Samsung SDI to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

Business

Tue, September 26, 2023 | 14:57

Companies

Samsung SDI to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050

Posted : 2022-10-03 16:21

Updated : 2022-10-03 17:50

Seen is Samsung SDI's energy storage system (ESS) installed at its headquarters at Giheung District in Yongin, south of Seoul. The company said Monday that it will make efforts to implement eco-friendly management. Courtesy of Samsung SDI

Samsung SDI CEO Choi Yoon-ho speaks during a meeting with employees about how to improve the eco-friendly management of the company in the workplace in Cheonan, South Chungcheong Province, Sept. 29. Courtesy of Samsung SDI

By Baek Byung-yeul

Samsung SDI has declared the implementation of eco-friendly management as part of its efforts to tackle climate change and achieve sustainable growth, the Samsung Group battery affiliate said Monday.

In order to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the company announced a set of environmental management strategies including eight specific goals under the theme of "response to climate change and resource circularity."

"Eco-friendly management is a necessary corporate social responsibility for future generations and key to the competitiveness of our business to become a global top-tier company by 2030," said Choi Yoon-ho, president and CEO of Samsung SDI.

To that end, the company recently joined the RE100, the global initiative to convert 100 percent of the energy used by companies to renewable sources by 2050. The company's operations in Hungary, China and Malaysia will take the lead in increasing the usage of renewable energy.

To reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Samsung SDI said it will reduce its use of liquefied natural gas (LNG), which is used for battery manufacturing processes, to lessen air pollution. It will replace LNG-powered boilers with electric ones and reduce the amount of dehumidifier steam to cut emissions. Its incineration facilities will also be replaced with LNG-free absorption equipment.

The company will expand its lineup of products that are qualified with the Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) certification, which refers to the total amount of carbon emissions generated from manufacturing, distribution and consumption of a product to its disposal.

In addition, the company will replace all of its corporate vehicles with electric vehicles (EVs) and continue to expand the charging infrastructure. In 2021, Samsung SDI joined K-EV 100, a project run by the Ministry of Environment to supply non-polluting vehicles.

For maximizing resource circularity, the company will expand the use of raw materials recovered from recycled battery waste, such as cobalt, nickel and lithium. At its workplaces, it will try to minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills by increasing waste recycling.

To reduce water usage, Samsung SDI set the goal of reducing the aggregate amount of water used for all operations by 2050 through the sustainable management of water resources. "To minimize the impact on the environment, the company will improve its water supply via cooling pumps and reuse consumed water from battery manufacturing lines or rainwater," the company said.

Its employees are also committed to joining the company's eco-friendly initiatives as they are trying to reduce the use of disposable and plastic products in their workplaces.

baekby@koreatimes.co.kr