Global Participation by Samsung Electronics Employees in Water Conservation Efforts

Each year, Samsung Electronics collaborates with employees and local communities on a variety of initiatives, including stream clean-ups near its facilities and water-saving campaigns across its operations. This year, the company aligned these activities with its environmental strategies, including water replenishment projects. These efforts included upgrading reservoirs and pumping facilities in drought-affected regions near its worksites, as well as supporting clean drinking water initiatives for neighboring villages.

▲ Employees at Samsung Electronics Vietnam participated in a cleanup at Cau River

To raise awareness about the importance of clean water, Samsung Electronics employees around the world participated in a variety of initiatives. Here are some highlights of their efforts, captured in photos.

① River Cleanup Activities With Employees, Local Governments, NGOs and Community Members

* Regions of participation: Korea, Vietnam, U.S, Mexico, Brazil, Hungary, Indonesia, South Africa

▲ Employees at Samsung Electronics Home Appliances America took part in cleanup activities along nearby rivers and streams.

▲ At the Cheonan and Onyang worksites in Korea, employees visited streams such as Jangjaecheon, Cheonancheon and Gokgyocheon as part of the One Company, One Stream initiative, contributing to local ecological preservation efforts. In addition, the Hwaseong worksite in Korea is planning stream cleanup activities along Woncheonricheon stream in collaboration with local civic groups and residents, in celebration of World Water Day.

② Returning Clean Water – Water Replenishment Projects

* Regions of participation: Samsung Electronics is currently implementing water replenishment projects in Korea, Vietnam, India, Mexico, the United States and Indonesia. The company also plans to launch water replenishment projects in Malaysia, Brazil, China, Thailand, Hungary, Türkiye, Slovakia, Poland and Egypt, starting this year.

▲ Samsung Electronics Malaysia held an opening ceremony to launch its water replenishment project.

③ ‘Join Us in Saving Water!’ – Water Conservation Campaign

* Regions of participation: Korea, Vietnam, Mexico, Thailand

▲ Samsung Electronics Thailand aired a water-saving campaign video in the company cafeteria.

④ Protecting Aquatic Ecosystems Near Worksites

* Regions of participation: Korea and Vietnam

▲ As part of efforts to protect aquatic ecosystems, employees at Samsung Electronics Vietnam monitored water quality in nearby streams and carried out environmental awareness surveys in collaboration with local government offices, residents and NGOs.

Partnering With Stakeholders To Drive Water Conservation and Reduce Usage

Samsung Electronics recognizes water as a vital resource for a sustainable future and is committed to reducing water intake and promoting water reuse across its operations.

The DX Division has set a goal of achieving 100% water replenishment by 2030, returning to local communities an amount of water equivalent to what is used in its production processes, thereby helping to prevent the depletion of water resources. To achieve this, Samsung is actively implementing water replenishment projects across multiple regions worldwide.

In 2023, Samsung Electronics partnered with the Korea Rural Community Corporation (KRC) to support the construction of water redistribution facilities, enabling the reuse of agricultural water by channeling it from downstream to upstream areas in farmland regions. In collaboration with the Korea Ecological & Environmental Institute (KEEI), Samsung also carried out reservoir dredging in the Haman region in Korea to expand aquatic ecosystems and secure agricultural water supplies, contributing to water reuse and mitigating the risks of drought and water scarcity.

* Regions where agricultural water reuse facilities have been established (Five locations in Korea): Wando, Shinan, Pyeongtaek, Andong, Changnyeong

▲ Samsung Electronics, in collaboration with the KRC Andong held a completion ceremony in July 2024 to mark the construction of an agricultural water redistribution facility in Andong, Korea. In April 2024, Samsung Electronics Vietnam signed an agreement with the local People’s Committee to support water replenishment projects.

Building on these efforts, Samsung implemented 23 water replenishment projects across six countries in 2024, returning a total of 1.35 million tonnes of water annually to local communities and achieving 100% water replenishment by Korean facilities’ water usage standards. The company is committed to expanding this achievement globally by 2030, helping to mitigate local water risks and advance water resource conservation across all its international operations.

