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International Activities
This page provides links to non-EPA Web sites that provide additional information about the PFC Reduction / Climate Partnership for the Semiconductor Industry. You will leave the EPA.gov domain and enter another page with more information. EPA cannot attest to the accuracy of information on that non-EPA page. Providing links to a non-EPA Web site is not an endorsement of the other site or the information it contains by EPA or any of its employees. Also, be aware that the privacy protection provided on the EPA.gov domain (see Privacy and Security Notice) may not be available at the external link. 
The semiconductor industry provides an excellent example of how international industry cooperation can advance global environmental protection. In April 1999, members of the World Semiconductor Council (WSC) announced a goal of reducing PFC emissions by at least 10 percent below the 1995 baseline level by year-end 2010. Korean and Taiwanese manufacturers used negligible amounts of PFCs in 1995 so it was agreed that Korean companies would use a baseline of 1997 and Taiwan would use a baseline of 1997/1999 average to better reflect their adoption of PFC-based production technologies. China joined the WSC in 2006 and is negotiating an appropriate climate protection goal. The WSC, which was formed in 1996 to address market access issues and promote industry cooperation on economic, trade and environmental issues facing the global semiconductor industry, includes:
- Semiconductor Industry Association in China
- Semiconductor Industry Association in Chinese Taipei
- Semiconductor Industry Association in Europe
- Semiconductor Industry Association in Japan
- Semiconductor Industry Association in Korea
- Semiconductor Industry Association in United States
The semiconductor industry was the first to establish a coordinated climate protection strategy and commit to voluntarily reduce greenhouse gas emissions worldwide. WSC member companies, producing more than 90 percent of the world's semiconductors, identified PFC emission reduction as the industry's top environmental priority in 1998. The industry's inclusion of manufacturers in both developed and developing countries will help ensure all firms share the costs and benefits of innovating and implementing technologies to reduce PFC emissions.