By Pat Gelsinger
At Intel, our purpose is to build world-changing technology that improves the life of every person on the planet. We strive every day to make a positive global impact and be good corporate citizens.
Increasingly central to every aspect of human existence, technology is transforming our world at an accelerated pace. And at the heart of that technology: semiconductors. Semiconductors are the foundation of all innovation as the world becomes more digital, from powering our ability to work remotely, to staying connected with friends and family, to providing enhanced healthcare and autonomous vehicles.
More: A Year of Uniting the Industry and Further Embedding D+I
Today’s challenges are many and immense. We are still struggling with a global pandemic, social injustice, wars, the detrimental effects of climate change and so much more. Against this global landscape, it is imperative that we work together as an industry to harness the power of technology and ensure it is being used as a force for good. I am extremely proud of Intel’s long-standing leadership in corporate responsibility and sustainability, including initiatives in diversity and inclusion, education, and philanthropy. Our focus helps us contribute responsible, inclusive and sustainable practices across our operations, products and supply chain. The passion and expertise of our employees, energized by our purpose, are accelerating our collective contributions to the world.
This Corporate Responsibility Report outlines our progress on the 2030 goals we laid out two years ago. I am proud of our accomplishments, including:
Continuing to invest in conservation projects and set new targets. Building on our long history of leadership in this space, we are driving reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, water use and waste generation. For example, we achieved net positive water in three countries, sustained 80% renewable energy globally and sent about 5% of our total waste to landfill. This work has contributed to us being recognized as No. 1 on Barron’s 100 Most Sustainable Companies list. We are also continuing our work on sustainable chemistry, including ongoing efforts to refine the chemical footprint methodology for use in evaluation of the chemical supply chain.
Accelerating efforts on the Alliance for Global Inclusion. Last year, we launched a coalition of technology and adjacent industry partners to improve diversity and inclusion practices and promote transparent reporting in four critical areas: leadership representation, inclusive language, inclusive product development and STEM readiness in underserved communities. We more than doubled membership and made meaningful progress on creating an inclusion index to help companies track diversity and inclusion improvements against a shared benchmark.
Evolving our Pandemic Response Technology Initiative (PRTI). This has now become our Intel RISE Technology Initiative (IRTI), which funds projects related to healthcare, education and the economy, with dedicated work streams for social equity and human rights, accessibility and climate action. The IRTI is a purpose-driven platform for action backed by a $20 million commitment.
Announcing the AI Incubator Network. This is an initiative in partnership with Dell Technologies and the American Association of Community Colleges. As part of Intel’s AI for Workforce program, the AI Incubator Network will design and build AI labs across the U.S. by leveraging the expertise and industry connections of America’s community college system. Since launching the AI for Workforce program in 2020, Intel has expanded it to 31 schools across 18 states with a goal of reaching all 50 states by 2023.
As we look ahead, we will build on this momentum to drive progress and take us to even greater heights in 2022 and in the years ahead, including:
Committing to net-zero greenhouse gas emissions across our operations by 2040. We will do this even as we significantly expand our global operations. We are committed to increasing the energy efficiency and lowering the carbon footprint of Intel products and platforms, and to working with customers and industry partners to create solutions that lower the greenhouse gas footprint of the entire technology ecosystem. Furthermore, through sustainable manufacturing practices and aggressive environmental targets, we are deeply committed to being good neighbors in the communities where we operate.
Making a $100 million investment to establish education and research collaborations. Working with the U.S. National Science Foundation, we will continue to boost research and workforce development in semiconductor manufacturing through a $100 million investment over the next decade to establish education and research collaborations with universities, community colleges, and technical educators in Ohio and across the nation.
Maximizing existing talent while building a diverse talent pipeline across our industry. Despite talent leaving the workforce in the wake of COVID-19 and drops in higher education enrollment, our 2030 goals remain unchanged. We will work to maximize existing talent while building a diverse talent pipeline across our industry. In addition, we have set a 2022 target that our technical hiring in entry-level roles is at least 30% women.
Driving positive impact in supply chain responsibility. Through our efforts to help protect human rights, our suppliers have returned $25 million in fees to their workers since 2014. In 2021, our progress also included expansion of our work in responsible minerals sourcing, and the achievement of $1.4 billion in annual spending with diverse-owned suppliers.
We have made incredible strides over the past year, but there is still much to do. We are just getting started.
Patrick (Pat) Gelsinger is chief executive officer of Intel Corporation and serves on its board of directors.