Meanwhile, the DS Division is promoting various initiatives to protect water resources through partnerships with public, private and governmental organizations.

In March 2024, Samsung signed a public-private-governmental memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Environment, K-water and other stakeholders to advance water-related initiatives. This collaboration was further strengthened in November 2024 through an additional MOU for the Jangheung Dam Artificial Wetland Creation Project, jointly developed with the Ministry of Environment and K-water. This marks the first project in Korea jointly led by public, private and governmental partners. The project aims to enhance riparian ecological belts and artificial wetlands through forest restoration, planting and waterway rehabilitation. In addition, it will create cultural and recreational spaces, including an ecological art museum and walking trails, contributing to the well-being of local communities.

The DS Division has also set a target to keep water intake to 2021 levels by 2030. To that end, Samsung signed another MOU in December 2024 with the Ministry of Environment, Gyeonggi Province, the cities of Hwaseong and Osan, K-water and the Korea Environment Corporation for the Gyeonggido Region Semiconductor Site Reclaimed Water Project (Phase 1). This project will recycle treated wastewater from Hwaseong and Osan to supply 120,000 tonnes of reclaimed water per day to Samsung’s Giheung and Hwaseong semiconductor facilities. The project will proceed with feasibility studies for private investment, basic and detailed phases, and then installation and operation of reuse facilities, with water supply to the DS Division’s Giheung and Hwaseong worksites scheduled to begin in 2029.

Expanding Platinum Certifications From the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)

In March 2023, Samsung Electronics’ Hwaseong worksite became the first facility in Korea to achieve the Platinum certification, the highest level from the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS).* Since then, Samsung has continued to expand the number of AWS-certified worksites across its global operations. AWS is a global water stewardship initiative jointly established by international organizations to assess companies’ comprehensive water management systems.

* The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) is a global water management initiative jointly established by organizations such as the UN Global Compact (UNGC) and Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). AWS evaluates a company’s water stewardship performance across 100 criteria, including ▲ sustainable water management, ▲ pollution control, ▲ water sanitation, ▲impact on aquatic ecosystems within the watershed, and ▲ governance. Based on these assessments, certifications are awarded at three levels, including ‘Platinum,’ ‘Gold,’ and ‘Core.’

The DS Division has achieved Platinum certification for its Giheung/Hwaseong and Pyeongtaek worksites in Korea, followed by its Xi’an worksite in China and most recently its Cheonan/Onyang worksites in Korea in November 2024. The DX Division has also expanded its certifications, securing Platinum certifications for its Suwon, Gumi and Gwangju worksites in 2023, as well as for its Vietnam worksites in 2024. Samsung Electronics also plans to extend AWS certifications to its India operations by 2025.

Water is a vital resource, and ensuring the availability of clean and safe water for future generations is a critical responsibility. Samsung Electronics is fully committed to this mission and will continue to promote water stewardship and the importance of sustainable water management among its employees. The company will also actively collaborate with stakeholders to advance water-related initiatives and take a leading role in the conservation of global water resources.

Since 2006, Samsung has conducted numerous events involving employees and local communities — including river cleanup around worksites, water conservation campaigns and more. In line with this year’s World Water Day theme of “Leveraging Water for Peace,” Samsung organized special activities such as providing drinking water support for those in need and educating the general public on water conservation.

“On World Water Day, Samsung Electronics executives and employees take time to reflect on the importance of clean water by participating in water conservation activities,” said Junhwa Lee, Vice President of Global EHS, Device eXperience (DX) Division at Samsung Electronics. “We must continually strive to ensure clean water is available to future generations.”

▲ Employees at Samsung’s plant in Suwon, Korea, cleaned up Woncheon Stream.

Commemorate World Water Day with Samsung by scrolling through photo highlights of water conservation activities around the world.

