Winbond Honored with the 2025 Net Zero Industry Competitiveness Award: Driving Sustainable Transformation in the Semiconductor Sector through Green Innovation
On the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the 4th Net Zero Industry Competitiveness Awards were held at the Red House Theater in Ximending, Taipei, symbolizing Taiwan’s strong commitment to addressing the global net-zero challenge. Winbond was honored with the “Excellence Award” in the Semiconductor Manufacturing category for its outstanding performance in sustainable development, marking its debut participation and reaffirming its leadership in green transformation and low-carbon innovation.
Net Zero Industry Competitiveness Awards: A Barometer for Industrial Sustainability
Organized by the 21st Century Foundation, the Net Zero Industry Competitiveness Awards were the first of their kind in Taiwan to focus on carbon neutrality and sustainability as core evaluation criteria. The 2025 awards attracted 116 listed companies across five energy-intensive sectors—steel, plastics, cement, paper, and semiconductors. A total of 43 companies were recognized, demonstrating Taiwan’s proactive response and forward-looking strategies in the face of the global net-zero transition.
The award criteria encompassed not only carbon emissions management and energy efficiency performance, but also ESG disclosure, renewable energy adoption, supply chain collaboration, and Nature-based Solutions (NbS), serving as a key benchmark for enhancing corporate competitiveness and aligning with international standards.
Advancing Net-Zero Transition to Strengthen Industrial Resilience
In response to the growing electricity demand from AI and semiconductor applications, Winbond pursued a low-carbon operational model under the vision of becoming the “Invisible Champion Enriching Lives through Green Semiconductor Technology.” The company implemented a carbon accounting system to track carbon footprints across the entire value chain—from raw materials and production to shipment. In 2024, Winbond began mass production of products manufactured using renewable energy, achieving approximately 60% lower carbon emissions compared to standard products and setting a milestone in the ESG market. In addition, Winbond secured power purchase agreements for 27MW of solar and 12.84MW of wind energy, targeting a renewable electricity usage rate of 8–10% by 2025. The company also actively participated in carbon credit trading, accumulating 13,500 metric tons of international carbon credits.
Driving Product Competitiveness through Sustainable Innovation
Winbond integrated green product design into its core strategy and launched a series of low-power memory solutions, including HYPERRAM, the CUBE series, and the world’s first NOR Flash supporting 1.2V operating voltage. These products reduced power consumption by 50–70% compared to conventional offerings, enhancing performance while significantly lowering energy use and carbon emissions at the device level. In manufacturing, Winbond adopted smart energy-saving solutions and digital platforms such as iMX and AI-based systems to improve production efficiency and reduce defect rates, resulting in annual savings of NT$260 million. The company also promoted supply chain decarbonization by guiding suppliers in conducting inventories of energy, water, and greenhouse gas emissions, and invested over NT$200 million in energy-saving and emissions reduction initiatives.
From Environmental Stewardship to Social Inclusion: Practicing ESG in Full Scope
Winbond achieved significant results in environmental sustainability, including a 99% average removal rate of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), a 91.9% waste recycling rate, and an 89.3% process water recycling rate. The company also contributed to biodiversity conservation through a 30-year afforestation project in collaboration with National Chung Hsing University and participated in habitat restoration for endangered species. On the social front, Winbond launched “Zero-Carbon Family Day” and sustainability-linked loans to encourage employees and their families to adopt low-carbon lifestyles. The company also leveraged financial instruments to enhance sustainability performance management, achieving its 2024 sustainability targets and receiving interest rate discounts from partner banks.
Looking Ahead: Leading Sustainable Development through Innovation and Accountability
Winbond’s sustainability efforts extended beyond award recognition, reflecting its long-term commitment and strategic foresight. The company continued to enhance carbon data transparency, expand renewable energy usage, and drive green product innovation, while collaborating with supply chain partners to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050. Receiving the Excellence Award in the Net Zero Industry Competitiveness Awards not only validated Winbond’s sustainability achievements but also underscored its leadership in advancing green transformation within the global semiconductor industry. Winbond remained committed to addressing climate challenges through concrete actions and contributing to a sustainable future for Taiwan and the world.
