Environmental Management System

GIGABYTEʼs environmental management commits to reducing the environmental impact of operations and manufacturing processes as well as protecting the health and safety of our employees. Environmental and hazardous substances management systems such as ISO 14001, ISO 14064-1, and IECQ QC080000 are introduced to ensure that our routine operations and products all comply with environmental standards and regulations.

For the certificates of the above systems, please refer to Sustainability-related Certification.

Environmental Management Goals

GIGABYTE began introducing long-term reduction plans for carbon, water, and waste in 2009. The “333 Reduction Plan” set a phased target of reducing carbon emissions, water consumption, and waste by 3% each every year. This not only supported the mission of “Reduction” from phase 1 of Green Action Plan 2.0 but also ensured the realization of long-term goals while minimizing impact to operations. At the same time, GIGABYTE has also extended scope to include our partners by launching the sustainable supply chain initiative in 2015. Supplier partners were encouraged to join the “Reduction. Share. Love the Earth” alliance and help promote the “333 Reduction Plan” to boost tangible contributions to environmental protection from our entire supply chain.

GIGABYTE Reduction Target

Progress of Reduction Targets and Implemented Actions

For GIGABYTEʼs progress of reaching short- and long-term targets, please refer to CSR Performance-Environmental Aspect.

For the establishment of the GIGABYTE emissions reduction pathway and responding measures to climate change, please refer to Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

For the reduction performance of the “Reduction. Sharing. Love the Earth” Alliance, please refer to Tetralogy of Supply Chain Engagement.

Environmental Management Measures and Enhancing Environmental Awareness

GIGABYTE deeply agrees that corporate operation and the environment are interdependent. A company cannot survive if the environment is severely destructed. In view of that, we draw up various measures that aim to be truly beneficial to the environment, such as improving energy and resource efficiency, striving to develop friendly products, promoting green consumption, etc. At the same time, multiple energy-saving and emission-reduction practices are implemented in life to encourage employees to be concerned with the integrated concept of ecosystem, life, and production. Through internal environmental management, supplemented by raising the awareness of environmental protection among employees, we hope to become a truly green enterprise.

In addition to 1 to 2 hours of training on quality and environmental regulations for new employees, a curriculum of increasingly specialized courses is also organized for the relevant personnel and roles, such as regular environmental seminars. The seminars invite notabilities to interpret the importance of sustainability and environmental protection on different levels like business, travel, art, and literature. They are also tailored to employee interests to increase their interest and absorption. We also once developed a 21-hour course on green packaging design for R&D engineers that combines design with practice to promote the introduction of green materials and design in product packaging, enhance the environmental awareness of employees, and boost the competitiveness of our green products. In recent years, we have echoed to world environmental theme days many times and also invited employees and their families to join outdoor environmental education tours as a way to educate, entertain, and relax physically and mentally.

Warning signs are displayed near conference rooms to remind users to turn off the lights when they leave. Water-saving initiatives are displayed on washroom doors to encourage employees to conserve water.

All employees are expected to follow the 5S principles: Seiri (Sort), Seiton (Set in Order), Seiso (Shine), Seiketsu (Standardize), and Shisuke (Sustain). Monthly audits and follow-ups on improvements are conducted to raise the safety awareness of employees in the workplace.

In 2018, our company completely started to ban disposable lunch boxes, tableware, cups, and straws in the staff canteen and offered rental steel tableware and cups to foster employeesʼ ecological awareness and reduce waste. In 2019, the company expanded this practice to its external stores to build a friendly life circle at GIGABYTE, making it easier for employees to practice an eco-friendly lifestyle and drive environmental awareness at those stores.

2018 Traceless Diet Promotion at Staff Canteen (Press in Chinese)
2019 Traceless Diet Promotion – Swordsman of Plastic Reduction (Rules in Chinese)

As for the plants in China, since the Dongguan Plant and Ningbo Plant were founded in 1999 and 2003, the staff canteens have been providing reusable tableware for more than 10 years without interruption. Thus they can be seen as a model in following the new trend of waste reduction and plastic-free lifestyle in recent years. Moreover, the Dongguan Plant started to implement a weighing and pricing system for buffet meals in September 2019. By asking employees to determine the amount of food based on their needs effectively reduces food waste and fosters the concept of cherishing food.

Rubbish sorting is now carried out by employees instead of the cleaning staff. Self-sorting helps employees think about the problem of waste before their next purchase and adopt necessary waste reduction measures. The aim is to achieve both waste reduction and effective reuse of resources.

Reminders on the health benefits of taking the stairs are posted out the front of elevators. GIGABYTE organized a stair climbing rewards program in 2020 that encouraged employees to get in the habit of climbing the stairs at work and collecting points for prizes.

To encourage employees to cycle to work, bicycle parking areas are provided at the office buildings and equipped with bicycle racks for security.

The long-standing “Weekly Vegetarian Day” in GIGABYTE helps employees to order vegetarian lunchboxes once a week to reduce greenhouse emissions due to meat consumption. The activities or seminars held in the company are also encouraged to serve vegetarian lunch boxes to appeal to all employees for protecting the environment.

To reduce energy use from transportation, inter-plant training and conferences are now carried out through video conferencing.

GIGABYTE encourages employees to participate in activities such as jogging, hiking, mountain climbing, marathon running, and swimming across Sun Moon Lake. The activities not only improve employeeʼs health and the companyʼs corporate image but also raise employees’ environmental awareness through exposure to Mother Nature.

For outdoor environmental services, please refer to Corporate Volunteering – Go Green Club and Working Holiday.

 

Sustainability Fund and Reduction Reward Program

In 2019, GIGABYTE officially launched the 6-year “Sustainability Fund”. The Fund is based on the savings of energy fees every year and invests in three aspects, that is, energy conservation at factories, development of resource reduction and low-carbon products, and green projects related to climate change and sustainable development. The program aims to stimulate comprehensively innovative thinking for manufacturing, operation, and product strategies and sustainable development plans, to provide incentives and motivations for reduction, and to strengthen the internal competence of green designing that helps achieve the purpose of reduction. The reward application of reduction proposals and low-carbon product proposals opens twice every year. As of the first half of 2024, 10 sessions have been held. Through a transparent scheme, suggestions and mentoring advice for optimizing projects are provided during the evaluation process. That also encourages more employees and teams to take part in that not only to receive monetary rewards but also to grab opportunities for learning.

For outcomes and reduction performance of the proposals, please refer to Green Activities.