Samsung’s Journey Towards
Net Zero Carbon Emissions
“The climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues in society today, and as a company, we understand the need to adapt our business practices,” emphasized Matilda Norrman as she opened the presentation. While other presenters focused on enhancing customer experiences, Samsung, as the main sponsor of the event, chose to prioritize sustainability.
Visitors to ISE 2023 in Barcelona witnessed Samsung’s strong commitment to sustainability even then. In the fall of 2022, the company unveiled its ambitious global environmental strategy, which is now being swiftly implemented worldwide. By 2050, Samsung aims to achieve net-zero carbon emissions and a transition to 100% renewable energy sources.
Since 2020, Samsung has been using renewable energy extensively in Europe, the U.S., and China, making significant progress toward its global renewable energy goal of 100%. This achievement encompasses all aspects of its business, including offices, factories, and operational areas.
Matilda provided insights into how Samsung ensures environmental sustainability throughout its value chain. The company divides its lifecycle into four key areas: Production, Distribution, Use, and Recycling. With most of its factories under their ownership, Samsung has greater control and is better positioned to achieve its sustainability targets in production. Furthermore, they actively support and guide their suppliers to adopt sustainable practices. Samsung’s dedication to environmental and human rights issues is evident through its membership in various international organizations. The company also seeks third-party approval and oversight to ensure transparency and responsible practices.
In addition to utilizing renewable energy during production, Samsung recognizes the importance of designing energy-efficient products. “The best way to be sustainable is to use the product for a longer time,” Matilda Norrman reminds us.
To promote sustainable distribution, Samsung has optimized logistics and increased the use of recycled materials for packaging. Enhancing durability, reparability, and support upgrades are integral to Samsung’s strategy of extending product life.
Samsung actively strives for a circular economy by incorporating recycled materials and recovering resources from e-waste. By 2025, their target is to recycle 100% of electronic waste generated in their factories, and they are already at an impressive 98% recycling rate. For instance, recycled materials are integrated into their smartphone and tablet models. As part of this mission, Samsung has even developed Galaxy technology that repurposes discarded fishing nets, a major contributor to global plastic waste. These nets pose severe threats to marine life and ecosystems. Through collaboration with other organizations, Samsung is successfully recovering discarded fishing nets and transforming them into high-performance materials for their new smartphones.
We had the privilege of joining Samsung on their inspiring journey toward a sustainable future. As the audience, we were deeply impressed by the company’s unwavering commitment to sustainability. We are looking forward to following Samsung’s path to becoming a net-zero carbon emission company-worldwide.
