Page 35 - EE Times Europe Magazine – November 2023

EE|Times EUROPE 35

Finding and Adopting Low-Carbon Energy to Make Chips

Emissions by Relation to Electricity Generation (Megatons of CO Equivalents, 2021)
2

Electricity is the largest lever for reducing emissions across the value chain. (Source: CDP data and Boston Consulting Group analysis)

ADDRESSING ENERGY
Investments in green energy in the Asia– The Semiconductor Climate Consortium was formed in November 2022 to bring
Pacific are needed to meet the net-zero together the industry’s efforts to calculate emissions, share ambitions, create a
demand between now and 2050. Investments baseline and accelerate roadmaps to net zero through collaboration. Over 90 com-
in the trillions of dollars will be required for panies support the consortium, and leading universities and consultants contribute
low-carbon energy created by nuclear, hydro their expertise.
power, green hydrogen and other alternative “Transparency, Ambition, and Collaboration: Advancing the Climate Agenda of the
innovations, with the semiconductor value Semiconductor Value Chain” is an inside-out look at the semiconductor industry’s
chain requiring a large portion of this. footprint. The report analyzed 1 million data points across 200 companies in the
semiconductor value chain that account for 80% of the emissions. Boston
Identifying low-carbon energy Consulting Group analyzed emissions involving 25 types of greenhouse gases and
nearly three-dozen types of greenhouse gas sources.
sources will address over In addition, SEMI is working to formulate an initiative that focuses on address-
80% of industry emissions by ing low-carbon energy access. The Energy Collaborative, an initiative scheduled
for launch at the UN’s 2023 Climate Change Conference (COP28) in partnership
reducing the electricity used with McKinsey and Co., will make a step-by-step effort to implement a databased
to manufacture and then use and carefully prioritized approach to planning, financing and installing low-carbon
energy sources for the electronics industry. From the perspective of policymakers
devices. and energy providers, having a settled group of customers and direction for their
product will enable strategic placement and long-term stability.
We all have a role in climate change, and we urge you to get involved. The SCC
and the Energy Collaborative can use your help.
Data shows that the largest deficits in
low-carbon energy will be in smaller regions
without enough land, rivers or shoreline to
harness renewables, or regions without strong The semiconductor industry and the planet way—with collaboration, investment and the
government efforts to invest. These areas cannot wait for long-shot technologies, such opening of hearts and minds to embrace new
are key locations for semiconductor tools, as fusion energy or dilithium crystals, to thinking and a new challenge. ■
materials, chip production and much of the solve the climate problem. The electronics
components they enable. Without investment industry has been built upon the ingenuity, Mousumi Bhat is vice president of global
and development, electronics suppliers will discovery, financial backing and perseverance sustainability programs, and Heidi Hoffman
need to turn to countries that have low- of many smart minds and willing hands. The is senior director of SEMI sustainability, both
carbon energy. climate change crisis can be solved the same at SEMI.

www.eetimes.eu | NOVEMBER 2023