Policy and goals
The 1992 Rio Declaration on Environment and Development highlighted the need to regulate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions which have a direct impact on climate change. Under the ground-breaking Kyoto Protocol, signatory countries are required to reduce their combined GHG emissions by 5.2% from 1990 levels between 2008 and 2012.
Samsung Electronics recognizes that governments as well as companies have responsibilities to address the global challenges posed by climate change. Samsung Electronics supports global mandatory cuts of greenhouse gas emissions of at least 50% by 2050 (from 1990 levels) and mandatory domestic cuts by industrialized countries (Annex I countries of Kyoto Protocol) of at least 30% as a group by 2020. The company also calls for global greenhouse gas emissions to peak by 2015.
To control and reduce greenhouse gas emissions effectively, the company is building a GHG inventory for its business activities. This includes Scope 1 and 2 (direct emissions and electricity purchases from global business operations and production sites), as well as Scope 3 emissions which are other indirect emissions from product use, product transport, suppliers and employees business travel.
For Scope 1 and 2, the company manages and reports the GHG inventory for all global business operations and production sites with the third party verification.
To manage greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in our supply chain, in 2010 the company set up a GHG inventory for suppliers located in Korea. This will now be extended to global suppliers by 2013.
Goals to reduce GHG emissions
Samsung plans to reduce its GHG emissions intensity normalized by sales (metric tonnes of CO2 per KRW 100 million) by 50% until 2013 based on the level of 2008. Also, the company plans to reduce the GHG emissions by 24% compared to BAU (business as usual) by 2015 to meet the Korean government's mid-term GHG reduction target and policy.
The target covers facilities located in Korea only, since this represents most of the company’s GHG emissions. In 2010, the GHG emissions arising in Korea covered 90% of Scope 1 and 2 emissions in global operations.