Spreading Awareness of River Cleanup Activities

Participating regions: Korea (Suwon, Gwangju and Gumi), Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Egypt, Hungary, Brazil and Mexico

▲ Employees of Samsung’s plant in Gumi, Korea, after cleaning up Igye Stream

▲ Employees of Samsung Electronics Mexico with local government employees and residents at Santa Catarina Lake

▲ Employees of Samsung Electronics Malaysia with local residents on the coast of Tanjung Harapan

Water for Peace: World Water Day 2024

Participating regions: Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, India, Egypt and Brazil

▲ Samsung Electronics Egypt employees visited two schools (Martyr Mostafa Salama Preparatory School and Martyr Mohammed Abdallah Secondary Technical School) to teach students the importance of clean water and water conservation.

▲ Samsung Electronics Indonesia employees visited a local school in Cijantur, Bogor, to teach students the importance of water conservation, and also installed a well to provide clean water for villagers living nearby.

Campaigning for Water Conservation

Participating regions: Korea (Suwon and Gwangju), China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, India, Egypt, Poland, Hungary, Slovakia, Turkey, Brazil and Mexico

▲ Samsung Electronics India employees participated in a World Water Day campaign.

▲ Samsung Electronics Malaysia employees attended a training event on water conservation.

To showcase the efforts in line with the environmental strategy, Samsung unveiled “#Changes start from small steps” on August 3, 2023. The campaign will feature a series of interviews highlighting the voices of employees who create and market the company’s eco-conscious products to show that change does not happen all at once. Instead, small actions can have a large impact on the future.

Samsung plans to continue efforts to protect the planet, furthering its environmental mission and encouraging consumers to participate.

Samsung’s Vision for a Brighter Future

The campaign film released on August 3 illustrates how even the smallest steps forward can bring about meaningful change — mirroring Samsung’s forward-thinking vision for climate action. The video showcases the company’s notable environmental initiatives and emphasizes how collective action can have a lasting impact.

▲ Samsung’s environmental campaign “#Changes start from small steps”

Many of Samsung’s efforts were highlighted in the environmental campaign film including: the MX Business’ use of ocean-bound plastics (OBP) from discarded fishing nets to produce high-resolution monitors and Galaxy devices, since the Galaxy S22 series; the VD Business’ solar-powered SolarCell Remote, now smaller in size and with OBPs since first launched in 2021; the DA Business’ Less Microfiber Filter for washing machines, created in collaboration with Patagonia; and the company’s work to collect global e-waste.

Progress Through the Eyes of Employees

Central to this campaign are Samsung employees who participated in the development and marketing of the company’s eco-conscious products. To share how Samsung is pioneering sustainable development, several employees gave their insights on the innovative projects they were involved in.

Changyoun Hwang, Head of the Advanced CMF Lab of MX Business, described his experience developing recycled materials using discarded fishing nets on a business trip. He recounted the sadness he felt after witnessing a baby shark become trapped in a discarded fishing net, further highlighting the importance of Samsung’s work to capture and repurpose these nets.

Yeri Park and Hwisoo Kim, from the Marketing Group and Living Product Planning Group of DA Business, respectively, discussed how they switched to only wearing cotton clothes after learning about the negative environmental impact of microplastics. Kim is inspired to incorporate Samsung’s message of Everyday Sustainability both in his life and work.

JongKeun Lee, from H/W Platform Lab of VD Business, explained how developing the SolarCell Remote required him to meticulously spend hours in a darkroom and outdoors over several months.

As the sustainability affairs manager for Samsung U.K., Jessica Sandhu oversees a variety of tasks related to environmental protection, including local compliance, e-waste collection and recycling program management. With sustainability being at the core of her work, Sandhu expressed excitement in the campaign.

“We use remotes every day at home, but I don’t think we’ve ever thought about using them without batteries,” Lee of VD Business explained. “The idea of reducing battery usage through a device as small as a remote was quite out of the box. I wasn’t sure it would be possible, but this idea became a reality. By working at Samsung, I am able to do what I love and help the planet.”

