Samsung Electronics today announced that it has had the carbon reduction impact of AI Energy Mode¹ in its select washing machines verified by the Carbon Trust Assurance, based on the Decarbonizing the Use-Phase of Connected Devices (DUCD) specification. This marks the first time that a product or feature has been validated using the DUCD specification. It is especially significant as it demonstrates the greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction effect achieved through the AI Energy Mode during the use phase, verified by a third party.

“At Samsung, we continue to design our products and services with environmental factors in mind,” said Jeong Seung Moon, Executive Vice President and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances (DA) Business at Samsung Electronics. “AI Energy Mode is a key example of such efforts, and with this verification recognizing its effectiveness, we will strive to further improve our products, features and services during their actual use.”

Samsung’s Longstanding Efforts

Samsung has long worked to establish objective and systematic indicators to assess and manage carbon emissions generated from home appliances. As part of these efforts, the company joined the DUCD initiative as a Secretariat member in September 2022.

The DUCD initiative is led by the Carbon Trust, a global climate consultancy, which partners with businesses, governments and financial institutions to drive positive climate action. Through collaboration with other industry leaders, it aims to standardize how energy use and savings from connected devices are measured and contribute to building global methodologies for calculating the carbon savings of Wi-Fi–connected devices.

In November 2024, the initiative published a global specification establishing unified measurement criteria and reduction methodologies for connected devices. This approach measures the reduction in carbon emissions that occur during the consumer’s actual usage phase, distinguishing it from the measurement or reduction of carbon emissions during the production process conventionally used.

Verified Carbon Reduction With AI Energy Mode

Using this guidance, the Carbon Trust’s independent assurance arm, the Carbon Trust Assurance Ltd, tested a pilot assessment on Samsung’s global washing machine lineup.² It verified the reduction effect of AI Energy Mode by comparing the amount of carbon emitted between July 2024 and June 2025 when using the AI Energy Mode with the amount emitted when not using this mode.

For Samsung’s select energy-efficient washing machines, the total energy consumption using the SmartThings Platform³ has been verified at 12.28 GWh during this time period,⁴ resulting in 5,266 tCO₂e, by Carbon Trust Assurance Ltd according to the DUCD Part 1: Specification and Guidance. The verified total energy savings of 5.02 GWh in energy consumption, and 2,084 tCO₂e in GHG emissions savings can be attributed to switched-on AI Energy Mode.⁵

This level of energy savings corresponds to the amount of electricity that approximately 169,000 households can use in a single day, given that an average U.S. residential electric-utility customer purchases about 29.54 kWh of energy daily.⁶

Meanwhile, the company will participate in the upcoming CES 2026, where it will showcase both its energy-saving solutions and innovative new products.

1. Must activate AI Energy Mode via SmartThings Energy on the SmartThings app, available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. ︎
2. A list of all applicable washing machine models and a lifecycle product carbon footprints can be found at https://www.samsung.com/global/sustainability/digital-library/policy-document/. ︎
3. The verification is based on Samsung washing machines with the highest energy efficiency grade or equivalent in their respective countries where applicable, such as (but not limited to) Energy Star (U.S.), Grade 1 (Korea), and A (EU). ︎
4. The verification is based on Samsung washing that have been connected to AI Energy Mode at least once during the period from July 2024 to June 2025 globally. ︎
5. AI Energy Mode switched on versus AI Energy Mode switched off across all active devices globally during the same time period (July 2024-June 2025) ︎
6. Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration (Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) – U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)) ︎

Samsung Electronics today announced that, in collaboration with the Carbon Trust and other major tech companies, it has launched a new methodology for measuring the emissions and reductions linked to the use-phase of internet-connected electronic devices.

The launch of this methodology is part of Samsung’s participation in the Decarbonizing the Use-Phase of Connected Devices (DUCD) initiative, through which the company has teamed up with the Carbon Trust, Amazon, Microsoft and Sky to tackle the greenhouse gas emissions resulting from use-phase electricity consumption of internet-connected electrical and electronic products.

These organizations are focusing on the use-phase in particular because it is typically the largest source of product’s carbon emissions throughout its entire lifetime. Globally, connected devices currently require approximately 500 terawatt-hours (TWh) of energy annually — similar to France’s total energy use. Therefore, understanding and accounting for products’ carbon impact and finding ways to drive down emissions while devices are being used is a priority for the tech industry.

This new methodology sets out how companies can assess and report emissions using data drawn from devices that are being used by their customers, enhancing the accuracy of reporting that has until now relied upon lifetime forecasts used in current emissions accounting. Tech firms will also be able to account for emissions reductions that have been achieved in the process of using the methodology.

The annual reporting of use-phase emissions and reporting of emissions reductions will lead to increased transparency in communication to consumers, incentivizing companies to make reductions while products are still being used. The standardization and accuracy of the data will also guide companies to identify innovative solutions to further reduce the carbon impact of their devices.

Samsung’s contributions to launching the new DUCD methodology are a continuation of the company’s commitment to finding new ways to save energy. This type of innovation is exemplified by SmartThings Energy, which empowers users to track their energy usage and make better energy decisions, as well as AI Energy Mode, which considers usage patterns and electricity rates to help users better manage energy usage.

“The use-phase emissions make up the lion’s share of our products’ carbon emissions across their lifecycle, and measuring is key to managing and reducing emissions,” said Inhee Chung, Vice President of the Corporate Sustainability Center at Samsung Electronics. “At Samsung, engaging and empowering consumers through our energy saving solutions is a key element of our climate strategy, and we look forward to applying the DUCD methodology to demonstrate how our SmartThings platform and its AI Energy Mode enable consumers to monitor and reduce the energy use of their connected devices.”

“Connected devices are becoming increasingly relevant in everyday life and so it was important to bring key players in the technology industry together to start to address use-phase emissions now. This collaboration has produced a significantly improved approach for the calculation and reporting of carbon emissions and reductions achieved from connected devices and lays the foundation for further efforts to address emissions in this challenging area.” said Felix Prettejohn, Senior Consultant at the Carbon Trust.

About the Carbon Trust
The Carbon Trust is a global climate consultancy driven by the mission to accelerate the move to a decarbonised future. We have been climate pioneers for over 20 years, partnering with businesses, governments and financial institutions to drive positive climate action. From strategic planning and target setting to activation and communication – we turn ambition into impact. To date, our 400 experts have helped set 200+ science-based targets and guided 3,000+ organisations and cities across five continents on their route to Net Zero.