Public Advocacy

Semiconductor Equipment and Materials International (SEMI)

The SEMI is a global electronic manufacturing supply chain industry association, with over 3,000 members. ASEH is actively involved in public policy initiatives and highly supportive of international SEMI events, the promotion of collective interests, and the focus on education, business, technology and sustainable development. As a member of SEMI for over 2 decades, ASE has gradually stepped up and taken the leadership to drive impactful agendas and direct the industry towards achieving common goals. We have undertaken important roles in many of SEMI’s committees, serving positions such as the chairman of the International Board of Directors’ Executive Committees, chairman of the SEMI Foundation Board of Directors, chair of SEMI Taiwan Packaging and Testing Committee and honorary vice chair of SEMI Taiwan Smart Manufacturing Committee. We are also a member of the MEMS & SENSORS Committee, High-Tech Green Manufacturing Committee, Semiconductor Materials Committee, FlexTech Committee, Test Committee, Semiconductor Cybersecurity Committee, and Sustainable Manufacturing Committee. The key SEMI initiatives of 2024 are as follows:

• SEMI Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC). ASE is a founding member of the SEMI Semiconductor Climate Consortium (SCC), established in 2022. SCC member companies have pledged to support the goal of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, as stipulated by the Paris Agreement and its related protocols. A white paper titled “Challenges and Solutions in Procuring Low-Carbon Energy in Taiwan” was recently published by the SCC-led SEMI Energy Collaborative (EC), examining Taiwan’s current energy policies. The report provided an in-depth analysis of the challenges in developing and sourcing renewable energy as well as a proposal outlining four strategic action plans.

• SEMI Silicon Photonics Industry Alliance (SiPhIA). The Silicon Photonics Industry Alliance (SiPhIA) was established by SEMI together with TSMC and ASE as the founding sponsors. The initial members included more than 30 companies such as AUO, Hon Hai (Foxconn) and MediaTek. The alliance aims to strengthen industry collaboration and advance the development of silicon photonics in Taiwan by sharing knowledge, resources, and expertise to build a robust silicon photonics ecosystem.

• SEMICON Taiwan 2024. The 2024 conference and expo drew a record of over 85,000 industry attendees with approximately 1,100 domestic and international exhibitors spread across 3,700 booths. More than 20 international forums were held over the three-day event, covering key industry topics including advanced manufacturing processes, equipment and materials, heterogeneous integration, compound semiconductors, smart manufacturing, green manufacturing, cybersecurity, and talent development. ASE participated actively at the event, presenting and sharing insights at the Industry Masters Forum, Silicon Photonics Forum, 3DIC/CoWoS Forum on AI Chip Innovations, and Heterogeneous Integration Summit.

Resources invested: US$206,000

Taiwan Semiconductor Industry Association (TSIA)

ASE Inc. is a founding member and board director of the TSIA, and chairs the EHS packaging and testing committee. As a member of the association, ASE participates actively in discussions on sustainability topics and prepares recommendations to government agencies for formulating policies and regulations that affect the semiconductor packaging and testing industry. The key initiatives and programs promulgated by TSIA in 2024 are as follows:

• Regulatory policy discussion and advocacy to mitigate industry impact. We continued advocating for the exemption of the packaging and testing industry from the ‘mandatory installation of continuous automatic monitoring equipment for stationary pollution sources in public and private premises, as well as the mandatory reporting of monitoring results to the competent authorities.’ In line with this, we supported the establishment of a 1.3 kg threshold to ensure proportionate monitoring requirements and reduce the burden on enterprises. In addition, we participated in policy discussions on revising air pollution control and emissions standards for the semiconductor manufacturing industry. Following the promulgation of Taiwan’s three supporting regulations under the carbon fee scheme, we encouraged enterprises to invest in environmental protection technologies, promote autonomous environmental management models, and optimize related operational processes. Additionally, we participated in the drafting and review of industrial waste disposal policies and provided the latest global semiconductor industry laws and regulations to support the development of early response plans, thereby reducing the impact on the industry.

• Supplier guidance and assessments for waste disposal vendors. The Waste Disposal Vendor Evaluation Taskforce was formed jointly by TSIA, together with the Taiwan TFT-LCD Association (TTLA) and the Taiwan Optoelectronic Semiconductor Industry Association (TOSIA). Based on TSIA’s Self-Regulatory Convention for Waste Disposal and Reuse, the task force completed audits of 22 waste removal and treatment vendors at the source level of the packaging and testing industry in 2024. Audit results were used to generate evaluation scores and offer improvement recommendations, establishing an effective tracking and management mechanism to reduce environmental risks and enhance Taiwan’s waste management performance.

