Micron, one of Idaho’s largest employers, recently reported that it is on track to reach net-zero emissions from its operations and purchased energy by 2050. The semiconductor manufacturing company also revealed it aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 42% by 2030.
The winner of several notable 2021-2022 awards such as World’s Most Ethical Companies by Ethisphere and World’s Best Employers by Forbes, Micron is proud to embrace sustainable environmental, technological and human innovation to ensure that it remains a leader in investing in industry, environment and people.
Toward this end, Micron has invested in targeted milestones for emissions reduction in line with the Paris Agreement, an international treaty on climate change. These include:
- Emissions: A 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions per unit production from 2018 to 2030.
- Reducing direct emissions through efficient abatement of process GHGs and a transition to low global warming potential heat transfer fluid.
- Reducing indirect emissions through design of energy-efficient facilities, smart-controlled systems and a transition to renewable electricity where available.
- Energy: All facilities in the U.S. operate on 100% renewable energy by 2025.
- Expanding rooftop solar panels in Singapore and Japan by two megawatts (MW).
- Actively securing renewable energy procurement opportunities in multiple parts of the world.
- Water: 75% water conservation through reuse, recycling and restoration in 2023.
- Enhancing water reuse and recycle infrastructure as well as engaging in water restoration projects and investing in community water reuse projects
- Waste: 95% reuse, recycling and recovery and zero hazardous waste to landfill in 2030.
- Enhancing waste recovery systems, improving waste stream segregation and engaging with alternate waste disposal vendors.
Micron is committed to building and upgrading its global infrastructure so its facilities achieve certified green building status by incorporating features such as solar-enabled rooftops that are designed to harvest rainwater, plants that cover approximately 30% of the campus’s outdoor space and water-saving technologies that reuse and recycle 75% of the facility’s water consumption. The company’s efforts to improve its environmental performance and foster team member well-being also include making improvements and adding features such as charging ports for electric vehicles, equipment that improves indoor air quality and designated spaces for rest and fitness.
Greg Routin, Micron’s Vice President and Treasurer, said the company’s commitment to invest $1 billion on green capital expenditures will support sustainability projects by 2028 for both financial and ethical reasons.
“Historically, when it comes to financing, companies have focused primarily on maximizing share value. Increasingly, though, capital markets and the investor community expect companies to broaden their duty and be better stewards of their investments,” Routin said.
“Even the top three rating agencies now incorporate sustainability and ESG metrics into their evaluations. […] Building environmental, social and governance metrics into how we finance our growth offers tangible proof points of our commitment to the environment; diversity, equality and inclusion; and other goals focused on enriching life for all.”