SEOUL, 15 September – Samsung Electronics has announced that it plans to achieve carbon neutrality and 100% renewable electricity use by 2050.

Jude Lee, Deputy Executive Director of Greenpeace East Asia, said:

“Climate mitigation has become a survival tactic to maintain corporate profit. After a long wait, Samsung appears willing to take a step to reduce its massive carbon footprint. However, its belated effort is not ambitious enough.

A 2050 target puts Samsung far behind many of its peers, including Apple, Sony, and Intel. Renewable energy accounted for only 21 percent of Samsung Electronics’ total electricity consumption in 2021, which is far lower than the average for RE100 member companies. 

In addition, Samsung has yet again limited its climate commitment to its operations and has left out any specific plans for supply chain decarbonization. Samsung doesn’t seem to learn from the dire climate impacts that have affected the global supply chain. Severe drought in Southwestern China has already disrupted the battery supply chain. Such a disruption could happen to Samsung at any time. 

Apple, one of Samsung Electronics’ most significant clients, has committed to sourcing 100% renewable energy across its supply chain by 2030. Samsung has forecast losses of up to 20% if the company fails to achieve 100% renewable electricity use as required by some global clients.” [1]

A growing array of options are available for corporate renewable electricity procurement in South Korea, including the green premium, equity investment, power purchase agreements (PPA), third-party PPAs and renewable energy certificates (RECs). Greenpeace urges Samsung to take advantage of these options and commit to 100% renewable electricity across its supply chain by 2030.

Daul Jang, Government Relations and Advocacy Specialist at Greenpeace East Asia, said:

“Samsung Electronics must be more proactive in advocating for ambitious renewable energy policies in the countries where it operates. Samsung should invest in new renewables projects, especially in South Korea and Vietnam, just as it does in the United States.”

Samsung Electronics was the third largest private greenhouse gas emitter in South Korea in 2020. Between 2015 and 2020, the company’s greenhouse gas emissions shot up 87%, the biggest increase among South Korea’s top 30 emitters.


Notes

[1] <Samsung Electronics – Climate Change 2021 Report> Available at: https://www.cdp.net/en

Media contact

MinJu Kim, Communications Officer, Greenpeace Seoul, +82 10 9477 9144, [email protected]