Green Tech: Intel's Investments in Renewables & Efficiency
Aside from being a global leader in semiconductor innovation, Intel says it is deeply committed to energy sustainability.
In April 2022, Intel announced a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions, covering its Scope 1 and 2 emissions, by 2040.
Since then, the company has already reduced emissions by 43% from its 2019 baseline.
Intel’s global sustainability strategy not only affirms its dedication but also spearheads a transformation within the technology sector towards sustainable practices.
- 99% renewable energy is used across its operations globally
- 10.2 billion gallons of water have been saved
- 63% of Intel's manufacturing waste has been upcycled via reuse, recovery or recycling
Sustainable computing
Intel has adopted the mantra of “sustainable computing for a sustainable future," which encompasses initiatives across its business, from semiconductor manufacturing to enhancing the energy efficiency of its products, platforms and software.
“We are making noteworthy progress toward our environmental goals by focusing on sustainability in several key semiconductor manufacturing areas — electricity, water, waste, our value chain and alternative green chemistry solutions,” Intel says.
These areas, it emphasises, are key to driving toward its larger goal of achieving carbon-neutral computing.
Energy efficiency is another integral element of its approach to sustainability.
“To reach our product environmental goals, we are taking a holistic approach to product sustainability,” the company says.
“We are innovating across our entire portfolio of products, platforms, software and solutions to improve energy efficiency while reducing both our Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions as well as our customers’ Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions.”
Semiconductor manufacturing and sustainability
Intel's focus on semiconductor manufacturing is a key area for enhancing sustainability.
With the environmental impact of chip production under scrutiny, Intel’s ambitious plans seek to mitigate its own carbon footprint and catalyse industry-wide climate action.
Intel supports its partners and the industry by sharing best practices and driving regulatory compliance in semiconductor manufacturing sustainability.
Its accolades in this sphere include an A rating in CDP Water Security, A- ratings in Climate Change and Supplier Engagement and a rating of 1 in ISS Environment and Social Quality Score.
Intel’s former CEO Pat Gelsinger – who was replaced by Lip-Bu Tan earlier this year – said: “The impact of climate change is an urgent global threat. Protecting our planet demands immediate action and fresh thinking about how the world operates.
“As one of the world's leading semiconductor design and manufacturing companies, Intel is in a unique position to make a difference not only in our own operations, but in a way that makes it easier for customers, partners and our whole value chain to take meaningful action too.”
As it stands, as well as being just 1% away from its 100% renewable electricity by 2030 goal, Intel is water net positive in US, Mexico, Costa Rica and India, with 110% of freshwater usage returned and restored.
This is a significant step towards its global net positive water by 2030 target.
Even though construction waste rose in 2023, Intel has decreased waste sent to landfills to just 6%, advancing towards their zero waste to landfill by 2030 objective.
A further focus on sustainability
Additional interim sustainability milestones set by Intel include:
- Investing around US$300m in energy conservation to save four billion cumulative KWhs
- Constructing all new factories and facilities to meet U.S. Green Building Council LEED energy-saving standards
- Launching cross-industry R&D initiatives to identify greener chemicals and develop new abatement equipment for manufacturing
These efforts build on Intel’s track record as one of the top voluntary corporate purchasers of green power, with nearly 100 alternative energy installations spanning 15 campuses worldwide.