“Since I’m really passionate about the environment, I usually carry a glass straw with me. I was very proud to design a product for the environment at Samsung,” Kim said. “I would like to continue creating more eco-conscious products and features so that people can easily participate in protecting the planet.”

Through the “#Changes start from small steps” campaign and its environmental efforts, Samsung hopes to inspire and enable consumers to incorporate sustainability into their lives — since even the smallest steps make a difference.

The film can be viewed on Samsung’s official YouTube, Facebook and Instagram channels. The employee interviews will be released via the same channels on August 7, 2023.

The EPA annually recognizes the top performers within its SMM Program. SMM Electronics Challenge participants are rethinking product life cycles, committing to innovative and responsible electronics management, and reducing environmental impacts. The 2020 SMM Electronics Challenge Award winners will be recognized at a virtual award ceremony later today.

“Samsung is humbled by the EPA’s recognition of our long-term commitment to the proper collection and recycling of e-waste in the United States and the sustainable design innovations that we continue to drive in product packaging,” said Mark Newton, Head of Corporate Sustainability for Samsung Electronics America. “We will continue to make investments to further our environmental stewardship practices and reduce our impact on climate change as we strive towards a greener and better tomorrow.”

“The Electronics Challenge award winners are corporate role models creating new products that show environmental improvement can go hand-in-hand with other technological advances. EPA encourages others to follow their lead by implementing similar innovative approaches,” said EPA Administrator Michael S. Regan.

Samsung is one of the world’s largest electronics manufacturers and fully embraces the responsibility that comes with our market position to effect change on a large scale to protect the environment. The EPA SMM Gold Tier Award acknowledges our excellence in e-waste collection throughout the U.S. Samsung annually collects and recycles approximately 100 million pounds of e-waste. Since 2008, we’ve recycled over a billion pounds of electronics, diverting them from U.S. landfills and recovering reusable materials.

The EPA SMM Champion Award in the Program Category recognizes Samsung’s innovative Galaxy S10 packaging strategies for its use of material in a more environmentally responsible way. The smartphone’s plastic-free box and interior packaging have been redesigned to reduce its environmental footprint and consume fewer resources. For example, the packaging includes an all-in-one pulp mold for the device and its components to minimize waste. Other adjustments include replacing plastic ties with paper materials. These design change have contributed to making the Galaxy S10’s packaging 32g lighter than that of its predecessors – a 16% packaging weight reduction.

For more information about Samsung’s sustainability efforts, click here, and to learn more about the EPA, please visit www.epa.gov.

First, devices shall be considered to be used as refurbished phones or rental phones where applicable.

Second, salvageable components shall be detached for reuse.

Third, processes such as metals extraction shall be performed using environmentally friendly methods.

Regarding the Galaxy Note 7 devices as refurbished phones or rental phones, applicability is dependent upon consultations with regulatory authorities and carriers as well as due consideration of local demand. The markets and release dates will be determined accordingly.

For remaining Galaxy Note 7 devices, components such as semiconductors and camera modules shall be detached by companies specializing in such services and used for test sample production purposes.

Finally, for left over component recycling, Samsung shall first extract precious metals, such as copper, nickel, gold and silver by utilizing eco-friendly companies specializing in such processes.

As part of our ongoing commitment to recycling, Samsung also plans to join the EU’s R&D and test efforts to develop new eco-friendly processing methods.

A Samsung sales branch goes dark for the ‘Turn Off Your Light’ campaign.

On March 21, Samsung Electronics’ Digital City in Suwon, Korea and 51 global sales branches joined in the company’s ‘Turn Off Your Light’ campaign, which encourages switching off the lights for one hour to address issues surrounding climate change and electricity inequality.

The campaign was organized to precede the World Wildlife Fund (WWF)’s Earth Hour, which will be held on March 25. This year marks the 11th anniversary of the WWF campaign, which takes place for one hour starting at 8:30 p.m. on the last Saturday of March, and also raises climate change awareness.

Samsung Electronics’ Digital City headquarters in Suwon, Korea goes dark for the ‘Turn Off Your Light’ campaign.

