This project examines how to scale renewable electricity in semiconductor manufacturing supply chains in Taiwan and South Korea to accelerate decarbonisation across the global tech sector. 

Emissions from the tech sector continue to rise, driven by rapid growth in artificial intelligence and data centres. As semiconductor production is a major source of scope 3 emissions in the tech sector, shifting semiconductor manufacturing to renewable electricity is critical to reducing the sector’s emissions.   

However, semiconductor manufacturers in key production hubs, such as Taiwan and South Korea, face structural barriers including limited renewable supply, market constraints and policy challenges. At the same time, many downstream tech companies have yet to translate their high-level climate commitments into supply chain-wide renewable energy strategies.  

In this context, this project will look at renewable electricity targets and procurement strategies among leading semiconductor manufacturers in Taiwan and South Korea, as well as major tech companies, to identify key barriers and good practices for scaling renewable electricity in supply chains. 

To inform standard-setting bodies and civil society organisations – both critical to strengthening corporate climate ambition in supply chain decarbonisation – this project will: 

• Publish a report outlining barriers, good practices and renewable electricity procurement options for semiconductor manufacturers in Taiwan and South Korea 

• Publish a briefing note with targeted recommendations, particularly around scope 3 accounting and incentives to drive high-integrity supply chain action 

• Engage with standard-setters to contribute to ongoing revisions of corporate climate standards, and with local campaign groups to support their advocacy efforts 

The project runs for a one-year period, from March 2026 to Feb 2027.