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Source Ibm (undated). Figure 1: Co2 Emissions Reduction In Percent Source: ...


Source IBM (undated).

Figure 1: CO2 Emissions Reduction in Percent

Source: IBM (undated)
Perflourocompounds (PFCs) Emissions
IBM releases perflourocompounds (PFCs) from its semiconductor manufacturing operations in relatively small amounts compared to its indirect CO2 emissions. Thus, in 1988, IBM became the first semiconductor manufacturer to set a numeric emissions reduction target for PFCs, and the company beat its goal, having reduced its PFC emissions from semiconductor manufacturing by 40 percent worldwide, indexed to production against a base year of 1995, in August 2002, (IBM, undated). Figure 1 below shows the reductions in PFC emissions from IBM's semiconductor manufacturing operations, whereby in 2004, it realized a 57.6 percent reduction in the emissions of six greenhouse gases associated with PFCs, compared to its 200 baseline, (IBM, undated).
Figure 2: Perflourocompounds (PFCs) Emissions

Source: IBM (undated


IBM's Approach to GHG and PCF Emissions Reduction
A. Implementation of Conservation Projects
IBM successfully attained and even outperformed its reduction goals by implementing environmental conservation projects and increased utilization of renewable energy. Its worldwide corporate offices which are located in the different regions of the world, such as Africa, Americas, Asia Pacific, Europe and the Middle East, (IBM, undated) subscribe to all the conservation projects being implemented. The conservation projects include simple energy conservation platforms in all its worldwide corporate offices such as installing motion detectors in bathrooms and copier rooms to control lighting and changing temperature set points in office areas, (US EPA, 2007). Additionally, its conservation projects also include more complex changes, such as rebalancing heating and cooling systems and rebuilding and resizing pumps in high-purity water pumping systems in semiconductor manufacturing lines, (US EPA, 2007).
With respect to PFC emissions, IBM now utilizes a lower PFC emitting process in which hexafluoroethane (C2F6) is replaced with dilute nitrogen trifluoride (NF3) to clean the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing, (US EPA, 2007). This process resulted in lower PFC releases from the chamber cleaning process, as the CVD process accounted for the majority of the PFCs used in semiconductor manufacturing. Where the NF3 process could not meet process requirements, a low-flow C2F6 process was developed, which reduces C2F6 process usage and emissions by 50 percent over the original manufacturer's process, (US EPA, 2007).
B. Partnership with Environment Agencies
Its membership with US EPA's climate leaders provides for another important venue by which IBM effectively pursues its sustainable business agenda.


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