Samsung recently published its 2024 Sustainability Report, detailing all its recent efforts on the path to reaching net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions and increasing device security. The report comes nearly two years since the company revealed its New Environmental Strategy and plans to achieve net zero Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 2050 in September 2022.
According to the report, Samsung’s Device eXperience (DX) division achieved 93.4% renewable energy conversion as of the end of 2023. This includes 100% renewable energy used at major global manufacturing facilities in the United States, Europe, Korea, China, Brazil, India and Vietnam.
In line with the company’s Resource Circularity Roadmap, recycled resin was incorporated in 25% of procured plastic parts purchased last year. Notably, the DX division expanded its electronic waste recovery and recycling programs to more than 70 countries as of the end of 2023.
Additionally, Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division installed new process gas treatment facilities and expanded the use of liquid natural gas (LNG) waste heat recovery systems in 2023 to help reach net zero Scope 1,2 emissions by 2050. As a result of various reduction activities, the DS division’s Scope 1,2 emissions decreased by 11.6% in 2023 compared to 2022. Additionally, the DS Division has expanded its renewable energy use by signing power purchase agreements (PPAs) in Korea to supply renewable energy from a 60-megawatt solar power plant.
Proving the excellence of its water management systems, Samsung obtained Platinum certification, the highest level, from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS). This is for its Giheung, Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek facilities in Korea and its Xi’an facility in China. Furthermore, the company is reducing waste generation by expanding the number of resource circularity certifications obtained from Korea’s Ministry of Environment to include certifications for nine new items as of March 2024.
For its social and governance division, Samsung is upholding human rights and improving working environments while striving to create a strong corporate culture for executives and employees. The Global Grievance Resolution Policy was enacted in April 2024 to ensure grievances received are fairly and consistently handled per the company’s Global Human Rights Principles. With a goal of increasing the number of women in the workforce, Samsung plans to more than double the baseline number of women executives by 2030 as compared to 2022.
In its continued support for employees with disabilities, Samsung opened a subsidiary standard workplace in 2023 dubbed ‘Stellar Forest’ to create sustainable jobs for people with developmental disabilities. Starting with a confectionary manufacturer that supplies baked goods to Samsung employees, Stellar Forest plans to diversify into additional industries to create more job opportunities fit for those with disabilities.