The Technology Leader Commits to Environmental Stewardship with Aggressive Goals for Water Conservation and Waste Reduction
Western Digital Corp has unveiled its ambitious new corporate sustainability targets aimed at enhancing its global environmental footprint. The company’s latest commitments emphasize its dedication to positively influencing the environment and encompass a range of objectives including renewable energy, emissions reduction, water conservation, and waste management.
Western Digital has long prioritized sustainability strategies as an integral part of its business operations. Through meticulous planning and execution, the company has already accomplished notable goals such as powering specific facilities with renewable energy and reducing energy consumption per unit produced. Building upon these achievements, Western Digital’s newly announced targets include:
- Running its worldwide operations entirely on renewable energy by 2030.
- Achieving net zero emissions in its operations (Scope 1 and 2 emissions) by 2032.
- Decreasing water withdrawals by 20% by 2030.
- Diverting over 95% of operational waste from landfills by 2030.
Irving Tan, the Executive Vice President of Global Operations at Western Digital, emphasized the company’s commitment to environmental stewardship and its dedication to implementing data-driven goals and metrics to address climate change. He acknowledged the significant strides already taken by Western Digital in reducing emissions, conserving water, and minimizing waste. The new targets underscore Western Digital’s ambition to lead the industry in sustainability.
Western Digital’s existing sustainability program has set challenging goals and garnered recognition from industry organizations. In 2021, the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) approved the company’s targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 42% and scope 3 use-phase emissions per terabyte by 50%, both measured against the FY2020 baseline. Western Digital has since achieved an impressive nearly 15% reduction in absolute scope 1 and 2 emissions. The company is also a founding member of the First Movers Coalition and has committed to achieving at least 10% net-zero fuels for ocean shipping by 2030. Notably, Western Digital’s facilities in Shanghai, China, and Penang, Malaysia have been recognized as Sustainability Lighthouses by the World Economic Forum’s Lighthouse Network.
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Curtis Price, the VP Sustainability Research at IDC, highlighted the growing significance of sustainability for businesses and acknowledged the importance of companies setting and making progress towards actionable sustainability targets. Western Digital’s renewed commitments in the areas of net-zero emissions, water and waste reduction, and renewable energy exemplify the company’s dedication to mitigating its impact on the planet. Price also noted that Western Digital’s efforts set an example for other companies to follow, positioning the company as a leader in sustainability.
Western Digital’s latest sustainability targets reflect its unwavering commitment to environmental responsibility and its proactive approach to addressing the challenges of climate change. By embracing renewable energy, reducing emissions, conserving water, and minimizing waste, the company is playing a crucial role in driving sustainable practices within the industry and inspiring others to follow suit.
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