KLA sets new Scope 3 target for 2030 to reduce emissions from product use

Global semiconductor equipment and services company KLA today announced that its near-term greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets have been approved by the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi), including the new Scope 3 target, which targets emissions resulting from customers’ use of its products.

In 2022, the company announced a commitment to reduce Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 50% by 2030 from a 2021 base year. At that time, the company also announced a goal to use 100% renewable electricity in all global operations by 2030 and committed to working toward a Scope 3 emissions reduction target.

Scope 3 emissions represent the vast majority (over 98%) of the company’s greenhouse gas footprint, and the use of products sold accounts for approximately three-quarters of Scope 3.

The company’s new Scope 3 target is to achieve a 52% emissions reduction per billion transistors inspected, measured or processed by customers operating KLA products at their manufacturing sites by 2030 (base year 2021). The company said the target was set after modeling efficiency metrics and product roadmaps to plan for Scope 3 reductions.

Ahmad Khan, President of Semiconductor Process Control, Electronics, Packaging and Components and KLA Instruments, said:

“Our close collaboration with our customers gives KLA unique insight into the challenges facing the industry, and that extends to our mindset of measuring ourselves and our collective impact on the environment. The SBTi’s acceptance of KLA’s proposed science-based targets is exciting for us, and we believe it also helps set a clear benchmark for others in our industry, allowing us to accelerate our work to reduce emissions and improve performance.”

The SBTi approval and new Scope 3 target were announced alongside the release of KLA’s annual 2023 Global Impact Report, which provides stakeholders with a more detailed insight into the company’s overall performance against its stated ESG targets over the most recent calendar year.

John McLaughlin, Global ESG Leader at KLA, said:

“Our Scope 3 target is based on the technological advances to increase our efficiency and builds on KLA’s 48 years of experience in providing leading solutions that can improve product yield and reduce waste across the semiconductor industry. With our short-term targets confirmed by SBTi, we have a clear benchmark for our path to sustainability and look forward to continuing to offer our customers solutions that help them achieve their climate goals.”