Samsung SDI to run facilities on 100% renewables by 2050

Samsung SDI is pushing hard for environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) management, with the goal of fully running its global production facilities only on renewable energy by 2050.

The Korean battery maker said Thursday it held an ESG workshop led by CEO Choi Yoon-ho to inspect its ESG management and further strategies.

Samsung SDI joined the RE100 in September last year and announced its goal of running its global production facilities 100 percent on renewable energy by 2050.

RE100, short for Renewable Energy 100 percent, was established in 2014 by The Climate Group in partnership with the Carbon Disclosure Project. It aims to encourage global corporations to run on 100 percent renewable electricity by 2050. As of June, some 370 corporations worldwide have joined the campaign, including Apple, Google, Microsoft and General Motors.

In January 2022, Choi formed a committee focused on sustainable management.

Earlier in the year, SDI registered with the Global Battery Alliance, a global partnership of 130 businesses, governments, academics and non-governmental organizations to pursue a sustainable battery value chain.

“ESG management is not just the social responsibility of a company but a key strategy to increase our future competitiveness,” Choi said during the event.

BY SARAH CHEA [chea.sarah@joongang.co.kr]