Practice Green Commitment and Create Sustainable Environment
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Novatek passed the LRQA verification on May 10, 2007 and was awarded ISO 14001 Environmental Management System and ISO 45001 Occupational Safety and Health Management System certificates. The current certificate is valid from May 29, 2025 to May 28, 2028. We formulates environmental sustainability policies that focus on daily resource management, promotes energy-saving and carbon-reduction solutions, waste and water management, green procurement practices for office products and mountain and forest protection, continuing to strive for environmental sustainability. |
Environment, safety, health, and energy policy
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Every Novatek employee is expected to regard the environment, safety, health, and energy as his/her responsibility. Novatek is committed to sustainable operation and development, ensuring that the nature and scale of environmental impacts, occupational health, safety risks, and energy usage align with legal requirements. The Company strives to minimize activities that may have a negative impact on the environment, safety, health, and energy usage. To reduce the environmental impact of the Company’s activities, Novatek promises: |
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Waste management
Greenhouse gas emissions from waste
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Novatek is an IC design company engaged in product design and sales. The production of our products is carried out by professional foundries and packaging & testing houses. Waste includes general industrial waste, daily life waste, and industrial waste (chip waste). In the management of chip waste, defective chips produced by outsourced manufacturers are recycled and reused as resources. Waste chips are delivered to professional treatment plants for the recovery of gold, silicon, or other heavy metals. In 2024, the volume of gold recovered reached 77 kg (equivalent to recycling 1.7 million mobile phones). |
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In 2023, the total weight of waste amounted to 395.90 metric tons. In 2024, the total weight of waste amounted to 473.61 metric tons, with a density of 0.004611 metric tons per NT$million in revenue. The general industrial waste recycling rate reached 69.91%, surpassing the annual target recycling rate of >50%. These waste emission statistics were disclosed and verified by LRQA Taiwan, a third-party impartial institution, meeting the limited assurance level of ISO 14064-1:2018 standard for greenhouse gas inventory (Scope 3). Please refer to the above link for the verification statements for 2023 and 2024. In 2024, the scope of general industrial waste statistics was expanded to include recyclable waste from the Taiyuan Building as well as the Taipei and Tainan offices, which affected the calculation of the recycling rate. Novatek will continue to use waste reduction and waste re-utilization as strategies. The recycling target for 2025 remains at >50%. In 2024, the waste IC recycling rate exceeded 90%, achieving an annual target recycling rate of >90%. The goal for waste IC recycling in 2025 will also be maintained at >90%. All types of waste are treated off-site. Novatek ensures compliance with legal and contractual requirements for waste disposal and handling processes through regular supplier audits, GPS tracking of transport vehicles, declaration of waste disposal forms, and verification of weighing records. Starting from 2024, the EHS (Environmental, Health, Safety) and Energy Management Committee will review performance quarterly. They will assess the target execution rates and identify any instances of falling behind or inability to achieve targets, followed by formulating corrective action plans.
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Circular Economy Initiatives |
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As an IC design-focused company, Novatek primarily relies on outsourced manufacturing. When semi-finished and finished products are returned from contract manufacturers, the Company faces challenges related to the handling of packaging materials in its daily operations. Novatek has long placed a strong emphasis on environmental sustainability. To prevent packaging materials from being discarded as waste, the Company has implemented reusable packaging recovery initiatives to transform these materials into valuable resources. Through close communication and collaboration with suppliers, Novatek has launched circular reuse programs for wafer boats, black conductive boxes, and empty packaging containers. Based on calculations of the wafer boats and packaging containers recovered and reused in 2024, the Company effectively reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 36.13 metric tons of CO2e. Novatek continues to actively build a sustainable resource management system to promote efficient material utilization and reduce environmental impact. This initiative not only demonstrates the Company’s commitment to environmental protection but also highlights its proactive approach to advancing green manufacturing. |
Water management
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Novatek has no manufacturing plants; therefore, its water management mainly involves water for domestic use, air-conditioning system condensate, and cooling water for data centers. In 2024, total water withdrawal amounted to 115,653 cubic meters. The per capita water-saving rate reached 17.99%, successfully achieving the 2024 target of reducing per capita water consumption by 1% compared to 2023. Starting in 2024, water withdrawal statistics have been expanded to include the Taipei and Tainan offices, as well as global subsidiary offices. The overall increase in total water withdrawal is mainly due to workforce growth and rising electricity demand for R&D computing, compounded by elevated ambient temperatures, which led to increased water consumption in cooling towers and for general domestic use. Novatek continues to monitor water resource usage and has implemented various water conservation measures. The annual water-saving program saved a total of 8,842 cubic meters (1,000 L) of water, equivalent to the daily water consumption of 8,842 households. In response to the continued growth in operational and R&D demands, Novatek has set a new target beginning in 2025 to achieve an annual water-saving rate of >4%. Performance will be reviewed quarterly by the Environmental, Health, Safety, and Energy Management Committee to evaluate target execution rates, identify potential delays or failures to meet targets, and formulate corresponding mitigation measures.
