For years, Samsung has paid very little lip service to its large environmental footprint. Indeed, it has regularly been the target of environmental protests from groups like Greenpeace, for its reluctance to commit to renewable energies.
Well, perhaps inspired by old sparring-partner Apple – which just this year revealed it has hit its 100% renewable energy target – Samsung has said it too has the same noble aim: 100% renewable energy by 2020. The ambition will not just relate to its major facilities: all factories, office buildings and operations centres will get the sustainability treatment across Europe, the US and China. This, according to Greenpeace, covers 17 of the company’s 38 buildings.
The change starts now with a whopping 42,000 square metres of solar panels due to be added to the main Samsung Digital City HQ in Suwon, South Korea. More solar panels and geothermal facilities will be added to the Pyeongtaek campus in 2019, with the Hwaseong campus to follow in 2020. Not only that, but from 2019 the company has indicated it will be providing some kind of assistance to help its top 100 partner companies set and achieve their own green energy goals.
Greenpeace welcomed the move, calling it a “major step forward for the movement to build a renewably-powered future.” Jennifer Morgan, Greenpeace’s executive director said: “If the company follows through with meaningful actions, it will join the ranks of innovative business leaders recognising the sense of urgency around climate change and showing a different future is still possible.”
Samsung is certainly making the right noises, with the company’s executive vice president and head of global affairs Won Kyong Kim saying that the company is “fulfilling its duty as a corporate citizen.”
“As demonstrated by our expanded commitment, we are focused on protecting our planet and are doing our part as a global environmental steward,” he added.
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