Overview

United Microelectronics Corporation (UMC) recognizes the critical importance of biodiversity to ecological balance and human well-being. In 2022, UMC announced its dual goals of achieving a Net Positive Impact on the environment and No Gross Deforestation by 2050. Following the release of the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, UMC became one of the early TNFD Adopters. In September 2025, the company officially published its first TNFD Report. Aligning with TNFD’s recommended structure and methodology, the report identifies and evaluates UMC’s operational and supply chain dependencies and impacts on nature, while disclosing related risks and opportunities. This marks another milestone toward international standards after the release of the Climate Action Report in 2023, underscoring UMC’s determination to expand its sustainability governance from “climate” to “nature.”

The Nature-related Financial Disclosure Report applies the TNFD’s LEAP methodology—Locate, Evaluate, Assess, and Prepare—to systematically examine UMC’s and its value chain’s dependencies and impacts on nature. It also adopts the AR3T framework (Avoid, Reduce, Restore & Regenerate, Transform), advocated by the Science Based Targets Network (SBTN) and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD), to consolidate UMC’s nature-related initiatives and actions.

The following three projects highlight UMC’s multi-faceted efforts, leveraging innovation and cross-sector collaboration to advance tangible initiatives.

1. UMC Eco Echo Awards: The Green Awards foster scalable sustainability practices, driving social participation and innovation. Since its launch, it has supported 81 ecological conservation and green innovation projects across Taiwan, while mobilizing supply chain partners and community resources to bring more impactful environmental initiatives to life.
2. UMC’s U-Water Water-Saving Project: In 2023, UMC established the U Water wastewater recycling system to optimize water use in its fabs. The program reallocates water resources to critical production processes and transforms wastewater into secondary water for internal use through mobile treatment systems, enabling UMC to address up to 15% of potential supply gaps.
3. Circular Economy & Recycling Innovation Center: Founded in 2023 and set to launch in 2025, the center will reduce approximately 15,000 metric tons of semiconductor manufacturing waste annually—cutting one-third of waste—and generate value from recycled products, advancing the circular and green economy.

As the world faces mounting natural risks and biodiversity loss, UMC, as a leader in the global semiconductor industry, has long been committed to environmental sustainability and nature conservation. Demonstrating both responsibility and foresight, UMC advances concrete initiatives such as the Eco Echo Awards and U-Water Water-Saving Project to deliver net positive impacts on nature. The company will continue to pursue its key milestones of achieving a Net Positive Impact on the environment and No Gross Deforestation, striving toward a future where business value and ecological well-being thrive together.