[Photo] Solar thermal collector installed on the roofs of Samsung America's standardization testing line, Rancho Domingues, California, US.

[SEOUL=WhoWired] July 28, 2011 -- To commemorate its July 2009 declaration of “Green Management” commitment, Samsung Electronics announced that it has made remarkable accomplishments for the past two years, including greenhouse gas reduction, environmentally friendly product development, and other related investments.

 □ Greenhouse Gas Emissions Reduction

During the first half of 2011, Samsung has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 45.8 tons of carbon dioxide per billion won. This is a 38 percent cut compared with the end of 2008. In addition to emissions from the sites directly under management, it has established a system to calculate and manage emissions produced in partner firms and distributors across the world and even air travels by the company’s employees.

Samsung has also improved the energy efficiency of its products by 18.5 percent from the 2008 average, reducing the total emissions by as much as 2,289 tons from the power consumption by the models sold between 2009 and June 2011. This amount is equivalent to that produced from the annual electric power consumption used in 2.6 million American households.

By establishing a model “low-carbon value chain,” Samsung is preparing for a more stringent environmental regulation regime to be in effect in Korea starting in January 2012.

Early this year, the company succeeded in earning the Energy Management System certification (EnMS) for its “Display City” in Tangjeong, followed in July by the acquisition of the ISO 50001 certification for its “Smart City” initiative in Kumi. These are indications that the company is accelerating its energy efficiency efforts in manufacturing and service sites.

□ Eco-friendly Product Leadership

In 2010 Samsung Electronics has earned global environmental marks for a total of 2,210 models, leading the world in terms of environmental certification numbers for five years in a row.

In addition, the success rate for the “Good Eco-product” development, the highly rigorous in-house eco-friendliness standard, has reached 90 percent in 2010.

In January of this year, Samsung won the CES 2011 Innovation Awards in six product categories for their eco-designs while launching the world’s first solar-powered laptop computer model in the African market.

Within the company, Samsung has established the environment advisory board where all development team leaders across the world are present as part of its commitment to green management.

□ Global Green Management Activities

In order to fulfill its responsibility as a global corporation, Samsung is active in eco-friendly partnerships and community campaigns.

The company held an ecosystem conservation campaign in the Korea National Arboretum and the adjacent Gwangneung Forest, a UNESCO-designated biosphere. It also organized an event for Samsung employees and their family members to learn about climate change and renewable energies.

In the United States, the company invited ideas to solve local community environmental problems as part of a “Solve for Tomorrow” campaign. In the European market, it held a “Planet First” campaign to show online future eco-friendly products and services.

In the Chinese and Southeast Asian markets, Samsung has embarked on a campaign to adopt a mountain or a river per organization while supporting local advocacy groups in Brazil to protect the Amazon rain forest.

□ Green Management Investment

Throughout 2010, Samsung has invested as much as 1.6 trillion won (approximately US$1.5 billion) in developing eco-friendly products and creating green sites. Since 2009 the company has made a 2.7 trillion won investment in the environment area.

Samsung was ranked No. 1 by the Carbon Disclosure Project, the independent global climate change reporting organization, among the world’s technology companies. It was also selected by the China Europe International Business School as the best green company. In addition, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has given Samsung an Energy Star Award for Sustained Excellence.

Park Sang-Beom, the head of Samsung’s CS environmental center, said, “We will work harder to green our operations by improving our people’s environmental mindset as well as reaching the goals set by the 2009 Green Management declaration.