Our Ongoing Commitment to Sustainability

As a United Nations (UN) Global Compact signatory, ON Semiconductor participates with other global companies to make a difference in the communities where we operate and conduct business. ON Semiconductor has a history and focus on environmental and social concerns, which was furthered by our membership in the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). Our membership in the UN Global Compact extends our commitment in these areas.

April 22, 2020, marked the company’s one year anniversary as a Signatory to the UN Global Compact. As a member, we are required to provide a communication on progress (COP) providing insight into our company efforts.

“ON Semiconductor mapped the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to our material topics and business strategy, all of which align to our business objectives through our products, programs and initiatives,” states President and CEO, Keith Jackson. “While we strongly believe that all of the SDGs are vital, we prioritized five goals that are the most relevant to our sustainability strategy to make the largest global impact.” Agreed upon by executive leadership, ON Semiconductor continues to strive to make a global difference in the five areas as shown below.

• SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth
• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
• SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production
• SDG 13: Climate Action

In order to track our progress and company impact, each SDG has a metric owner tied to an Executive Staff member. The metric owners are in charge of defining the baseline metrics and targets. These will be are reviewed semi-annually as a way of benchmarking our progress year over year. We expect to announce the progress of these goals in our April 2021 COP.

ON Semiconductor is pleased that alignment to the SDGs are not only demonstrated through internal targets outlined above but also through our internal communication of sustainable tips to employees and, most notably, through our products that provide us and our customers the opportunity to further our commitments to the planet. In 2019, approximately 910 metric tons of scrap materials and 1,376 kilograms of precious metals (equivalent to approximately 167 African elephants) from ON Semiconductor’s global manufacturing facilities were processed, sorted and sold for re-use at the ON Semiconductor Reclamation Center. The reclamation of these materials recouped more than $22M.

During our annual ‘Responsibility Week’ that focuses on raising awareness in several areas (such as compliance, ethics, CSR, diversity and inclusion, and environmental, health and safety), our CSR team reminded our employees that simple actions can make an impact. They were challenged to pledge to do a simple act and the company would donate $1,000 to the charity of their choice that aligned with our giving objectives.

Our employees pledged to:

• turn off appliances and lights when not in use
• put litter in its place by picking up any trash and properly disposing of it in the waste bin or recycling bin
• single-use plastics such as straws, cups or eating utensils
• plastic bags and use reusable bags or paper bags
• try to be paper-free for one day
• choose food that is locally sourced
• use public transportation, bike or vanpool to work
• change the light bulbs to more energy-efficient options
• donate to local charities

Sravan Vanaparthy, Director of Industrial power solutions, shares examples of how our products are contributing to global sustainability:

• Of the products shipped in 2019 will enable around ~25GW of solar installations around the world furthering the contribution for sustainable energy.
• We’ve also announced the release of our brand new VE-Track IGBT modules targeting traction applications in hybrid electric vehicles (HEV)/electric vehicles (EV). VE-track IGBT modules are key elements in HEV/full EV powertrains.
• Our IGBT modules provide greater efficiency and higher power density by reducing the weight of the EVs it extends the battery range and reduces CO2 emissions.
• Our latest product offering of 1200V & 900V SiC MOSFETs demonstrates our commitment and investment for Wide bandgap (WBG) based semiconductors. WBG based power switches are faster switching power devices then the traditional silicon-based power switches, enabling efficient power conversion reducing power losses and improving power density.  New 900V & 1200V SIC MOSFETs are mainly targeted for solar inverters, energy storage systems and HEV/EV auxiliary inverters.

Quick Tip from our Sustainable Mabel

Can you spot a fake label or a product that is greenwashing? Greenwashing is the practice of marketing a product or brand as being greener or more environmentally friendly than they really are. Many products will say 100% eco-friendly or 100% natural, but there isn’t really anything backing these claims. Look for labels that are provided by a third-party certifier that awards a company or product based on a specific set of criteria. Here are a few labels to look for: The Fairtrade System, USDA Organic, Forest Stewardship Council, RSPO (Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil) or see the EcoLabel Index.

Learn more about ON Semiconductor’s commitment to Corporate Social Responsibility.