EHS

The number of regulatory proposals, including restrictions on substances such as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), that could hinder the semiconductor industry’s ability to continue manufacturing is increasing. The SEMI Environmental, Health Safety (EHS) Working Groups, composed of industry technologists from across the global supply chain, meet on a regular basis to share intelligence and develop strategies to earn exemptions and/or extensions from regulators to enable the industry to continue manufacturing the chips critical to our modern way of life.In addition to an EHS session each year at SEMICON West, SEMI also hosts a full-day EHS Summit annually. This year’s event will be held on Thursday, May 26 at SEMI Headquarters in Silicon Valley. Experts from AGC, Beveridge Diamond, Intel, Tokyo Electron, SEMI Public Policy Advocacy staff from Brussels and Washington DC, as well as other key industry leaders will address the EHS regulatory challenges facing semiconductor manufacturing in 2026 and beyond. Presentations will allow for questions, discussions, and planning for taking collective action to strengthen semiconductor manufacturing.  Tentative topics include:US regulatory landscape under second Trump Administration and global impactUS State-level legislationEurope: PFAS restriction, REACH restriction, packaging and packaging waste regulation, GENESIS Consortium, and more.PFAS recyclingStockholm ConventionEmerging regulations in AsiaSupply chain transparencyUS EPA Technology Transition Rule (HFC Phasedown)US EPA TSCA New Substances Risk EvaluationPlasticizers and flame retardantsMark your calendar to attend, network, and strategically prepare your company. Register today. EHS Summit LocationSEMI 673 South Milpitas Ave. Milpitas, CA 95035James Amano is Senior Director, EHS at SEMI

Despite the unfortunate withdrawal of an individual government from the voluntary international accord on climate change, SEMI and our industry remains dedicated to sustainable manufacturing and reiterates our strong commitment to reducing our industry’s carbon footprint.SEMI takes seriously our global responsibility to work closely with member companies and like-minded organizations to address environmental, health and safety performance. We are proud to advanced industry agreements necessary for the reduction of energy, resource consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions in semiconductor manufacturing.While serving as the CEO of GLOBALFOUNDRIES, I was honored to be a recipient of the SEMI Outstanding EHS Achievement Award. As a semiconductor manufacturer, I strongly believed that environmental performance is a mandate that we set for ourselves in addition to being a fundamental expectation of our customers and the communities where we operate. Now, as the head of SEMI, I am doubly committed to driving industry-wide impact.Significant energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction efforts require close collaboration between chip makers, equipment providers and subsystem suppliers. SEMI facilitates this collaboration through our International Standards and Sustainable Manufacturing initiatives. Working with SEMI Standards Technical Committees, Sustainable Manufacturing Working Groups and other industry bodies such as the World Semiconductor Council, SEMI actively drives productive solutions to reduce our industry’s carbon footprint. For example, SEMI International Standards S23 and S29 codify performance-based guidelines for semiconductor manufacturing equipment targeting reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. Extensive SEMI standardization efforts for idle and sleep-mode energy conservation will drive significant reductions in fab power consumption. One manufacturer reports that green mode vacuum pumps alone can produce a nearly 2,000-ton reduction in CO2 emissions in a typical 300mm semiconductor fab.Our members are at the forefront of innovation that is driving a smart economy. SEMI supports industry collaboration to advance leading edge manufacturing technology; which, in turn, produces intelligent devices essential for clean energy solutions, environment monitoring and the capacity to mitigate the impacts of a warming planet. A momentary setback in international efforts to address climate change will not change the path forward. I am confident that SEMI and our members will continue to make positive contributions for the benefit of our industry, our environment and our planet.