Unlike the WWF event, Samsung elected to kick off its campaign on a weekday evening – to reduce office CO2 emissions – and encouraged employees to raise the issue of climate change at home with their families.

Held under the theme “Electricity I saved and donated to those suffering from electricity shortages,” Samsung’s campaign began at a sales branch in New Zealand, which was followed by branches in Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Africa, Central and South America, and North America respectively. The amount of electric charge saved at these branches will be delivered, along with social welfare donations from Samsung Electronics, to regions in Indonesia that are suffering from electricity shortages.

Samsung’s lights-out campaign led to a reduction of approximately 8,000kg of CO2 emissions and saw the company donate 1,400 LED lanterns to the residents of Tiom, a rural village in Indonesia’s Papua province. Now, Tiom’s residents may feel safer and freer at night without worrying about electricity shortages.

Soon-Sun Shim, Head of Samsung’s Global Customer Satisfaction Center, described the ‘Turn Off Your Light’ campaign as “a meaningful activity that emphasized the fact that we care about the environment and wish to help our neighbors around the world who suffer from electricity shortages.”

“We were able to make a difference with the help of our employees,” Mr. Shim continued. “We will continue to serve as a socially responsible corporate citizen by organizing activities that protect the Earth and help others.”

Samsung Electronics has become the winner of “Innovations Time” awards held with the support of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation. The prize in the nomination “Technical innovation of the year. Environment and energy saving” has been given to Samsung washing machines featuring AddWash and Ecobubble technologies. The “Innovations Time” award celebrates the best innovative practices, aims to increase the interest towards science and encourages the mainstream use of advanced technologies. The award ceremony was held in Sochi on December 16, 2016.

The judging panel of the “Innovations time” award evaluated the nominated projects based on such criteria as their consistency, effectiveness and market relevance, as well as the scope and efficiency of innovative activities of the participating companies.

The Samsung washing machines with AddWash and EcoBubble technologies feature a range of resource-saving solutions, that have received a high evaluation from the judging panel. In particular, these machines are equipped with an extra door that allows to add any item or washing detergents right during the washing cycle, without opening the main door, which is not only convenient for the consumers, but also helps saving energy and water. Besides that, the Samsung washing machines are equipped with other environment-oriented technologies, such as the Digital Inverter Motor and Diamond honeycomb drum with rotation sensors, allowing to reduce the amount of waste. Furthermore, EcoBubble technology allows for significant saving of water and energy. At the water temperature of 15C it ensures the same quality of laundry as in usual washing machines at the temperature of 40C, which saves up to 70% of electricity consumed for heating water.

This technology has already received a number of international awards, including Green Apple Award, International Green Awards, House Beautiful Silver – Green Product of the Year, Quiet Mark and Waterwise Recommended Checkmark, as well as the Russian awards EraEco and ENES.

“Samsung Electronics has been actively investing in the development of resource-saving technologies. In each our product we strive to implement innovative features that make the use of Samsung appliances not only convenient and efficient, but virtually harmless for the environment”, said Dmitry Kartashev, Head of the HA Sales Department at Samsung Electronics CIS. “Increasing the energy efficiency of our product is strategically important for our company, and we are pleased that our efforts in this area have received recognition from the experts.”

It is often said that the world is running out of oil reserves, and humanity only has enough for a couple more decades. One reason for this is the sheer amount of resources that are being wasted. Many products are simply used once, and then thrown in the garbage. That sort of waste is costly – both in terms of disposal costs and for the burden it imposes on the environment.

However, an environmentally-conscious trend has emerged that aims at mitigating this problem – the “Circular Economy.” As opposed to a linear economy, in which resources are used one time and then thrown away, the circular economy works to minimize resource waste, boosting sustainability by repairing, refurbishing, and recycling existing products.

The circular economy represents a major policy initiative, focusing both on boosting economic development and environmental protection. It reduces the costs of extracting and processing resources, while lessening the environmental impact caused by excessive waste. To implement a circular-style economic system, companies need to decrease the quantity of natural resources they use and redesign their production system so resources can last longer. Additionally, products should be reused after production, recycled after disposal to find new life.

