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"Intel had already promised that it would avoid using conflict minerals, and now it's giving itself a more concrete timetable for that to happen.  It wants to have at least one processor that's proven completely conflict-free across four key minerals -- gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten -- by the end of 2013.  Lest you think Intel's not taking swift enough action, it wants to reach the tantalum goal by the end of this year.  The effort's part of a wider array of goals that should cut back on the energy use, power and water use by 2020.  Sooner rather than later, though, you'll be buying a late-generation Haswell- or Broadwell-based PC knowing that the chip inside was made under nobler conditions.Show full PR text      Intel Sets 2020 Environmental Goals     Publishes 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report      NEWS HIGHLIGHTS     In its 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report, Intel sets new 2020 environmental goals to extend its path of innovation and environmental responsibility.     Intel incorporated an integrated approach into this report, providing information on the connection between corporate responsibility performance and the creation of business value.   Intel also reports on increased supplier assessments, renewable power and energy efficiency successes, employee engagement and green building design, among other topics.         SANTA CLARA, Calif., May 17, 2012 &amp;ndash; Building on nearly 2 decades of reporting on its environmental commitments and performance, Intel Corporation today released its 2011 Corporate Responsibility Report, which includes new 2020 environmental goals to drive continuous improvement in the company's manufacturing operations and the energy efficiency of its products. Intel's new 2020 environmental goals include:      Reduce direct greenhouse gas emissions by 10 percent on a per chip basis by 2020 from 2010 levels1.     Design all new buildings to a minimum Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver Certification between 2010 and 2020.     Increase the energy efficiency of notebook computers and data center products 25 times by 2020 from 2010 levels.     Achieve additional energy savings of 1.4 billion kWh from 2012 to 2015, and publish additional energy conservation targets for 2016&amp;ndash;2020 in its 2012 report.     Reduce water use on a per chip basis below 2010 levels by 2020.     Achieve zero chemical waste to landfill by 2020.      \"At Intel, corporate responsibility is a crucial component to the overall growth of our business,\" said Michael Jacobson, Intel's director of corporate responsibility. \"From product to customer to employee to environment, corporate responsibility allows Intel to have a greater and more influential impact on industries, communities and the global economy.\"      Other highlights from the 2011 report include:      Supply Chain Responsibility     Intel was again recognized in the Gartner Supply Chain Top 25 list for excellence in supply chain management, ranking 16th in 2011, up from 18th in 2010 and 25th in 2009.     To address the issue of conflict minerals, through the end of 2011, Intel had identified 98 smelter sites and visited 48 of them in 16 countries to lay the groundwork for third-party audits. Intel's goal is to demonstrate that its microprocessors are validated as conflict-free for tantalum by the end of 2012, and to manufacture the world's first microprocessor fully validated as conflict-free across all four minerals (gold, tantalum, tin and tungsten) by the end of 2013.      Renewable Power     For the past 4 years, Intel has been recognized as the largest voluntary purchaser of green power in the United States, under the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership program.     Since 2009, Intel has collaborated with third parties to complete 15 solar electric installations across nine Intel campuses in Arizona, California, New Mexico, Oregon, Israel and Vietnam - collectively generating more than 5 million kWh per year of clean energy.     Since 2001, Intel has invested more than $58 million and completed over 1,563 energy conservation and energy efficiency projects, saving more than 825 million kWh of energy, or the approximate CO2 emissions from the electricity use of more than 70,933 average U.S. homes for 1 year. These investments also enabled Intel to reduce energy costs in 2011 by $10.9 million.      Employee Engagement     Since 2008, Intel has linked a portion of its employees' variable compensation to environmental sustainability metrics.     In 2011, as part of Intel's Environmental Excellence Awards, 62 employee teams from around the world were nominated for their work that helped Intel reduce its environmental impact. In fact, the estimated annual cost savings from the 2011 winning projects exceeded $70 million.     In 2011, Intel provided $125,000 in funding for nine employee projects via its Sustainability in Action grant program - including the installation of a rainwater harvesting project at a school in Israel and the design of a zero-emissions heating and cooling control and supply system for a local community building in China.     In 2011, 50 percent of Intel employees donated over 1.1million hours of service through the Intel Involved volunteer program - an average of 13 hours per employee - at 5,100 schools and nonprofit organizations in 45 countries.      Green Building Design and LEED Certification     By the end of 2011, Intel had achieved LEED Silver Certification for a total of 18 buildings across five sites in Arizona, Costa Rica, China, Israel and Malaysia.      Education     In 2011, Intel reached its goal of providing professional development through the Intel Teach&amp;reg; program to over 10 million teachers in more than 70 countries, reaching over 300 million students. In addition, the program was introduced in Uganda, Zimbabwe, Gabon and Tanzania.   In 2011, Intel launched She Will, a campaign to educate and empower girls and women around the world by fostering equal economic and educational opportunities.      Intel has provided public reports on its environmental, health and safety performance since 1994 and produced an annual Corporate Responsibility Report since 2001. To read the new report, visit www.intel.com/go/responsibility. More information on Intel's corporate responsibility programs can be found at the CSR@Intel blog and on Twitter."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.engadget.com/2012/05/17/intel-wants-to-have-conflict-free-processors-by-the-end-of-2013/>