Hi everyone, this is Cheng Ting-Fang, your #techAsia host for this week.

My recent holiday to Florence, Italy, to explore the birthplace of the Renaissance and the city’s renowned museums was a delightful escape. After a leisurely stroll up a hill to Piazzale Michelangelo, I was rewarded with a breathtaking sunset and a lively concert. And to truly unwind from the tech industry’s frenetic pace, I also immersed myself in several Korean dramas while away.

But upon returning to work this week, I quickly found myself back in the semiconductor world. A visit to ASML’s massive chipmaking tool refurbishment centre in the Taiwanese city of Taoyuan spurred me to think about the most pressing issue commonly faced by the tech industry: how to aggressively cut its carbon footprint.