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The energy needed to make microchips will skyrocket this decade, so their major manufacturers, located in Asia, must commit to cutting emissions, Greenpeace urged in a report on Thursday.
From smartphones to cars to artificial intelligence hardware, the global semiconductor industry is expected to emit 86 million tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent in 2030, more than double Portugal’s total emissions in 2021, according to environmental organization.
Its report focuses on the world’s largest manufacturers, particularly Apple’s chip supplier Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing (TSMC), and Samsung Electronics in South Korea.
Greenpeace accuses manufacturers of using too much electricity, one of the main causes of rising emissions from the global electronics industry. But in East Asia, the supply of electricity depends heavily on natural gas and coal, says Greenpeace.
Of all the semiconductor manufacturers studied, TSMC is the one whose consumption is expected to increase the most with +267% expected by 2030, when TSMC will consume as much energy as about a quarter of the population of Taiwan. according to the report.
In South Korea, too, emissions from the semiconductor industry are expected to increase, largely due to Samsung’s “continued emissions growth”, Greenpeace points out. Samsung will use more electricity to manufacture chips in 2030 than the whole of Singapore in 2020, according to the NGO.
Yet none of these companies have committed to meeting the recommendations of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius, or to increase to 100 % renewable energy by 2030, according to the report.
“Most of the electronics industry suppliers surveyed have set long-term targets for reducing carbon emissions, but their timelines do not reflect the level of ambition needed to address catastrophic climate change.“, deplores Greenpeace.