Samsung and LG Electronics score poorly in caring for the environment

Posted on : 2017-10-18 17:38 KST Modified on : 2017-10-18 17:38 KST
Dutch company Fairphone received top score in Greenpeace study of 17 worldwide firms

Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics received low respective ratings of D- and D+ in an assessment of the environmental friendliness of their electronic device brands. In contrast, the Dutch social enterprise Fairphone received the highest rating with a B, while Apple received a B-, Hewlett Packard and Dell ratings of C+, and Microsoft a C-. Google and Sony earned D+ scores and Huawei a D, while Amazon, Vivo, and Xiaomi all received Fs.

On Oct. 17, the global environmental group Greenpeace released a “Guide to Greener Electronics,” based on a study and comparative analysis of the environmental friendliness of 17 global electronics manufacturing brands.

Greenpeace’s report “Guide to Greener Electronics” graded 17 different companies worldwide based on their concern for the environment (provided by Greenpeace)
Greenpeace’s report “Guide to Greener Electronics” graded 17 different companies worldwide based on their concern for the environment (provided by Greenpeace)

In the case of Samsung Electronics, Greenpeace noted in its report that renewal energy consumption “would only account for 1% of its total electricity use” and that “absolute emissions [of greenhouse gases as of 2016] have increased 24% just since 2014.” For LG Electronics, it wrote that use of recycled plastic is “down from past years,” while direct and indirect carbon emissions are “dramatically increasing.”

Apple and HP were found to use renewable energy to cover 96% and 14% of total electricity use, respectively. HP in particular saw its own greenhouse gas emissions fall last year, while emissions for its partner companies dropped by 24%.

“Close to 80% of carbon emissions from electronics device manufacturing occur during the materials and parts production processes,” said Lee In-seong, an IT campaigner with Greenpeace’s Seoul office.

“Most of the parts factories from global businesses in the Asia region, including South Korea’s semiconductor plants, rely on atomic and coal energy for power,” Lee noted.

The analysis also showed the percentage of total global power consumption by the IT industry rising from 7% in 2012 to over 12% as of 2017, with a predicted increase of 7% per year through 2030. In its report, Greenpeace said the increase in IT sector power consumption was “double the average rate of electricity growth globally.”

Greenpeace publishes its “Greener Guide” to urge companies to take environmentally friendly action by using renewable energy when possible and adopting products and services with low carbon emissions and use of harmful substances. Its assessment is based on figures from the businesses themselves and its own independent investigations. Most of the companies that received F scores refused to cooperate in providing materials.

By Kim Jae-seop, staff reporter

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