Isra-Mart srl:AMD rethinks green goals after restructuring

www.isra-mart.com

Isra-Mart srl news:

Advanced Micro Devices (AMD) shed a large part of its identity in 2009 when it transferred the bulk of its manufacturing business to a supplier.

The move carried with it big implications for a company that has prided itself on being a leading semiconductor manufacturer over the last 40 or so years. From an environmental standpoint, the transition meant a lighter, leaner operation with a carbon footprint that is roughly 72 per cent smaller.

In a blog post this week, AMD's Global Sustainability Manager unveiled new environmental goals that will guide the company's efforts over the next five years. The targets apply to AMD's 35 worldwide sites and are based on a 2009 baseline.

"After the transfer, we reset our environmental baseline to the year 2009 (the transfer took place in March of that year)," wrote Justin Murill. "Due to the recession, it turns out that 2009 was a down year in terms of overall activity and thus is a tough baseline year because environmental emissions were lower."

The company will work toward a five per cent reduction in absolute emissions at its non-manufacturing sites, in addition to a normalized five per cent reduction at its remaining manufacturing sites based on production volume. The company will tackle energy use and conservation to meet this goal, in addition to tapping the resources of its workforce to help with conservation.

AMD plans to reduce water use by 20 per cent by 2014, based on two different benchmarks: it will use a per-employee metric for non-manufacturing sites and a per-production unit metric for manufacturing sites. AMD set a landfill diversion goal for its waste at 70 per cent.

According to the company, it will also focus on making its products greener. AMD and others in the industry are working with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) on a measurement tool to size up the carbon footprint of PC products.

The company's previous greenhouse gas reduction goal called for a 33 per cent reduction in normalized emissions by 2010, as well as a 40 per cent reduction in energy use.