Chipmaker TSMC aims for net zero emissions by 2050

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Ltd (TSMC), the world's largest contract chipmaker, said on Thursday that it aims to reach net zero emissions by 2050, matching a plan announced by President Tsai Ing-wen in April.

"TSMC is deeply aware that climate change has a severe impact on the environment and humanity. As a world-leading semiconductor company, TSMC must shoulder its corporate responsibility to face the challenge of climate change," Chairman Mark Liu said in a statement.

The company, which counts Apple Inc and Qualcomm Inc amongst its major clients, will "set related mitigation measures" and actively adopt the use of renewable energy, it added.

TSMC said it has set the short-term goal of zero emissions growth by 2025.

"TSMC will continue actively evaluating and investing in all types of opportunities to reduce carbon emissions."

Tsai said in April that the government had begun to assess how the island can reach zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, after environmental groups criticised the government for not doing enough to fight climate change.

Taiwan's previous target, set in 2015, was to halve emissions between 2005 and 2050.

Last year, coal provided 45% of Taiwan's electricity, with liquefied natural gas (LNG) a close second at almost 36%, according to the economy ministry.

Coal's contribution to Taiwan's power mix is set to fall to below 30% by 2025, with the proportion of LNG rising to around 50% and renewables to 20%, from just 5.4% last year, according to government plans.

Last year, Greenpeace called on tech powerhouse Taiwan to be much more aggressive in tackling climate change, in the face of the subtropical island's risks from extreme weather and rising sea levels.

(Reporting by Ben Blanchard; Editing by Himani Sarkar)