On 31 January, Samsung Electronics sponsored Galaxy of Impact in San Francisco, emphasising how Galaxy provides sustainable solutions that help open up opportunities for a brighter future.
During the panel talks, Samsung sustainability leaders and partners highlighted the efforts Samsung is taking today — and will take in the future — to place sustainability at the core of its innovations. The event showcased new, sustainable features in the Galaxy S23 series, shedding insight into how Samsung is aiming to include sustainability across the whole design and manufacturing lifecycle.
These initiatives reflect Samsung’s commitment to developing more sustainable, innovative devices that reduce environmental impact.
Galaxy of Impact also underlined the necessity of organisations working across sectors to develop innovative tools and technologies that would enable communities all around the world to accomplish the Global Goals.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), a partner organisation of Samsung, and its youth-led initiative Generation17, a joint project between Samsung and the UNDP launched in 2020 to further progress on the Global Goals, spoke about the power of multinational corporations to address today’s most pressing environmental and societal issues.
The first panel emphasised how each Galaxy user can embrace a more sustainable lifestyle due to Samsung and the Galaxy S23 series.
Leaders in technology and sustainability at Samsung spoke about their efforts to build products that are more sustainable in order to meet their targets for 2025 and 2030. These initiatives are represented by the new Galaxy S23 series, which optimises performance while reducing Samsung’s environmental impact.
The panel was introduced by Inhee Chung, vice president of Samsung Electronics’ corporate sustainability centre, who gave an outline of the company’s new commitment to the idea of everyday sustainability :
“It’s the idea that by building sustainability into the product design and user experience, we, and the billions that use our products, can contribute to a healthier, more livable planet”
“Everyday Sustainability is grounded in a goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by the end of 2030 for our Device eXperience (DX) Division, and as part of the DX Division, Samsung’s Mobile eXperience (MX) Business is essential in helping us deliver on our commitment.” She added, “MX Business is aiming to achieve its own sustainability goals — incorporate recycled materials in all mobile products, eliminate plastics in packaging, achieve zero standby power consumption for smartphone chargers and achieve zero waste to landfill by 2025.”
Said Inhee Chung
“For Samsung, breakthroughs in sustainability can be breakthroughs in performance,” he emphasized. “We aim to create an experience in which you don’t have to sacrifice the things you love to be a more eco-conscious consumer.” He added the Galaxy S23 series was “built with innovation and sustainability without compromise, and it will enable users to make a positive impact while enjoying a great mobile experience.”
— Won-Joon Choi, Executive Vice President, Head of Mobile R&D Office, Mobile eXperience Business at Samsung Electronics
Choi said that Samsung is “delivering a high-performance device that meets the highest of quality standards while also using more recycled materials than any other Galaxy smartphone to date”
He went on to say that “Samsung increased the amount of recycled materials in the Galaxy S22 Ultra from six internal components to 12 internal and external components in the Galaxy S23 Ultra.”
He continued by describing how the Galaxy S23 series uses more recycled plastic and new pre-consumer recycled glass and aluminium parts. All of these initiatives, according to Choi, are “meaningful steps in the right direction, helping us expand the Galaxy legacy to be more than just innovation for performance. These are innovations designed with the planet and you in mind.”
“we’re working diligently to extend the lifecycle of our devices to encourage users to reliably experience the optimized performance of the Galaxy for as long as possible.” He emphasized, “The Galaxy S23 series was built to last longer, optimizing durability with IP68 water resistance and dust proofing. We also provide five years of security updates and four generations of OS upgrades.”
— Mark Newton, Director, Head of Corporate Sustainability at Samsung Electronics America
He added, “In the U.S., customers can use our Certified Re-Newed and Trade-In programs to send us their old devices to be refurbished and reused. We also partner with iFixit, the leading online repair community, to empower users to fix their own devices with self-repair kits.” He also touched on how Samsung will continue “expanding efforts to improve resource circularity over the entire product lifecycle.”
The packaging for the Galaxy S23 series has been completely revamped, and the front and rear cover protectors and packaging box are made of 100% recycled paper, according to Newton.
Each panellist shared their excitement and aspirations for Samsung’s future in terms of sustainability. Although the panellists underlined that by working together, Samsung can have a good, noticeable influence on people and the environment, they also acknowledged that there will be even greater hurdles to overcome.
The second-panel dove deep into Samsung’s partnership with the UNDP and their joint efforts to achieve the Global Goals.
The Generation17 group of 14 Young Leaders from various nations around the world is working towards the Global Goals and inspiring young people to do the same. Samsung and the UNDP collaborated to create the Samsung Global Goals app, which raises money for UNDP projects and amplifies stories about Generation17. Two Generation 17 Young Leaders joined leaders from Samsung and UNDP in urging the audience to utilise their voices to advance the 2030 Agenda.
“When it comes to the 17 Global Goals, I cannot stress enough the importance of what is at stake here.” He continued, “To help the world achieve [the Global Goals] by 2030, UNDP plays an essential role in implementing integrated solutions in the communities that are furthest behind. In short, we help communities and governments build the structures and policies that help address these global challenges.”
— Boaz Paldi, Chief Creative Officer at the UNDP
“In 2019, we created the Samsung Global Goals app, an education and donation-based mobile app that informs people about the Global Goals and encourages them to take action just by using their smartphone. Today, the app is pre-installed on nearly 300 million Galaxy devices worldwide. And thanks to the dedication and passion of the global Galaxy community, we have helped generate over USD10 million towards UNDP’s global programs and initiatives.” Paldi noted as he was explaning UNDP’s partnership with Samsung.
The Samsung Global Goals app’s creator, Sergey Lossev, Senior Director of Project Management at Samsung Electronics stated ” In order to accomplish this, his team “decided to create a centralized hub for social impact right on a device that has become an essential part of Galaxy smartphones. The app aims to increase awareness and raise funds for UNDP’s work around the world.”
Two Generation17 Young Leaders sat beside Paldi and Lossev and reiterated how UNDP, Samsung and the Samsung Global Goals app have greatly benefited their platforms.
Tamara Gondo, Generation17 Young Leader (Indonesia), explained that by joining Generation17 and receiving recognition from Samsung and UNDP, her B2B social enterprise Liberty Society “has been exposed to more than 10 million people worldwide, opening our doors to connect with partners in Malaysia, London, and today, in San Francisco.” Gondo continued, “For organizations like Samsung, UNDP and news media, it’s about using their power and influence to effect change within their spheres of influence.”
Máximo Mazzocco, Generation Young Leader (Argentina), then explained how the Generation17 partnership has aided in the growth of his environmental nonprofit Eco House, “helping us scale from an organization for youth in Argentina to one of the biggest youth-led organizations in the climate movement.” He went on to say that we’ve been “given the chance to change the narrative and make an impact on a global scale,” and that we must collaborate across industries to achieve progress towards the Global Goals.
Harnessing the Power of Galaxy to Offer Sustainable Solutions
The Galaxy of Impact demonstrates the strides Samsung has achieved in incorporating sustainability into every aspect of its business. This event also symbolises Samsung’s tough journey to fulfil its 2025 and 2030 commitments and advance the Global Goals. The road ahead won’t be simple, but officials at Samsung are committed to working with partners to develop strategies that let every Galaxy user incorporate sustainability into their everyday life.
To pre-order the latest Galaxy devices, please click the respective links below:
Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra: https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-s23-ultra/buy/
Samsung Galaxy S23+ | Samsung Galaxy S23: https://www.samsung.com/my/smartphones/galaxy-s23/buy/
For more information about Sustainability, check out below:
https://www.samsung.com/my/sustainability/environment/