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Greenpeace exposes tech supply chain carbon footprint

Calls for urgent action on emission reductions

Greenpeace has criticised major tech manufacturers, including Intel, Foxconn, Luxshare Precision, Samsung, and TSMC, for insufficient efforts to reduce carbon emissions.

According to a Greenpeace report, all five of these companies increased their emissions between 2020 and 2022, partly due to rising production. While eight out of the 11 companies have pledged net-zero emissions by mid-century, none committed to halving emissions by 2030, the minimum required by the Paris Agreement.

Intel received credit for pledging to transition to 100 percent renewable energy by 2030, but Greenpeace claims the company relies heavily on low-impact methods, such as Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs), which may not contribute to new clean energy production.

Greenpeace emphasizes that achieving 100 percent renewable energy across supply chains by 2030 is crucial to meet Paris Agreement targets and recommends high-impact sourcing methods.

Highest emissions and electricity consumption

The report ranked Foxconn the highest in emissions and electricity consumption, with only 8% renewable electricity usage in 2022. Greenpeace's previous report criticised companies like Amazon, Microsoft, Google, and Sony for relying on fossil fuels in their supply chains.

Computing research into cloud sustainability has also indicated that many of the organisations named here are not progressing towatds their stated aims of carbon neutrality at the pace that some of their marketing implies.

Greenpeace urges electronics suppliers to set ambitious targets to achieve 100% renewable energy within the decade.

The environmental group also suggests that companies should choose high-impact sourcing methods such as PPAs, renewable energy investment and onsite generation to achieve renewable electricity targets because, unlike the use of RECs which can involve just moving around units of renewable energy which have already been created, these methods have clear additionality and trackability and are ‘impactful for climate mitigation'.

The report concludes that participating in renewable energy-related policy advocacy can be a ‘step further' for companies to showcase their impact in decarbonisation and transition to renewable electricity.

Greenpeace exposes tech supply chain carbon footprint

Calls for urgent action on emission reductions

Highest emissions and electricity consumption

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