Environmental Conservation | ACER ESG
Environmental Conservation
As a technology company, the most critical approach to addressing environmental issues is to integrate eco-friendly principles into design and production. Additionally, at the application level, various functionalities can be developed to assist with ecosystem monitoring, data analysis, and prediction, hence providing technical support for sustainable development. Therefore, Acer starts from its core competencies, supporting environmental protection through developing a diverse range of products and services, managing supply chains, and setting Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) targets. Moreover, we also donate computer equipment and cloud space to various non-profit organizations to support their environmental initiatives through these resources.
In addition, we place great importance on enhancing employees' environmental awareness, encouraging implementation of changes in daily operations across our global locations. These include the installation of solar panels in offices, promoting increased energy efficiency, and adopting more sustainable practices in daily work processes to reduce carbon emissions and support green transformation. Finally, Acer actively promotes environmental volunteer activities, such as tree planting and beach cleaning, to raise awareness among employees and the community regarding conservation issues. We collaborate with non-profit organizations to promote environmental protection through practical actions, encouraging more people to participate in environmental protection efforts and work together towards a sustainable future.
Sponsoring Schools and Children Excelling in Recycling and Environmental Protection Initiatives
Acer Middle East sponsored the Emirates Environmental Group (EEG) recycling program awards ceremony held on World Environment Day 2024, donating high-performance laptops to reward schools and children who excelled in recycling and environmental initiatives. This endeavor not only encourages the younger generation to actively participate in environmental protection but also provides schools and students with additional learning resources through the laptop donation program, enhancing digital literacy and encouraging their continued involvement in environmental actions.
Supporting Recycling While Helping Children
Since January 2024, Acer Iberica has collaborated with the Seur Foundation to support environmental protection and the medical needs of children with rare diseases through the recycling of plastic bottle caps. This initiative not only raised employee awareness of the importance of plastic recycling but also enhanced recycling efficiency by separating bottle caps from bottles, hence reducing plastic pollution and contributing to environmental protection. In the first half of 2024, Acer employees worked together to successfully recycle 29 tons of plastic bottle caps, helping Julia, a girl with a rare disease, raise €5,425 for an electric wheelchair, significantly improving her quality of life. In the second half of the year, support shifted to another child with a rare disease, Emma, with the goal of recycling 42 tons of bottle caps to aid her in received specialized rehabilitation treatment to slow the progression of her condition.
At the same time, Acer Germany raised €368 by recycling empty bottles, with the management subsequently doubling the donation to a total of €750. These funds were donated to the German Child Protection Association Stormarn and the Blue Elephant children's home in Ahrensburg-Gartenholz to support children and families, particularly vulnerable groups impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Acer Germany Bike & Step Challenge
In response to Germany's "Stadtradeln City Cycling Campaign," Acer Germany has organized the annual Acer Cycling Challenge for its employees since 2021. All work-related trips or journeys that occur during work hours can be recorded using a tracking tool designed by the IT department. In 2024, Acer Germany hosted the Bike & Step Challenge, encouraging employees to participate in sustainable actions and healthy living through cycling and walking. The event attracted 17 employees who cycled 5,019.37 kilometers, reducing CO2 emissions by 803.099 kilograms. Additionally, 33 employees participated in the walking challenge, accumulating a total walking distance of 14,257,468 kilometers. This challenge not only promotes employee health awareness but also demonstrates Acer's commitment to environmental sustainability by actively reducing its carbon footprint and promoting green transportation.
Acer Headquarters Expands Used Goods Collection Event
Every year, Acer's Taiwan headquarters hosts a circular economy activity that collects second-hand and outdated electronic products, which are subsequently recycled and converted into monetary donations for charitable organizations. In 2024, nearly 300 employees enthusiastically participated in Acer's electronic recycling event, which resulted in the collection of 92 discarded laptops, 162 mobile phones and tablets, 18 desktop computers, and various other items. The proceeds were entirely donated to the Taipei Orphan Welfare Foundation, turning resources into acts of kindness and reflecting the compassion of Acer employees to the community.
Acer Headquarters Holds Computer Health Check Event for Employees
Acer Taiwan headquarters organized an initiative to revitalize old computers by converting employees' old Windows or Mac devices into Chrome OS Flex systems, giving them new life. This effort not only effectively extends the lifecycle of electronic products and reduces electronic waste but also transforms previously disposable old computers into sustainable internet devices, promoting resource reuse and contributing to environmental sustainability.
