Environmental Conservation

ASEH’s public welfare policy is driven by our determination to mitigate the impact of extreme climate and economic development on the environment. We remain committed to our 30-year plan (established in 2014) of donating NT$ 100 million and more per year towards environmental initiatives in Taiwan, to achieve our vision of a sustainable environment for planet earth.

In 2022, to optimize resource utilization and deepen environmental sustainability efforts, NT$ 100 million was allocated to the ASE Environmental Protection and Sustainability Foundation (EPSF) for environmental projects focused on 5 key areas; energy conservation and carbon reduction, nature and ecology, environmental education, circular economy, and environmental protection. To date, a total of 30 projects are executed.

Forest Reforestation

In response to global warming and conserving biodiversity, and to ensure the protection, restoration, and proper utilization of terrestrial ecosystems, ASEH developed long term plans for tree planting and reforestation. Since 2013, our subsidiary, USI, has collaborated with the Shanghai Roots and Shoots Youth Center in the ‘Million Tree Planting Project’ targeted at reducing land desertification in Inner Mongolia and Ningxia. In 2022, a total of 22,381 trees were planted in Inner Mongolia and Ningxia, covering an area of 9.65 hectares. Through the collective efforts of the local government and the project over the years, significant changes have been observed in the local ecological environment, with a gradual return of greenery to the land.

In 2017, the ASE Cultural and Educational Foundation initiated a forest adoption and reforestation project on state-owned forestland. In 2021, this project was transferred to the ASE Environmental Protection and Sustainability Foundation. From 2022 to 2024, in collaboration with the Nantou, Hsinchu, and Taitung Forestry Bureau, we adopted a total of nine forest lands located in the Shuili, Zhongliao and Xinyi Townships of Nantou County, Daxi District in Taoyuan City, as well as the Haiduan and Yanping Townships of Taitung County. Collectively, these areas encompass 18.23 hectares of state-owned forest land. A total of 32,505 seedlings were planted. On Earth Day, April 22, 2022, we organized a tree planting event with the Nantou Forestry Bureau, inviting 30 teachers and students from Shuili Elementary School to participate. The planting activity is a step towards greening our planet and instilling in children the concept of sustainability.

As of 2022, the ASEH tree planting and reforestation project has successfully planted over 200,000 seedlings, covering a total area of 197.26 hectares. Going forward, we plan to commission third-party professional accrediting organizations to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of our reforestation efforts. We are also actively collaborating with academic institutions to research and develop methodologies for forest carbon sequestration, with the goal of enhancing the value of forestland and promoting the dual benefits of carbon neutrality and reduction.

ASE Guardians of the Seas

ASEH is committed to UN SDG 14: life below water, to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources, and address the problem of the degradation of the marine environment. Beginning in 2021, the ASE EPSF collaborated with the Taoyuan City Government to execute a coastal and marine environment conservation project, aiming to remove 500 metric tons of marine litter between 2021 and 2023. In 2021, we successfully removed 308 metric tons of litter, and in 2022, we cleared 342 metric tons, exceeding our targets.

In 2022, the project was expanded further to the Northeast Coast, Green Island, and Xiao Liuqiu, where we collaborated with local diving shops, community members and volunteers in a year-round coastal cleanup activity. Throughout 2022, a total of 54 undersea cleanup events and 31 beach cleanup events were successfully held, engaging 1,164 participants and resulting in the removal of 5 metric tons of coastal and marine litter. We also encourage ASE employees and diving enthusiasts to join the ASE Environmental Scuba Dive Team and participate in ocean and coastal clean-up activities. We have since recruited and trained 45 new dive team members. In 2023, we will expand our coverage for marine protection and the preservation of biodiversity, to include Penghu, Orchid Island and Kenting.

Campus LED Installation Projects

The ASE Environmental Protection and Sustainability Foundation continued to promote campus LED light installation projects. By assisting elementary and junior high schools in rural areas and communities surrounding ASE facilities to replace fluorescent tubes and light bulbs with LED lights, the projects help to protect the eyesight of schoolchildren. Since the project was first launched nine years ago, we have installed 136,261 LED tube lights in 130 schools in the Nantou and Kaohsiung areas. Over the years, the LED projects have helped schools to save 13,052,500 kWh of electricity and reduce 6,725 tons of CO₂e. LED lighting also helps to create a well-lit environment, in turn improving teaching quality and at the same time achieving energy conservation and carbon reduction.