Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today announced that the Samsung Global Goals App has won Bronze in the “Partnership or Collaboration – Responsible Technology” category of the 4^th Annual Anthem Awards, which recognizes initiatives that leverage technology responsibly through strategic partnerships to address societal challenges and promote ethical technology use. This recognition highlights Samsung’s continued dedication to fostering impactful, technology-driven solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

The Anthem Awards is one of the largest and most comprehensive social impact awards program that honors incredible, purpose-driven work from individuals, companies and organizations around the globe. The 4th Annual Anthem Awards marked the most competitive season yet, with over 2,300 entries submitted from 34 countries. By recognizing projects and initiatives that drive global change, the Anthem Awards establish a new benchmark for impactful work that inspires action in communities worldwide.

“We are truly honored to have our commitment to the Global Goals recognized by the Anthem Awards,” said Stephanie Choi, EVP & Head of Marketing, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics. “Samsung is dedicated to harnessing the power of technology to inspire collective action, open collaboration and creating a better future for all. As we advance towards 2030 alongside the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Samsung Global Goals app will remain vital for driving action and progress toward achieving the Global Goals.”

Developed in partnership with the UNDP, the Samsung Global Goals app empowers millions worldwide to contribute directly to the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals. Launched in 2019, the app now has nearly 300 million Galaxy users[1] around the world and has raised over $20 million[2] to support UNDP initiatives through user donations, in-app advertisements and matching donations from Samsung.

For more information about the partnership, read the 2024 Global Goals Report here. To learn more about the Samsung Global Goals app, download the app from the Google Play Store.

About UNDP

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is one of the leading United Nations organization fighting to end the injustice of poverty, inequality, and climate change. Working with our broad network of experts and partners in 170 countries, we help nations to build integrated, lasting solutions for people and planet. www.undp.org

[1] Total number of users as of September 2024

[2] Total contributions as of September 2024

When I started my career at Samsung 25 years ago, I was a young engineer with a passion for technology and all it could do. Over the years, the capacity of mobile innovation has exceeded even my ambitious expectations. It has brought us conveniences and capabilities that make our lives better, but it has also given us the opportunity to be better. The ability to connect without proximity empowers us to break down barriers and work together to make progress. And with humanity facing some of its most complex challenges yet, we need to collaborate and innovate solutions more than ever before. That’s why I believe mobile technology has a vital role to play in helping us protect our planet.

Samsung has always challenged what’s possible with technology. And now, we are taking our next step towards putting sustainability at the centre of our innovations. From eco-conscious materials to global partnerships, we are exploring every opportunity to help power the world with mobile technology that serves as a tool for positive change.

Innovation with Impact

We’ve been on a journey for years at Samsung, marrying sustainability and innovation by using recycled materials in our smartphones, wearables and accessories. In addition to our on-going effort to use more eco-conscious materials including recycled PCM (post-consumer materials), the new Galaxy smartphones and tablets that were unveiled at our latest Unpacked used select components containing 20% recycled ocean-bound plastic[1] from discarded fishing nets[2].

We focused our innovation efforts on a pervasive and especially hazardous type of plastic waste that is harming marine life and our natural ecosystems – discarded fishing nets. Every year, 640,000 tons of fishing nets are abandoned in and around our oceans. With help from like-minded partners, we found a way to repurpose them into a new, high-performance material that can be incorporated into critical components of the Galaxy S22 series. From now on, more and more Galaxy devices will play a small part in reducing plastic waste in our oceans.

I know we still have a long way to go. And at Mobile World Congress 2022, we will share our next wave of innovations that incorporate recycled ocean-bound plastics.

Using Technology as a Force for Good

At Samsung, we believe in making mobile technology that has positive environmental impact and putting the power of our Galaxy ecosystem into the hands of passionate change makers.

I’ve seen this first-hand with our growing Generation17 initiative, which Samsung leads in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme. Generation17 empowers young activists to take on pressing issues like climate change, education, and more, so the world can make headway towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals, also known as the Global Goals, by 2030. And with the recent addition of six new Young Leaders, the program now spans countries in Africa, Asia & The Pacific, Europe, North America, Latin America and the Middle East and supports work across all 17 Global Goals.

That’s how mobile innovation fuels transformation. It amplifies simple actions and individual voices and brings them together to amount to big, global change.

We Need Collective Action

I am in awe of the impactful ways people are helping to change the world with Galaxy, and I promise our work does not end here. Samsung will continue developing innovative technology that bridges barriers, connects communities and addresses the climate crisis.

Samsung is ready to do more. We will take real action, hold ourselves accountable and share our journey – from our successes to our challenges and lessons learned. We will act with our industry peers, with developers, with the Galaxy community, with everyone, to strengthen technology as a force for good.

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[1] Ocean-bound plastic is abandoned plastic waste of all sizes (micro-plastics, mezzo-plastics and macro-plastics) that are located within 50km of shores in communities or areas where waste management is inexistent or very inefficient.

[2] Discarded fishing nets are purchased through Samsung’s partner that works with local fishermen who collect them from the Indian Ocean and neighboring coastal areas. Samsung does not directly recover fishing nets from the ocean.