Circular Economy Efforts Globally

Today, many countries are working toward circular economies. In particular, the nations of the European Union (“EU”) have been the most active in making this transition. The EU first put forward a Circular Economy Package in July 2014 and is continuing to improve its associated systems and technical standards.

Major international cooperation organizations, including the UN and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), are also encouraging the development of related circular economy policies, conducting a wide range of research into efficient resource utilization. That research includes how to assess resource sustainability, mineral recycling rates, and economic policy.

In the electronics industry, the circular economy requires designing products that are easy to upgrade and repair, as well as increasing the use of recyclable parts. More changes will occur in the manufacturing industry as various EU policies take effect, including in the areas of resource efficiency, product policies, waste alleviation, and finance.

How Samsung Reuses, Conserves, and Uses Resources Longer

To do its part to support the circular economy, Samsung Electronics is engaging in a range of activities that improve the efficiency of its resource usage and minimize the waste it generates. Among those steps, Samsung is trying to ease the repair and recycling of its products from the planning and designing stages, as well as prohibiting the use of harmful elements in its parts.

One example is with recycling plastics. Samsung Electronics is increasingly using plastics from disposed of electronics goods, processing the plastics for reuse in some new products. It is also designing products that are easier to disassemble, to increase recyclability. Furthermore, Samsung Electronics changes parts, reinstalls software, or changes labels for returned products and sells them as refurbished phones for reduced prices. This service is provided in the U.S. and U.K., and improves resource efficiency by facilitating the reuse of goods.

Another example is in recycling packing materials. In Korea, packing materials for items like refrigerators used to be thrown away after being used just one time. But then Samsung changed the material it uses for packing, switching to more durable materials, so now packing materials can be reused. Recycled paper is also being used for the boxes that cellphones and PCs come in. In 2015 in Korea alone, Samsung Electronics recycled 79,950 tons of products, including refrigerators, washing machines and displays, as well as 7,040 tons of packaging.

The company is also reducing the resources it uses by minimizing screen thickness, bezel width, and TV screen weight. Products with rapid replacement cycles, like cellphones, can be restored as usable products. In some countries, Samsung collects old cellphones from consumers, then repairs and refurbishes them. Those restored devices can be provided to consumers at an affordable price, once again saving on resources.

Samsung’s efforts to implement a circular economy are not limited to recycling resources. The company is also working to release products with a longer life expectancy, so that consumers can use them for a long time before needing replacements. Software is updated regularly to help extend device lifespans. Furthermore, the company provides a range of customer assistance services, both online and offline, so consumers can resolve issues that may arise with their products and use them longer.

The world is striving to create a more circular economy, and Samsung Electronics is actively trying to make those changes, too. Creating a more sustainable economy will change the world in many ways, and Samsung will continue to do all it can to implement environmental and resource-related solutions while producing the best products.

This week Paris is hosting the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21); one of the most anticipated cross-sector climate summits of the decade. The main objective is to achieve a legally binding and universal agreement on climate change.

As these discussions begin, I would like to express our support for this ambition in line with Samsung’s long-standing commitment to mitigating climate change and improving resource efficiency to protect the environment. I will also be sharing some thoughts on the history of Samsung Electronics’ environmental action.

Our Environmental Origins

The Conference of Parties was established to review the implementation of the UNFCCC (United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change) intergovernmental body responsible for stimulating action against climate change. It was formed at the United Nations Rio Earth Summit of 1992; a major environmental gathering of 172 governments from around the globe, at the same time as the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development.

Environmental professionals around the world were excited about this ambitious action and at Samsung Electronics we asked ourselves what we could do to recognise and react to this pivotal moment.

In response we signed our first Environment Declaration in 1992 and committed to reduce our impact on the environment and tackle urgent problems such as climate change and resource depletion.

Eco Management

So how have we turned this commitment into action?

