As extreme weather increases, the world is being forced to wake up to the realities of climate change. The good news is that every day more and more people are coming together, taking action to ensure a greener future for us all. Unfortunately, there are still a handful of outspoken people and backward-looking companies who either outright deny climate change is real or are just sticking their heads in the sand, or should we say, coal?
One of those is Samsung Electronics. Yes, that’s right. One of the biggest companies in the world is still using dirty, polluting energy sources like coal to make the millions and millions of gadgets many of us use every day. 19th century coal to make 21st century gadgets.
In fact, Samsung even admits the company uses only 1% renewable energy in its production!
Thanks to the tireless work of people like you, hundreds of companies, including its arch-rival Apple, have woken up and are going 100% renewable.
We are all doing our part, now it’s Samsung’s turn.
A company like Samsung is just too big to ignore. In 2016 alone it produced about 400 million smartphones, provided parts for other companies like Apple, Huawei and even Tesla and turned in a profit of 10 billion USD! This is a company whose adverts tell us to “do what you can’t”, to “do bigger things” or Follow – Lead. We think it is about time Samsung took a look in the mirror and started to walk the talk.
The trouble is, we are running out of time.
The more time spent talking instead of acting, following instead of leading or stepping instead of leaping, the more uncertain our future, and their future becomes. Samsung Electronic’s leadership faces a choice to decide which side are they on: the progressive, responsible companies looking to the future or those who history will judge for their inaction and for holding us back.
Together we can create a movement companies like Samsung can’t ignore.
Insung Lee is an IT campaigner at Greenpeace East Asia, Seoul office.
