D rating at ClickClean.org

Greenpeace's 2017 report 'Clicking Clean' looks at the energy footprints of large data centre operators and popular websites and applications, and calls on these companies to power their data centres on renewable energy. Companies are graded (A,B,C,D,F) on their commitment to and procurement of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency, transparency and advocacy. This company's final grade was D. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Greenpeace (2017)

D- in Guide to Greener Electronics

This company received a grade of D- in the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (Oct 2017), which assesses companies from the electronics industry across three impact areas: energy use, resource consumption, and chemical elimination. Of the 17 companies ranked, this company came thirteenth. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Greenpeace (2017)

Workers rights in China

This company is a client of Biel Crystal, supplier of 60% of the world's touchscreen cover glasses. This SACOM 2013 investigative report discovered serious labour rights abuses in Biel Crystal's Chinese factories including excessive working hours, military-style management, worker suicides and blank work contracts. Moreover, Biel Crystal's Shenzhen factory has been fined by the Shenzhen municipal government for 3 continuous years of polluting the environment. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: SACOM (2013)

Workers rights in China

This 2012 report by China Labour Watch investigates eight Chinese factories supplying to Samsung. The report reveals 16 major sets of labor mistreatment in these factories, including forced and excessive overtime, exhausting working conditions, inhumane treatment of workers, discrimination worker abuse and a lack of any effective complaint mechanisms. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: China Labor Watch (2012)

Chemical poisoning of workers

The Poisonous Pearl is a 2016 report by Good Electronics which focuses on the experiences of (former) workers in the electronics industry in China who are victims of chemical poisoning. The health of all the workers in the report was damaged by exposure to hazardous chemicals such as benzene and n-hexane. All were working in large or small factories in the Pearl River Delta-region of China, an area well known as being a global hub for the production of consumer electronics (ICT). This company is supplied by factories in the region.

Source: SOMO (2016)

Child labour in gold mining

This 2016 scorecard by SOMO compares electronics companies on their policies and efforts regarding responsible mining and the elimination of child labour, with special attention to the mining of gold. This company is above industry standard on only 2 out of 7 criteria.

Source: Stop Child Labour (2016)

Workers rights in Brazil

Electronics manufacturing in Brazil started with the same kinds of labour violations as seen in countries like China. However over time Brazil's comprehensive labour laws and enforcement thereof have improved conditions for workers, particularly in the areas of excessive working hours and inappropriate use of temporary labour. Despite this, wages are still well below a living wage, unhealthy working conditions remain, and workers still experience harassment and a "culture of fear". [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: SOMO (2017)

Cobalt battery supply chain

A 2017 report by Amnesty International, 'Time to Recharge' ranks major electronics and car companies on how much they have improved their cobalt sourcing practices since January 2016. The report found that while a handful of companies have made progress, many are still not doing enough to stop human rights abuses entering their cobalt supply chains, even though their products could be linked to child labour in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This company was rated 'minimal action taken'. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Amnesty Intl (2017)

Conflict Minerals Ranking

In November 2017 the Enough Project published Demand the Supply, which ranked consumer electronics and jewelry retail companies on their efforts to develop conflict-free minerals supply chains from Congo. Companies were ranked on reporting; sourcing conflict-free minerals from Congo; supporting the artisanal mining communities in Eastern Congo; and conflict-free minerals advocacy. This company received a score of 17.5/120. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Enough Project (2017)

Price fixing in China

In 2013 Samsung was fined US$16.2 million by the Chinese government over charges that they fixed the prices of LCD panels that they sold to Chinese TV makers from 2001 to 2006. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]

Source: news article (2013)

Price fixing in Europe

Six firms, including this company, were fined a record 1.47b euros (AU$1.89b) in Dec 2012 by EU antitrust regulators for fixing prices of TV and monitor cathode-ray tubes for nearly a decade between 1996 and 2006. Samsung had a penalty of 150.8m euros. Samsung has also received price fixing fines in South Korea, Taiwan, China, Europe and the USA. [Listed under Information due to age of court finding]

Source: Financial Review (2012)

Price fixing in Europe

In 2011 this company and 5 other makers of liquid crystal displays agreed to pay more than $535m to settle consumer and state regulatory claims in the USA that they conspired to fix prices for LCD panels in televisions, notebook computers and monitors. Samsung is to pay $240m.

Source: news article (2011)

Fined by court - patent infringement

In 2012 a jury in California ordered this company to pay Apple $1.05 billion for patent infringement. Apple and Samsung have filed similar lawsuits in eight other countries, including South Korea, Germany, Japan, Italy, the Netherlands, Britain, France and Australia.

Source: news article (2012)

US recycling report card

The Electronics TakeBack Coalition's Recycling Report Card evaluates takeback and recycling programs for computer, TV, printer and game console companies. The report card focuses on the programs available to consumers in the US, and relies on publicly available information, as of Sept 2010. This company received a grade of B- for its recycling efforts in the USA.

