South Korean multinational corporation Samsung Electronics has revealed its inaugural disclosure of Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions, representing indirect emissions, in its recently published 2023 sustainability report.
Last year, Samsung Electronics emitted a total of 124.72 million tons of indirect greenhouse gas emissions (Scope 3), 21 times higher than its Scope 1 emissions and surpassing the combined emissions of Scope 1 (5.97 million tons) and Scope 2 (9.08 million tons) by over eight times.
Scope 1 emissions refer to direct emissions produced by the company, such as heating company property or the output of owned or leased vehicles. Scope 2 refers to emissions stemming from purchased electricity.
Scope 3, a broader concept, encompasses all indirect greenhouse gas emissions (except those in scope 2) occurring throughout a company’s value chain, including emissions from suppliers, customers, transportation, and waste management, among other factors. Scope 3 emissions often account for the majority of an organisation’s total emissions.
Among the various categories of scope 3 emissions for Samsung, the largest contributor was those generated during consumer use, accounting for over 80% (101.24 million tons). During the product manufacturing stage, emissions from purchased goods and services amounted to 14.6 million tons.
Other emissions linked to company activities included:
- Upstream transportation and distribution (3.97 million tons)
- Capital goods (1.51 million tons)
- Disposal of sold products (1.21 million tons)
- Fuel and energy activities (0.9 million tons)
- Employee commuting (0.3 million tons)
- Business trips by employees (0.09 million tons)
One notable development comes from the development of reusable particulate filters which Samsung plans to expand to all its affiliate and partner factories. The filters effectively eliminate fine dust and harmful gases during production and can be used for up to 20 years with simple water cleaning.
According to Samsung, in the past, constructing an air purification system with reusable filters proved challenging, with filters needing to be replaced every six months to one year. However, the new filter structure incorporates water-resistant materials which ensure optimal performance even with water cleaning.
