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Intel's Climate Change Policy April 2009
Climate change, or “global warming,” increasingly is a front-line environmental policy issue worldwide. Progressing rapidly over recent years, momentum has grown to address climate change and related energy security issues in many parts of the world.
Scientific debate over the validity of global warming has swirled for over thirty years. Recently, however, the international consensus that climate change is indeed a real phenomenon has grown significantly. The US National Academies of Science and Engineering issued a report in 2002, “Climate Change Science: An Analysis of Some Key Questions,” that concluded greenhouse gases are accumulating in Earth’s atmosphere and causing surface air and subsurface ocean temperatures to rise. The February 2007 report of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, representing a broad consensus of the world’s climate science experts, strengthened that group’s conclusion that global warming is occurring and that the potential economic and societal impacts will be substantial.
Intel believes that climate change is a serious economic, social and environmental challenge that warrants a serious societal response and this belief is reflected in our own stewardship actions. For more than a decade, Intel has been a leader in addressing climate change by reducing our emissions of PFCs and by improving the energy efficiency of our operations and products. Most recently, Intel has publically committed to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 20% over the 2007-12 period. Intel showed leadership earlier by leading the semiconductor industry in developing the first-ever global industry commitment to address climate change – the World Semiconductor Council’s (WSC) commitment to reduce PFC emissions in our industry.
Since 2000, Intel has reduced its own PFC emissions by 56% in absolute terms and 95% normalized by production volume. Through energy efficiency initiatives in our operations, Intel has saved over 400 million KWhrs. In 2006, Intel joined U.S. EPA’s Climate Leaders program and committed to reduce global GHG emissions by 30 percent per production unit from 2004 to 2010. On the product side, Intel has introduced its Core DuoTM series of microprocessors, which feature both world-class computing performance and significant improvements in energy efficiency. Indeed, more than ever before, improving the energy efficiency of our semiconductors is a top priority of Intel’s product designers.
Climate change poses an opportunity for Intel because of the close linkage of climate change and energy efficiency. Government policy responses to climate change will prominently feature requirements for improvements in energy efficiency throughout the economy. Those requirements, in turn, will create a strong preference for more efficient electronic equipment. Intel has established, and intends to maintain, a leadership position in providing the most efficient semiconductors that will drive energy efficiency progress in our customers’ equipment. In addition, policy makers increasingly realize the enabling role that semiconductors and IT equipment play in improving the energy efficiency of other industries’ products and operations.
INTEL POSITION
- Intel believes that climate change is a serious economic, social and environmental challenge that warrants an equally serious societal and policy response.
- Reflecting this belief, Intel has taken significant actions to reduce its own “climate footprint” through reductions in our PFC emissions, improvements in the energy efficiency of our facilities, and producing significantly more energy efficient new products.
- Intel supports re-engagement of the US government in the international climate policy process as necessary to ensure both effectiveness in dealing with the environmental challenge of climate change and protection of key economic interests.
- Intel supports enactment of a mandatory Federal climate change program that includes key flexibility features and preemption of state action. Key flexibility features include the use of market mechanisms, reliance on the “basket of gases” concept, recognition of voluntary industry reductions and credit for early action, and other provisions that help reduce the economic impact of climate policy.
- Any mandatory Federal program should preempt the states from taking action, except with respect to Renewable Portfolio Standards, where a one-size-fits-all Federal program does not work well.
- US states and regional bodies should support the development of an effective Federal program rather than foster sub-national initiatives; any state or regional mandatory programs should feature market mechanisms and other key flexibility principles as well as sunset once a Federal program has been enacted.
- As the EU evolves its ECCP, Intel believes that further measures should comprehend equitable burden sharing, recognize prior reduction initiatives and provide allowance for new entrants. An overall consideration should be the preservation of EU competitiveness..
For additional information, contact:
Stephen Harper
Director, Environmental and Energy Policy
Stephen.harper@intel.com
Phone: 202-626-4399