As Huawei seeks to enter US market, climate commitment sorely lacking – Greenpeace

Beijing, 9 January 2018 – With Huawei expected to announce the US launch of its flagship model, the Mate 10 Pro Phone, at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas today, Greenpeace calls attention to the company’s poor climate record.

“Huawei’s appalling environmental record is out of step with the commitment to renewables shown by its peers in the US market. If Huawei is serious about becoming a global smartphone leader, it should take note and commit to 100% renewable energy throughout its supply chain.” said Greenpeace East Asia Climate and Energy campaigner Ye Ruiqi.

Only 1% of Huawei’s electricity supply is powered by renewable energy [1] while the company’s CO2 emissions have doubled in the past five years to 1,585,369 tons in 2016- equivalent to a third of San Francisco’s total carbon emissions.

The tech giant, which is the world’s third largest smartphone maker, recently scored a D grade in Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics.[2] The October 2017 report found that of the world’s three top smartphone brands, Huawei was the only one to report no information on its supply chain greenhouse gas emissions, and is yet to set any goals to transition to renewable energy.

This contrasts starkly with the commitments made by its competitors in the US market, such as Apple, which committed to transition its supply chain to 100% renewable energy in 2016. [3] It has committed to procuring 4GW of renewable energy globally by 2020, half of which will be installed in China.

A 2016 survey on consumer market trends commissioned by Greenpeace in the USA, Russia, Mexico, China and South Korea showed that consumers increasingly consider sustainability when choosing new phones. Most notably the survey revealed that 83% of American millennial consumers surveyed said that when choosing a new phone, it is important that the device is manufactured with renewable energy.“The next generation has made their voices heard- they want no part in supporting the dying fossil fuel industry ”, said Ye Ruiqi.

Greenpeace calls on Huawei to commit to 100% renewable energy throughout its supply chain and set concrete goals for its transition to a clean energy supply.