Taiwan’s franchise sector puts ESG and brand trust in focus at October forum

How can sustainability become part of everyday shop operations, and give franchisees a reason to believe in a brand? According to a 29 September report in Fresh Weekly, the 2026 Global Franchise Conference will take place on 2–3 October at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center, Hall 2. The second day will focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues and brand influence, using examples such as breakfast products to explore how Taiwan’s franchise sector can translate sustainability principles into business communications.

From sustainability commitments to brand trust

The forum is hosted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ Administration of Commerce, co-organised by the Taiwan Chain and Franchise Promotion Association, and delivered by the China Productivity Center. Its two main themes are using artificial intelligence to address staff shortages and turning ESG into influence. Business leaders and franchise sector representatives from Japan, Canada, Guatemala, Indonesia and Taiwan will share their perspectives.

Rather than focusing on equipment or staffing arrangements, the ESG sessions will examine the relationship between brands and people. The agenda will consider sustainability from brand, media, marketing and consumer perspectives, exploring its links with brand trust, consumer choice, franchisee commitment and market expansion. These are topics scheduled for discussion, not proven operational outcomes.

A breakfast product provides a practical case study

The relevant session on the second day will be moderated by Chen Wen-yueh, with a central question: how can ESG become a new driver of growth for chain brands? Yang Qin International chairman Cho Ching-lun will speak on the theme ‘Even a breakfast can carry the power to change the world’, using the carbon-footprint-certified Manfen Burger as an example of brand differentiation.

This case brings the discussion down to a breakfast product familiar to consumers, rather than leaving it at the level of corporate sustainability commitments. However, the report does not provide the product’s carbon emissions figures, the scope of its certification, or related sales and franchise outlet return data. It is therefore not possible to infer how much business growth, if any, the certification has generated.

How ESG and marketing can work together

Hou Chia-kai, chairman of the Taiwan Green Energy Public Welfare Development Association, will also discuss how ESG can be integrated into marketing strategy, examining brand influence and market competitiveness. Alongside the breakfast case study, the session will cover both product-level action and external communications.

For the franchise sector, a key question is how head offices turn sustainability claims into tasks that outlets can understand and carry out. For example, how can frontline staff check certification information? How should employees answer customer questions? And how can promotional material accurately reflect the scope of certification? These could be useful questions for delegates, but the reporting available so far does not provide the speakers’ specific answers.

Assess the case studies — and check what implementation requires

A franchise exhibition will run alongside the forum, giving participants opportunities to speak with exhibiting brands as well as hear their presentations. However, brand narratives, marketing objectives and the work that franchise outlets must actually undertake should still be assessed separately. The public information currently available is largely an outline of the programme, not a guarantee of results.

Practical tip: prospective franchisees interested in these brands can prepare three questions in advance: What evidence supports the sustainability claims? What will outlets need to do? And what support will head office provide? Turning a case study into information that can be checked is more useful than judging a franchise opportunity on its ESG label alone.