Our Focuses｜Climate Change Management｜Climate Governance
Climate Change Management
The World Economic Forum (WEF) recently released “Global Risks Report 2023”, which indicates that the cost of living will dominate global risks in the short term. The energy crisis, food shortages, and inflation resulting from the war in Russia-Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic have become urgent global issues. Climate change continues to be the biggest long-term risk. Greenhouse gas emissions produced by humans since the dawn of the industrial revolution and capitalism have led to global warming. The high costs resulting from extreme weather events have increased the awareness of governments, international organizations, and civil society throughout the world. Industries are confronting pressure from economic stagnation, the challenges of energy transformation, and the risk of geopolitical instability at the same time they have to face up to the urgent and worsening climate issues that have been accumulating for over a century. This is not an easy task, but it is only through being more proactive in combating climate change and increasing the resilience of our Company that we can move towards sustainability.
As a provider of electronic technology, Winbond is deeply aware that our actions affect the global economy, and in fact function as a key factor in shaping the landscape of society. To comply with international standards and domestic policies related to environmental sustainability, we adopted the framework of the Financial Stability Board’s (FSB) Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures (TCFD) and published Winbond’s first TCFD report in 2022, which was the company’s 35th anniversary. Through this report, we hope to convey our social commitment to our stakeholders.
Chairman and CEO, Arthur Yu-Cheng Chiao
Publish the first independent TCFD report in 2023
Establish five Climate-Related Management Metrics
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Climate Governance
Important Milestones in Climate Change Adaptation
Climate Organizational Framework
Governance and Oversight by the Board of Directors
Winbond has established a well-developed governance framework. The Board of Directors is Winbond’s highest governing body, in charge of its operations and decision-making. The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring the sustainable development of the Company and guaranteeing the rights of the Company’s shareholders and other stakeholders.
Winbond’s 12th Board of Directors consists of 11 directors, 4 of whom are independent directors and 2 of whom are women. More than two-thirds of the directors do not work as managers or employees of the company. The Board held 7 meetings in 2022, and several important proposals were passed. The Renumeration Committee, Audit Committee and ESG Committee have been established under the Board of Directors, to which they are responsible for reporting their activities and decisions.
Assessment and Management of the Executive level
Winbond established the Winbond Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Committee in 2015 to serve as the key driver of the Company’s sustainable development; in May 2022, the ESG Committee, which operates directly under the Board of Directors, was officially established as well. The Committee meeting should be held at least twice a year and is chaired by the Chairman. The purpose of the Committee is to plan the Company's sustainable development strategy and goals, formulate action plans, integrate company resources, and implement sustainability initiatives to enhance operational competitiveness.
The ESG Office and its five functional teams focusing on the areas of Environmental Sustainability, Green Products, Human Rights and Social Inclusion, Sustainable Supply Chain, and Corporate Governance were formed under the ESG Committee, which gives annual reports regarding the performance of the Committee to the Board of Directors to ensure the progress and implementation of corporate sustainable development. Members of the functional teams with the requisite expertise were tapped to form the TCFD.
Accountability Measures
Reporting to the Board of Directors
Winbond continues to incorporate climate change-related proposals into the decision-making process of the Board of Directors to ensure corporate leadership and sustainability in addressing climate change.
Important Climate-Related Proposals and Reports for the 2022 Board of Directors
- Report on the planning of greenhouse gas inventory and timeline (including subsidiary companies)
- Approval of increased capital expenditure budget for equipment replacement with energy-efficient equipment
- Establishment of the ESG Committee and the formulation of organizational regulations
- Approval of investment in Chia-ho Green Energy Corporation
- Planning report for achieving 2030 renewable energy targets
- Planning report for the 2022 carbon credit trading program
- Regular progress reports on execution of 2022 greenhouse gas inventory (including subsidiary companies)
- Regular progress reports on sustainability development initiatives
Competence Development for the Board of Directors Regarding Climate Change
To enhance the professional competencies of the Board of Directors, Winbond references current international trends, domestic regulations, and the Company’s development needs, selects important issues in climate change, and invites experts in the relevant fields to serve as speakers (for information on the other education of directors, please refer to Winbond's 2022 Annual Report).
2022 Board of Directors Climate-Related Competency Development Topics
- Climate Change Impacts and Global Carbon Risk Management Trends
- Navigating the History of Carbon - An Introduction to the Biology Underlying the Carbon Footprint
- Pathways to Net Zero Emissions for Businesses: Natural Carbon Sinks and Carbon Credit Trading
Competence Development for Managers and Employees regarding Climate Change
Winbond has invested a great deal of time and resources into successfully communicating the risks and impacts of climate change to all of the company’s employees. The Company uses a range of channels to actively cultivate the basic awareness of employees in the hope of instilling the concept of carbon reduction. Through a combination of internal and external training courses, slogans on the company intranet, and shared articles, Winbond encourages every employee to pay extra attention to the impact of climate change on both work and life, and to spread the idea to their family members and even implement the eco-friendly practices promoted by the Company at home. Doing so makes it easier for the Company to bring employees onboard when promotion carbon reduction actions to realize the goal of net zero emissions.