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Annual water saving plan and results |
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Statistics on water resources for the past 4 years |
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Unit: m3 (1,000 L) |
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Statistics on water resources |
2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 |
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| Water Intake (Tap Water) | 98,113 | 93,489 | 95,122 | 114,587 |
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Water Recycled (Rainwater, RO Wastewater) |
- | 484 | 696 | 1,066 |
| Total Water Intake | 98,113 | 93,973 | 95,818 | 115,653 |
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Total Water Discharge |
78,490 | 74,791 | 76,098 | 91,670 |
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Total Water Consumption |
19,623 | 19,182 | 19,720 | 23,983 |
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Per Capita Water Usage Note 1 |
46.32 | 40.92 | 39.36 | 32.28 |
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Per Capita Water Saving Rate Note 2 |
-15.57% | 11.66% | 3.81% | 17.99% |
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Water saving volume |
1,909.5 | 4,624 | 7,302 | 8,842 |
| Water saving rateNote 3 | 1.91% | 4.69% | 7.08% | 7.10% |
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Statistics on water intensity for the past 4 years |
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Green Procurement Environmental Action
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Novatek is committed to green environmental protection and continuously implements energy-saving and carbon-reduction projects in various offices. In addition to purchasing household and office paper products certified by FSC and PEFC, the Company promotes environmentally friendly forest certification. It also implements initiatives such as recycling multi-function printer consumables, providing employees with personal stainless steel eco-friendly tableware, and prioritizing the use of paper products for disposable lunch boxes. These green office measures have been implemented and are continuously promoted. Furthermore, Novatek is dedicated to launching new action plans to fulfill its commitment to environmental protection. The achievements in 2024 are as follows: |
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The "Green 100" Sustainable Office Lifestyle Program
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Maintenance of Yushan National Park Trails
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Sponsored the "Sea Viewing Park" of the Hsinchu Air Quality Purification Zone
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Beach Cleanup Event
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Beneficiary feedback of Mountain and Forest Protection
Novatek has been maintaining facilities such as trails and mountain houses in Yushan National Park for 18 consecutive years. In 2022, the following projects were conducted to improve the safety and service quality of mountaineering in Yushan National Park: Waterproof work boots required for emergency rescue work: Considering that emergency rescue work often involves adverse weather conditions (such as heavy rain or icy roads), the Company provides emergency rescue equipment for on-site mountain rescue personnel at the Paiyun Lodge and the Paiyun Station to ensure the safety and efficiency of their work. Purchase and installation of anti-lost poles on the Yushan North Peak Trail: From the Yushan North Main Entrance to the Yushan North Peak Trail, due to the growing of the Yushan Rhododendron and Juniper shrub, mountain hikers often get lost. In consideration of hiking safety, anti-lost poles were installed at locations where it is easy to get lost after a survey in 2021. However, due to some areas still experiencing hikers getting lost, additional anti-lost poles were purchased and installed in 2022 to reinforce the trail markers and reminders.
Protect Biodiversity
As Novatek strives to fulfill its environmental responsibility and monitor international developments, mitigation of environmental impacts remains a top priority. Novatek incorporates biodiversity risk factors into its assessments and develops response action plans. Through concrete actions, and by leveraging corporate strength, the Company aims to preserve natural ecosystems and achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In 2024, Novatek officially integrated biodiversity into its corporate sustainability strategy, aiming to mitigate the crises and impacts of climate change through the implementation of corporate sustainability.
Promote smart green building initiatives
Aside from receiving the "Green Building Label (Silver Level)" for the Tai Yuan Building in 2021, in 2023, the Company began planning and building the Tainan Research Center in the Tainan Science Park in response to the Company's long-term sustainable development needs. During the new facility’s design phase, Novatek integrated human-centered and low carbon energy concepts as the guiding principles for the building's planning and design. This approach not only aligns closely with the needs of Novatek’s employees but also follows the international trend toward net-zero emissions. The aim is to establish a green, healthy, and smart sustainable research center to uphold the Company’s green operational policies. Environmental responsibility has been integrated into the architectural design, with the Company aiming to obtain multiple certifications, including LEED, WELL, Smart Building, Green Building, and Energy Efficiency Label certifications. Through façade shading and airflow guidance, the design significantly reduces energy consumption, with an expected energy-saving efficiency of 25%. A 360 kW solar panel system will be installed, generating approximately 2 GWh of electricity annually and reducing carbon emissions by 988 metric tons. The water-saving features are expected to conserve 1,200 metric tons of water per year. Construction of the Tainan Research Center is expected to be completed in the third quarter of 2027.In response to market and customer demand for advanced process products, the Company began planning the construction of a Research and Computing Center in 2024 at the Tongluo Science Park in Miaoli to expand computing capacity. The new data center is being designed with the goal of obtaining both the Taiwan Green Building Label and U.S. LEED certification. It will adopt high-efficiency equipment to meet the requirements of advanced semiconductor processes, enhance the computing and storage capabilities for IC design and R&D, and support off-site backup under the Business Continuity Plan (BCP). This initiative aims to strengthen global competitiveness and demonstrate the Company’s commitment to ESG and sustainable development.
Gold recovery from scrap ICs
In addition to the reduction and recycling of domestic general waste, we also strengthened chip waste management. Novatek recycles defective IC products and delivers driver IC waste to professional waste treatment operator for gold recovery. In 2024, the volume of gold recovered reached 77 kg (equivalent to recycling 1.70 million mobile phones). The Company transfers the recovered gold back into the gold bump supply chain for production or process metals such as silicon into building materials for water conservancy, building protection dams, and other facilities, thereby achieving the purpose of circular economy, promoting the development of urban mining, reducing the use of raw materials as well as the generation of waste, and minimizing the impact on the environment.
