Samsung does reasonably well on other Products criteria. The company is one of the leaders on product life cycle, as it provides warranties and spare parts information as well as details of innovations to extend product lifetimes. Samsung is quite close to scoring maximum points on energy efficiency.

Samsung’s Energy score increased due to progress on reporting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions information, including supply chain data. Samsung fails to score additional points with its carbon intensity target of 24% by 2015, especially as its intensity emissions grew 9% (by revenue) last year alone. Samsung’s renewable energy use stays low at 0.2% of global electricity use. An absolute reduction target of at least 30% by 2015, as well as the ambitious 100% renewable energy by 2020, would earn the company more points. Samsung gets 1 point for supporting GHG emission cuts by industrialised countries of at least 30% as a group by 2020.

Samsung scores most of its points for Sustainable Operations, due to its relatively good e-waste take-back programme and information. The company must extend this programme to cover its entire product range. It has extend its reported recycling rate beyond South Korea, starting with India, and this should continue. Samsung’s chemicals policy sets ways to identify future substances of concern, but the company continues to lack a restricted substances list for manufacturing. Samsung has pledged to sign a compliance agreement with its suppliers that prohibits the use of conflict minerals, and it needs to publicly map its smelters or suppliers. Samsung scores a point for reporting on its paper use and aiming to increase the use of FSC paper. It needs to develop a paper procurement policy which excludes suppliers that are involved in deforestation and illegal logging.

Samsung's performance in detail: Download the company’s Scorecard here