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According to environmentalists, Samsung Electronics when carbon emissions rise and the slow reduction in fossil fuel use undermines the group’s sustainability claims.
As critics increasingly examine concerns about climate change and green cleaning, organizations ’commitments and achievements to the environment are exaggerated.
“Everyone has ESG initiatives, everyone talks. . . but we don’t see any real significant change, ”said Youn Sejong, Solutions for Our Climate, director of the Seoul NGO.
Samsung is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of computer chips, smartphones, electronic screens and home appliances. The South Korean group reported that greenhouse gas emissions rose by 5 percent year-on-year in 2020.
The company relies on fossil fuels for more than 80% of its electricity, the Greenpeace environmental campaign team reported.
The data has raised questions about Samsung’s efforts on climate change, although the group said sites in the US, Europe and China currently only use renewable energy.
Samsung doesn’t want to comment.
The challenge of changing companies stands out in South Korea and Vietnam, two of the largest manufacturing bases, where energy systems remain dependent on coal.
Samsung has pushed for Seoul and Hanoi to invite deregulation of the energy market aimed at inviting renewable energy investments.
Samsung wants to get to buy independent renewable energy generators, aside from state-owned energy groups that have been slow to move away from coal.
The company is setting specific targets for the use of renewable energy in both countries, but no deadline has been set, highlighting a lack of confidence in making significant progress in the short term.
Samsung has also been looking for opportunities around the world to buy credits to offset carbon emissions and join other pricing schemes to promote renewable energy. In Brazil and Mexico, for example, the company plans to reach 100 percent renewable energy by 2025.
Activists said Samsung needs to put more pressure on governments because of its tremendous political influence. In South Korea and Vietnam, the group is the largest entrepreneur in the corporation and a contributor to gross domestic product.
“Given Samsung’s scale of business and its impact on the overall economies of Korea and Vietnam and its commitment to achieving renewable energy targets in other markets, the country has the potential to make great strides in facilitating access to renewable energy,” Greenpeace said.
Youn said South Korea’s “real culprits” are the state-level energy group Korea Electric Power Corp. and government ministries for tackling changes in the energy market over the years.
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The country’s renewable supply is about 5 percent, although new rules are being passed to allow agreements to buy direct power.
“It’s ridiculously low, which makes it very difficult to take significant renewable energy initiatives,” Youn said.
Decreasing the company’s claims, Samsung’s subsidiaries – along with units of auto manufacturers from Hyundai, Kepco and other South Korean companies and financial institutions – have been has been at the forefront Development of Vietnamese coal strength.
“On the one hand, they say they want more renewables for the electronics factory, and on the other hand, they are building this unnecessary coal-fired power plant. . . We all know that Samsung’s headquarters actually coordinates those decisions, ”Youn added.
Last year several groups, including Samsung’s financial units he ordered it to end coal financing.
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