payment notifications and stay informed.

TDCC Chairman Han-Chiang Chu expressed his special thanks to Director-General Chia-Chi Hsiao of the National Treasury Administration of Ministry of Finance for strongly supported and encouraged all state-owned Enterprises to adopt the eNotice services. First Financial Holding Co. Ltd., Hua Nan Financial Holdings Co., Ltd., Taiwan Cooperative Financial Holding Co., Ltd., Mega Financial Holding Company Ltd., Chang Hwa Commercial Bank, Ltd., and Taiwan Business Bank Co., Ltd. have taken the lead by completing the signing of contracts. This demonstrates their strong commitment to digital stock affair services and ambitious pursuit of ESG sustainable operations. Furthermore, under the guidance and concerted efforts of the Ministry of Finance in pursuing the goal of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050 in the securities and financial markets, Trade-Van Information Services Co. in which the Ministry of Finance has invested significantly, has also completed the signing of the contract.

Since the official announcement of the launch date of the eNotice platform by TDCC in mid-April of this year, with the guidance of government authorities, support from public companies, and assistance from transfer agents, over 350 companies including the aforementioned state-owned banks and companies such as Far Eastern Group, Ruentex Group, Yuen Foong Yu Group, CGPC Group, E.SUN Financial Holding Company, Ltd., Chung-hsin Electric & Machinery MFG. Corp., Largan Precision Co., Ltd., Taiwan Glass Ind. Corp. have completed the signing of contracts with TDCC within a month. Moreover, the number of signed contracts continues to increase. This demonstrates that besides cost savings for companies, electronic notifications can meet the digital needs of shareholders in the new era. It also serves as a concrete demonstration of companies taking action to support net-zero emissions and effectively implement ESG sustainability policies.

After the launch of TDCC eNotice platform, investors can simply log into the platform through their computers or mobile phones, agree to receive electronic notification services. If the public company of the stocks they hold has entrusted TDCC to deliver the electronic notifications, they can receive cash and stock dividend payment notifications from their invested companies through email or TDCC e-Passbook APP. They can also access various information including dividend payment dates, actual amounts received, and electronic notifications of dividend payments from the past three years. There is no longer a need to receive a stack of paper dividend notifications, thereby fully responding to energy-saving and carbon reduction policies while implementing Shareholder Activism.

Once the issuing companies have completed the signing of contracts with TDCC, the eNotice platform can be used for dividend payment notifications in the second half of 2023. Chairman Chu stated that by referring to information such as the carbon footprint of A4 paper provided by the Environmental Protection Administration and the number of trees planted by the Environmental Quality Protection Foundation, if the 58 million paper dividend payment notifications that companies are required to send each year are converted to electronic notifications, it would result in a reduction of approximately 440 tons of carbon emissions per year. This is equivalent to the carbon sequestration capacity of around 36,600 trees in one year, which is roughly equivalent to the number of trees in six Daan Parks. The paper saved in one year would be long enough to encircle Taiwan 14.8 times or to circle the Earth 0.44 times. If the paper were stacked, its height would be equivalent to 11.4 Taipei 101 building. TDCC will continue to develop an ecosystem of shareholder’s digital services, upholding the spirits of "innovation," "resilience," "sustainability," and "financial inclusion" It aims to provide investors (shareholders) with convenient digital services and work hand in hand with public companies and their shareholders to create a win-win situation. Hoping to take another significant step forward in promoting the financial technology applications and sustainable policy development in Taiwan's securities market.