Intel is on track to reach its goal of reducing its total worldwide greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent per unit of production from 2004 through 2010, according to the company’s 2007 CSR report.
The company has implemented more than 250 energy conservation projects since 2001, saving more than 500 million kWh of electricity in its facilities, according to the report. Other initiatives the company has taken to reduce its carbon footprint include the introduction of its new 45nm processors, which consume less power than earlier generation products, and are manufactured using a lead-free process.
Intel also says it is introducing “halogen-free” packaging technology for its processors and chipsets. Halogenated Flame Retardants have been used in electronic components for several decades and can be difficult to recycle and potentially harmful if inhaled during incineration, the company says.
Other actions the company has taken include:
- Investing more than $100 million in water conservation programs over the past 10 years, now reclaiming more than 3 billion gallons of wastewater a year;
- Promoting supply chain responsibility and evaluating a significant number of high-risk suppliers;
- Considering green building standards in new facilities such as the company’s Israel design center, and Arizona and China wafer fabrication factories; and
- Recycling or directly reusing 87 percent of its chemical waste and 80 percent of its solid waste, up from 70 percent last year.
In February, Intel placed No. 1 in CRO’s 100 Best Corporate Citizens 2008, a ranking of top corporate citizens among U.S.-headquartered public companies.