In 2009 we launched our first Eco-Management plan; setting medium and long-term targets. Simultaneously, we established the PlanetFirst slogan as a symbol of our commitment to providing a better green experience through eco-friendly products, solutions and technologies that benefit our customers’ lives; affirm our shared values; and respect our planet.

Since the launch of Eco-Management, Samsung Electronics has had many achievements.

Below I have listed some of the accomplishments we are most proud of:

• We achieved greenhouse gas emissions reductions of 47% from a 2008 baseline (as a ratio of emissions over revenue) from our investments in F-gas treatment and the increased energy efficiencies of our semiconductor manufacturing processes,
• The energy consumption of our entire product portfolio is now less than 60% of what it was six years ago,
• The Samsung Galaxy S Series recently won the prestigious Best in Product Carbon Footprint Prize from the Carbon Trust for the highest cumulative carbon footprint reduction of 37% since 2012,
• We have been recognised for our leadership in carbon reporting and combating climate change; featuring on the 2015 Climate ‘A’ list.

Looking to the Future

Finally, how do we plan to improve our environmental performance?

In order to further our ambitions we recently established Eco-Management 2020 plan; setting long-term goals to reduce GHG (Greenhouse gas) emissions during product use phase and reduce emissions intensity at manufacturing sites. In addition we continue to implement a large range of eco management initiatives throughout the product life cycle such as; eco-partner certification, eco-design, water re-use, management of hazardous chemicals, green logistics, packaging material reduction and e-waste recycling.

Our business has an important responsibility in the countries where we operate to contribute to emissions reduction, and we have an important innovation opportunity to provide our customers with outstanding premium technology and reduced environmental impacts. We will continue striving towards our Environmental Management vision: “Providing Green Experience, Creating Sustainable Future” and will aim to harness the $11.4 trillion sustainability business opportunity of the ICT sector to build a sustainable future which makes business sense.

In conclusion, I would like to express our support to all Paris delegates throughout the summit.

We are looking forward to seeing what positive business challenges will arise from the intergovernmental climate discussions in Paris that will drive further environmental leadership from the ICT sector.

“I would want to live in a healthy community, wouldn’t you?” she asks with a smile.

Jeanie is one of the more than 1,000 kids age 11 to 13 who participated in the Samsung Climate Superstars Challenge from March through April. The first contest of its kind, this two-month program was designed to motivate young people to take actions that help protect the environment and raise awareness about climate change.

We created this program with our long-standing partner, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, to align with one of Samsung’s core values: enriching people’s lives through a shared commitment to the environment. Through an online gaming platform, Club members across the world competed to unlock badges and win Samsung prizes while learning how to become responsible environmental stewards by demonstrating their knowledge of key sustainability concepts such as energy efficiency, recycling and water conservation.

“It was so cool,” said Shana, a 13-year-old Club member in New Jersey. “It was such a learning experience to go on these new adventures, but my favorite by far was when we planted a tree because I’m going to look at that tree and just see the progress of it growing.”

The contest culminated on Earth Day when the Boys & Girls Torch Club in Pequannock, New Jersey, was declared the National Champion. They stood out — from the 218 other participating clubs across nine countries — for going above and beyond what was required. In addition to visiting a historical power plant, collecting e-waste, and planting a cypress tree, they cleaned the riverbed of their local Passaic River. They also hosted a dance party for their parents to raise awareness about Earth Hour — a worldwide energy savings campaign to encourage people to turn off their lights for an hour at a designated time; held a hide-and-seek recycling competition; and put on a reused clothing fashion show.

The National Champion received a technology makeover which included Samsung ENERGY STAR®-qualified tablets, computers and TVs, at an estimated retail value of more than $20,000. Other participating clubs received prizes throughout the three stages of the contest, totaling more than an estimated $45,000 of technology.

Watching these kids use their ingenuity to become responsible environmental stewards has been a real joy. They adopted the concepts of sustainability so naturally and with so much enthusiasm that it makes me very hopeful about the ripple effect they will have in the future.