Installed Rooftop Solar Panel
To show concrete support for the goal of achieving 100% renewable energy usage by 2035, Acer has been progressively evaluating the installation of solar panels across its global locations over the years. The initiative began in 2019 when Acer Netherlands' office installed 249 solar panels, enabling employees to charge their electric vehicles. Subsequently, in 2020, Acer Germany's office also established a rooftop solar system, providing power for office operations and charging stations for employees' electric bicycles and scooters. The company also purchased electric bicycles for shared use and offered bicycles or electric bicycles rental services to employees. Acer Spain followed suit in 2022 by installing solar panels on the rooftop of its office. By 2024, the total energy consumption of Acer Spain's office had significantly decreased, from 45,000 kWh per month to 25,000 kWh, substantially reducing its carbon footprint and driving the transformation of corporate operations towards sustainable development. This not only reduced the company's dependence on traditional energy sources but also promoted local energy self-sufficiency, contributing to global carbon reduction and renewable energy development.
Employee Health and Low-Carbon Diet Initiatives
Acer France organized a vegetarian lunch event in 2024 to encourage employees to reduce their carbon footprint through dietary changes. Additionally, Acer Germany held a Corporate Health Day, featuring mental health seminars and obstacle courses, helping employees gain a deeper understanding of stress management and the importance of mental health. In another initiative, Acer Germany partnered with Altes Land, a local fruit farm in the Hamburg region, to launch a weekly fruit supply program. Apples, bananas, and oranges are made available to all employees in the Acer Germany office building in Ahrensburg. This program supports local agriculture and sustainable development while promoting employee health and good nutrition. Acer America conducted a live cooking demonstration led by a professional chef, designed to encourage employees to prepare their own meals and promote healthy eating habits. In addition, Acer Taiwan incentivized employee participation in environmental protection by tracking daily use of reusable cups, utensils, and eco-friendly bags through the Acer Earth Mission app, offering rewards for participation. During the Family Day event, employees are also encouraged to bring their "three travel essentials" to support the concept of eco-friendly travel through a reward mechanism, further motivating their participation in environmental initiatives.
Terrestrial Ecosystems: Promoting Climate Adaptation and Ecological Conservation through Afforestation
Trees can absorb carbon dioxide, mitigate climate change, provide habitat and food for wildlife, and help prevent soil erosion. Acer has collaborated with professional tree-planting organizations at its operational locations globally, planting nearly 300,000 trees globally since 2020. This initiative not only contributes to global carbon reduction, ecological conservation, and biodiversity but also supports the livelihoods of local farmers.
In Europe, from 2021 to 2023, we launched the Green Deals initiative in collaboration with One Tree Planted, planting trees for orders purchased through Acer official's online store. The Acer for Education website also partnered with Treedom, planting a tree under a school's name for every registration on the website. The 2024 global projects are as follows:
Acer India Plants 2000 Trees in Karnataka, Supports Community and Environment
Acer India planted 2,000 trees in Karnataka, demonstrating its commitment to sustainability and community support. This afforestation initiative goes beyond increasing green cover-it represents a long-term investment in ecological health, food security, and community well-being. The fruit-bearing and medicinal trees planted are expected to provide food, natural remedies, and shade in the future, contributing to environmental regeneration, supporting the local economy, and reducing carbon emissions.
In collaboration with a local school, Acer India organized a series of environmental education activities to raise awareness among students. The children actively participated in selecting saplings, preparing the soil, planting, and watering-helping them form a personal connection with nature. Each student also brought a sapling home to plant, extending environmental consciousness into their households. They expressed their hopes and pledges for a greener future in their native language. The Acer India team also revisited and watered trees planted during earlier initiatives at the school. Through this project, Acer continues to reaffirm its dedication to building a sustainable and inclusive future-empowering local communities through care, education, and action, under a vision where technology and nature grow together.
Philippines Annual Tree Planting Activity
Since 2011, Acer Philippines has made annual donations to the GreenEarth Heritage Foundation (GEF) to plant thousands of trees, supporting its environmental protection efforts and co-organizing annual tree-planting events. Additionally, Acer Philippines has donated computers and laptops to improve the educational level and learning opportunities for the children of local farmers, especially in English and computer literacy. In 2024, although Acer Philippines could not participate in the tree-planting activities in person, it continued to donate seedlings and actively engaged in GEF's educational sponsorship programs, providing scholarships to help the children of local farmers access better educational opportunities, further narrowing the digital divide.
