This year, Samsung’s offices and business sites worldwide led environmental efforts within and beyond the company — from supporting biodiversity and advancing water stewardship to providing emergency drinking water for vulnerable communities.

Explore Samsung’s efforts to conserve water and protect resources for the future in the infographics below.

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.

The AWS International Water Stewardship Standard is a globally applicable framework for major water users to understand their water use and impact and to work collaboratively and transparently for sustainable water management within a catchment context. In the development of the AWS Standard, international organizations including CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project) and the UN Global Compact’s CEO Water Mandate are participated as founding members.

This is Samsung Electronics’ second global certification for sustainable water management. Having met the highest Carbon Trust standard by reducing water usage, Samsung earned the AWS certification for its water-resource management system.

“Through the AWS Platinum level certification of their semiconductor plant in Korea, Samsung joins a growing number of microelectronics companies that are taking credible, verifiable corporate action on water.” said Adrian Sym, CEO, Alliance for Water Stewardship. “As the fourth site in Korea to achieve AWS certification and the first in the country to achieve Platinum status, they are one of the first adopters of the AWS Standard in Korea and join 250 AWS certified sites globally.”

“The AWS certification reflects Samsung’s continual and ongoing efforts to manage water resource, such as communication and cooperation with wide range of stakeholders,” said Dooguen Song, Executive Vice President of the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) Center at Samsung Electronics. “We will continue taking the lead in water resource management in closer cooperation with the government, local communities and industry players.”

The AWS Standard 2.0 is evaluated based on a total of 100 indicators, including stable water management, water pollutant management, water hygiene, domestic impact of biodiversity and governance establishment. There are three levels of AWS Standard certifications: Core, Gold and Platinum; the greater the number of points achieved, the higher the level of water stewardship performance and AWS certification.

In celebration of World Water Day 2023, Samsung Electronics has also unveiled a special animated ESG video via the Samsung Semiconductor Newsroom’s YouTube channel. The video illustrates a revitalized Osan Stream, restored by a rich amount of clean water discharged from Samsung’s semiconductor site, enabling the return of otters and an improved biological ecosystem.

About The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS)
The Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) is a global organization that promotes sustainable water use and management through the implementation of the AWS Standard. The AWS brings together a diverse group of stakeholders to collaborate on water stewardship initiatives. Learn more at https://a4ws.org/about/.

close popup

close popup

close popup

0
0

0

0

Updated on March 28, 2023, to provide more detailed information: Recycled PBT (Polybutylene Terephthalate), sourced from 10% of discarded PET bottles, has been used in the front case of the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

In celebration of World Water Day (March 22) as observed by the United Nations (UN), Samsung is working to improve the issues of global water scarcity and water pollution and encouraging their employees to reflect on the value of water.

Working Together To Make a Difference

In honor of this year’s World Water Day, Samsung employees at Suwon campus, as well as at the Gumi and Gwangju campuses in Korea, are coming together to keep nearby rivers clean and pollutant-free. Further afield, Samsung’s global manufacturing centers are also conducting water conservation activities in line with this year’s World Water Day theme, “Groundwater: Making the Invisible Visible.”

Last year, approximately 110,000 employees from 20 overseas manufacturing centers participated in World Water Day activities, including roadside and riverside clean-up, water conservation idea competitions, photo exhibitions and environmental education programs.

As the world works toward granting universal access to fresh water, here is how Samsung is doing its part to build a foundation for a green, sustainable future.

Samsung is committed to promoting comprehensive water resource management and conservation as one of the key tasks for managing humanity’s impact on the environment. By reducing water consumption at semiconductor business sites and increasing the recycling rate of wastewater, Samsung is dedicated to building a safer and more eco-conscious future for all.

As its ESG management develops in the future, Samsung plans to recognize water resource management as the starting point of environmental protection and strive to protect water quality at every level of business.

“As the theme for World Water Day is 2022 is ‘Groundwater’, we have an opportunity to recognize once again the importance of groundwater in preserving our drinking water and our ecosystem,” said Kyung-jin Kim, the Head of Global EHS Center for Samsung Electronics. He also noted that “Samsung will continue to carry out activities for carbon neutrality in line with its environmental management strategy.”