Paris: The semiconductor industry is experiencing a paradox. If the technological advances made possible by these electronic chips make it possible to considerably reduce greenhouse gas emissions (electrification, improvement of energy efficiency, etc.), the semiconductor industry remains very emitting. With 167 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent produced in 2022, it emits as much CO2 as half of American homes, according to a recent BCG study titled “ For Chipmakers, the Decarbonization Challenge Lies Upstream ”.
Among the key figures of the report:
The exponential demand for semiconductors is leading to strong growth in the global market, which will reach more than 1000 billion dollars in 2030. That is more than double compared to 2020 (471 billion dollars).
In 2022, the semiconductor industry emitted 167 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent , 25 megatonnes of CO2 equivalent more than in 2020. In detail, direct emissions (scope 1 and 2) account for 57% of total emissions in 2022, while upstream activities (scope 3) are responsible for the remaining 43%. This 43% includes in particular: metals (24%), process gases (16%), chemicals (4%), raw wafers (9%), energy, transport (16%), etc.
Faced with this observation, the BCG report details a series of recommendations to enable the industry to take action and better meet the expectations of consumers and the regulator. Among the avenues mentioned:
- Creation of a common database with the actors of the value chain in order to develop standards for the calculation and monitoring of emissions upstream (scope 3),
- Work in partnership with chemical suppliers to investigate whether “green” alternatives can be produced cost-effectively while providing equivalent performance,
- Anticipate the impact of new technologies such as AI, which will have an important role to play in improving forecasts and reducing C02 emissions.