UK Tree Planting Activities
Acer UK has been working with Ecologi to plant trees and support rainforest protection projects. In 2024, the primary planting locations were in Uganda, Madagascar, Kenya, and Ethiopia.
Middle East Tree Planting Activities
Acer Middle East, in collaboration with EcoMatcher, promoted the Birthday Tree Planting Program, planting a tree for each employee on their birthday, symbolizing the company's commitment to sustainable development. In 2024, a total of 28 trees were planted, enhancing biodiversity, restoring ecosystems, and absorbing carbon dioxide in various regions around the world, reducing the company's carbon footprint. Furthermore, Acer Middle East celebrated the spirit of "Gratitude and Giving Back" during the Christmas season by gifting each employee a tree, symbolizing growth, rebirth, and commitment to the environment. This initiative is not only a gesture of gratitude to employees, but also a concrete action of responsibility toward future generations, reducing carbon emissions, promoting biodiversity, and supporting global sustainable development goals through tree planting.
Aquatic Ecosystems: Enhancing Biodiversity Conservation and Research with Technology
The ocean is one of the Earth's vital ecosystems and a treasure trove of biodiversity. From climate regulation, resource development, transportation, to fisheries, it is an integral part of human activities. However, the influx of plastic waste into the ocean has led to global microplastic pollution, resulting in marine environmental degradation and adverse impacts on marine ecosystems. Acer is committed to addressing Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which focuses on sustainable oceans and conservation. The latest generation of the Aspire Vero chassis, launched in 2024, utilizes over 70% post-consumer recycled (PCR) materials, combined with oyster shell powder-based biomaterial. This innovation allows Vero products to help address the growing issue of discarded oyster shells in coastal villages. The global projects for 2024 are as follows:
Participating in California Coastal Cleanup Day, Supporting Biodiversity and Environmental Protection
Acer America participated in the 40th California Coastal Cleanup Day organized by the California Coastal Commission. This initiative not only supported the reduction of plastic pollution and the protection of marine ecology, but also provided employees with the opportunity to participate in environmental protection. The event attracted over 46,000 volunteers who collected a total of 332,861 pounds of trash and 65,793 pounds of recyclables at 750 cleanup sites statewide, totaling 199 tons of waste. Research indicates that approximately 80% of coastal debris originated from land. Therefore, even volunteers from inland communities can prevent large amounts of trash from entering the ocean by cleaning local waterways, thus reducing harm to marine life and the food chain. This activity raises public awareness of environmental protection through community mobilization and environmental education, ensuring that California's coasts and waters maintain a clean and healthy ecosystem for present and future generations.
Sponsoring the Azure Alliance, Integrating Marine Science and Hardware Development to Address Marine Debris and Environmental Challenges
To help address the issue of marine debris, the Acer Foundation sponsored Azure Alliance with Vero laptops, which incorporates the concept of marine waste recycling, in 2024, providing these units for their operations. Additionally, the foundation sponsored the remotecontrolled computer needs for their Azure Fighter machine. Azure Alliance is an organization that integrates marine science and hardware development and is dedicated to solving marine debris and environmental issues. The organization has developed the sea-cleaning robot Azure Fighter for long-term waste collection in areas near ports. In 2024, Azure Alliance led 269 participants in 7 beach cleanup activities and 69 port cleanup activities primarily using the Azure Fighter, removing a total of 1,961 kilograms of marine debris from the ocean. Furthermore, Azure Alliance places significant emphasis on marine environmental education and coastal culture, executing 38 physical activities in 2024, with a total of 1,680 participants.
Promoting Mangrove Conservation
In 2024, coinciding with Acer Indonesia's 25th anniversary, we launched mangrove restoration projects in Tanjung Pasir, Tangerang, and Wonorejo, Surabaya. We invited Acer employees, business partners, local government officials, students, and community volunteers to participate, thus promoting environmental education and conservation awareness, and planting 2,500 mangrove seedlings.
Mangroves not only serve as natural coastal barriers, preventing coastal erosion and providing habitats for various species, but also play a crucial role in addressing climate change. As mangroves grow and mature, it is estimated that they can absorb 30.75 metric tons of CO2 annually, with a cumulative absorption of 768.75 metric tons of CO2 over 25 years, equivalent to offsetting the carbon emissions of 50 gasoline vehicles. This movement is part of Sayang Bumi (EN: #ToLoveEarth), Acer Indonesia's long-running ESG initiative focused on sustainability and environmental stewardship. To fulfill its long-term commitment, Acer Indonesia also measured the growth of the mangroves 12 months after planting.