Goals for a Sustainable Future

Fawn Bergen’s work spans industries, but the root of her values stems from her childhood. She attributes her passion to “my mother, who instilled in us from a really young age to appreciate what nature does and to really take care of it,” said Bergen, Corporate Sustainability Manager for Intel. She’s been a part of the Intel team for eight years. 

Bergen dug into the Intel archives. “Our first environmental report that we published was in 1994 – when most companies weren’t even thinking about this,” she said. “Sustainability or some kind of environmental commitment has been a part of the company, pretty much since it was founded.” According to the UN, sustainability is simply “meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

By this definition, sustainable companies must consider their needs and a future without them. Intel’s sustainability focuses on renewable electricity, waste generation, and water conservation. The company’s initiatives have avoided 75% of greenhouse gas emissions.

“Today, we have a commitment to get to 100% renewable electricity. We’ve been investing in renewable electricity for over a decade. We’re 100% in the US, all of our European locations, and also Malaysia and Isreal. We are working to 100% at all of our other global sites around the world,” said Bergen. Intel’s future goals are zealous and necessary. “Our latest ambitions that we committed to in the last two years is to get to net zero gas emissions by 2040, and on water, our goal is to reach net positive water by 2030. And waste – zero waste to landfill and upcycling of our manufacturing waste. All of this is built on the progress we’ve made in the last two decades.” The industry needs cross-company research and development for new chemistries and abatement technologies to reach net zero goals by 2040. The sustainability movement needs constant work and solutions for a better tomorrow.