Source: Electronics TakeBack Coalition (2010)

B+ grade at Behind the Barcode

B+ grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's Behind the Barcode 'Ethical Electronics Guide 2016', which grades companies on their efforts to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation throughout their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, traceability & transparency, monitoring & training and worker rights. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: Baptist World Aid Australia (2016)

Responsible Business Alliance member

This company is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (formerly the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition), a non-profit coalition of electronics companies which supports the rights and wellbeing of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. RBA members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains.

Source: RBA (2022)

GeSI member

This company is a member of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI), a leading source of impartial information, resources and best practices for achieving integrated social and environmental sustainability through Information and Communication Technology (ICT).

Source: GeSI (2016)

Responsible Minerals Initiative member

This company is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (formerly the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative), which helps companies address conflict minerals issues in their supply chains. The RMI provides information on conflict-free smelters and refiners, common tools to gather sourcing information, and forums for exchanging best practices on addressing conflict minerals. Membership is open to companies that use or transact in tantalum, tin, tungsten or gold (3TG). Founded in 2008 by members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.

Source: RMI (2019)

Workers rights in Mexico

This 2015 report by Good Electronics rates electronics companies on their compliance with labour rights in Mexico. This company was rated 'bare minimum'.

Source: Good Electronics (2015)

46/100 in KnowTheChain Benchmark

In 2022 KnowTheChain benchmarked 60 information, communications and technology (ICT) companies on their efforts to identify and tackle forced labour risks in their supply chains. This company received a score of 46/100. The average score was 20/100 and the highest score was 63.

Source: KnowTheChain (2022)

BHRRC company profile

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre digital platform presents news and allegations relating to the human rights impact of over 20,000 companies. Their enhanced Company Dashboards also include financial information, key data points based on corporate policies, and scores from prominent civil society benchmarks. Follow the link and use the search function to view this company's dashboard.

Source: BHRRC (2022)

53.7% in Newsweek Green Ranking 2017

This company received a score of 53.7/100 in the Newsweek Green Ranking 2017, which ranks the world's largest publicly traded companies on eight indicators covering energy, greenhouse gases, water, waste, fines and penalties, linking executive pay to sustainability targets, board-level committee oversight of environmental issues and third-party audits. Ranking methodology by Corporate Knights and HIP Investor.

Source: Newsweek (2017)

Action on Darfur

Identified in 'The Big Chill: Too Scared to Speak' report which identified Chinese Olympic Sponsors response to Darfur crisis in Sudan. Received a D-. These companies received a grade slightly higher than outright failure because they met with the campaign. Notably, Samsung sent two executives to New York from South Korea for a meeting with campaign.

Source: Dream for Dafur (2008)

Most controversial companies of 2012

This company appeared fourth on RepRisk's top ten "most environmentally and socially controversial companies of 2012". Companies on the list were severely criticised during 2012 by the world's media, governments and NGOs. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: RepRisk (2013)

Most controversial companies of 2013

This company appeared tenth on RepRisk's top ten "Most Controversial Companies of 2013". Companies on the list were severely criticised during 2013 by the world's media, governments and NGOs. Criticisms of Samsung Group included occupational, health and safety issues and poor employment conditions at its factories as well as human rights abuses, including child labor, within its supply chain. [Listed under Information due to age of report]

Source: RepRisk (2013)

Product carbon footprint label

This company has products that are certified by the Carbon Trust, signifying that the carbon footprint of selected products has been measured, managed and reduced. A life cycle product carbon footprint is determined by calculating the total greenhouse gas emissions generated by a product, from extraction of raw-materials, to end-of-life.

Source: Carbon Trust (2021)

Sustainability claims

This company has extensive sustainability claims on its website in the areas of strategy, corporate citizenship, environment, diversity & inclusion, responsible labor practice, supply chain, ethics, report & policy, and facts & figures.

Source: company website (2020)

Supply chain practices in China

The Green Supply Chain Corporate Information Transparency Index (CITI) evaluates consumer-facing companies that have a sizeable supply chain in China. The evaluation uses government supervision data and public information to assess the environmental management of their supply chains in China. This company received a score of 48.68/100 (retrieved 24 Nov 2023).

Source: IPE (2023)

Military - previous involvement

In 2014 Samsung Group sold four chemical and defense units to Hanwha Group for an estimated US$1.7 billion. The deal makes Hanwha Korea's main defense giant, and includes Samsung Techwin (now Hanwha Techwin), maker of armoured tanks and other weapons for the South Korean army and the Turkish army.

Source: news article (2014)

Nuclear power

Samsung C&T Corporation is involved in the construction of nuclear power plants in the UAE.

Source: company website (2013)

Facing Finance profile

This company is listed on the Facing Finance website as a company that manufactures weapons or profits from violations of human rights, pollution, corruption, or international law. Follow link for further details.

Source: Facing Finance (2015)