Greening has entered the Taipei mayoral race, with Democratic Progressive Party candidate Shen Po-yang campaigning on planting trees to bring down temperatures — good news for residents suffering through the heat, though the cost and the capacity to deliver remain open questions.

• Shen Po-yang is promoting an "urban micro-forest" policy, calling for trees to be planted back into the city to cool Taipei down.
• The targets are 20% tree canopy cover and 30% green cover citywide, with a shaded green park within a 300-metre walk for every resident.
• He plans to set up a NT$1 billion urban forest maintenance and operations fund, enact a municipal urban forest ordinance, and establish a cross-departmental committee.
• Trees would be given health records and smart monitoring, and any tree removal would require prior consultation with residents' representatives.
• Waste wood would no longer simply be burned; a waste timber bank would be set up for reuse, with biomass power generation as a last resort.

Outlook: As the race heats up, rival camps are certain to scrutinise whether this NT$1 billion budget and the coverage targets can actually be delivered.