• Update to GHG reduction technologies and inventory guidelines. In response to requests from the World Semiconductor Council (WSC) and Taiwan’s Climate Change Administration under the Ministry of Environment, TSIA adopted the 2019 Refinement to the 2006 IPCC Guidelines for National Greenhouse Gas Inventories and implemented multiple updates and revisions to the GHG emissions inventory guidelines for semiconductor manufacturing processes. New emission factors to calculate GHG emissions from fluorinated gases and N₂O was also introduced in accordance with the World Semiconductor Council’s guidelines on fluorinated gases and N₂O reporting and reduction targets, as part of a broader action to improve environmental protection across the industry.

Resources invested: US$82,000

IOWN Global Forum

ASE is a member of the IOWN Global Forum, an industry alliance with more than 150 leading global companies that was founded in 2020 by NTT, Intel, and Sony. IOWN aims to develop an All-Photonics Network and data center infrastructure that utilizes photonic communications to replace traditional electronic methods, providing greater capacity, lower latency, and higher energy efficiency for future communication and computing architectures. In 2024, the forum released the Key Values and Technology Evolution Roadmap, based on three fundamental approaches: integrated collaboration, practical implementation, and system-level design. The goal is to establish, by 2030, a fully photonics-based infrastructure that delivers extreme performance, ultra-high energy efficiency, low latency, and seamless integration across networks and computing systems.

Resources invested: US$50,000

Responsible Business Alliance (RBA)

Founded in 2004 by a group of leading electronics companies, the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) is a nonprofit organization comprised of electronics, retail, auto and toy companies committed to supporting the rights and well-being of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. RBA members commit to and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct, and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support the continued improvement of the social, environmental, and ethical responsibility of their supply chains. RBA regularly engages in dialogue and collaborations with workers, governments, civil society, investors and academia to gather the necessary range of perspectives and expertise to support its members in achieving the RBA mission of a responsible global electronics supply chain. ASE joined the RBA as a member in 2015 and has since administered annual self-assessment questionnaires (SAQs) at its facilities worldwide in order to identify labor, environmental and ethical risks. In 2024, the Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) of RBA announced the launch of the RMI Investor Network to advance responsible sourcing and further engage institutional investors crucial to the renewable energy transition.

Resources invested: US$35,000

Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE)

The Taiwan Institute for Sustainable Energy (TAISE) aims to connect Taiwan’s sustainability efforts with global developments and is focused on six major areas - climate change, green energy, corporate sustainability, academic sustainability, UN SDGs, and sustainable healthcare. Its priorities include policy advocacy, the promotion of sustainability education, international exchange, and organizing the Taiwan corporate sustainability awards. As a member, ASE supported TAISE to form the Taiwan Alliance for Net Zero Emission, committing to the Net Zero X 2030/2050 initiative. Key initiatives and events in 2024 are as follows:

• Forum on Taiwan’s Net Zero Policies and Developments. Promoting dialogue to advance Net Zero goals.

• Promotion of the Net Zero Label Certification. TAISE actively promotes the Net Zero Label initiative, encouraging participation from the government, industry, academia, and research institutions. The certification is organized into two phases; a commitment phase and an achievement phase, and supports net-zero goals through energy-saving measures, process improvements, energy substitution, forest management, carbon capture and storage (CCS), and carbon credit offsetting. It calls on organizations to lead by achieving net-zero emissions at office locations by 2030, and at production and service sites by 2050.

• SDG Asia 2024. In support of global sustainability developments, the 2024 expo was organized under the theme ‘Sustainability Wave’. The event was categorized into seven key areas: net-zero emissions, low-carbon cities, circular economy, sustainable fashion, talent cultivation, sustainability action, and international partnerships, aiming to elevate the economic value and soft power of Taiwan’s role in sustainability development. On the showfloor, ASEH’s booth highlighted 6 of the company’s major sustainability developments including the publishing of the Smart Sustainable Factory and Packaging & Testing White Paper, Biodiversity Conservation, Social Innovation Talent Cultivation and Long-Term Care Initiatives, Net Zero Emissions, Guardians of the Seas, and Forest Conservation.
  The event successfully brought together various sectors through the integration of cross-disciplinary sustainability initiatives, highlighting the synergy of collaboration. On the whole, the event attracted the participation of 153 international companies and organizations, and more than 35,000 visitors.
  

Resources invested: US$25,000