Global technology brand HONOR today successfully hosted the second HONOR ESG Sustainable Development Forum at the Jianfu Palace Garden of the Palace Museum. Supported by esteemed organizations including the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) Investment and Technology Promotion Offices (ITPO), the Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA) and the China Association of Circular Economy (CACE), the forum brought together diplomats, international organizations, industry associations, universities and enterprises for insightful discussions on sustainability.
During the event, HONOR officially unveiled its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report 2023, highlighting its progress in youth empowerment, Tech for Good and green transformation. Meanwhile, the HONOR Talents Global Design Awards exhibition has made its way into the Palace Museum, showcasing HONOR's steadfast commitment to empowering youth and preserving cultural heritage.
Driving Sustainable Development with Technological Innovations
As a prominent global technology brand, HONOR places ESG as a long-term strategic focus, which encompasses seven key areas: Environmental Protection, Tech for Good, Privacy, Youth Empowerment, Supplier CSR, Employee Development and Responsible Governance.
“Committed to human-centric sustainable development, HONOR strives to foster an innovative, open, and inclusive responsible enterprise. We strive to go beyond and create a new intelligent world for everyone,” said George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co. Ltd.
Empowering Young Talents to Showcase Their Potential
The HONOR Talents Global Design Awards has evolved into a platform for young talents worldwide to showcase their full potential. Over the past four years, it has garnered 25,000 submissions from over 40 markets and 240 universities. In 2023, the interactive art installation “What’s Going on in the Stone” created by Yuan Shi from CAFA, has been awarded Global First Place. This installation invites viewers to engage in cross-generational interactions with characters from the Han Dynasty, vividly capturing the intriguing collision of technology and culture.
Meanwhile, the HONOR Talents Global Design Awards exhibition was hosted at the Yanchun Pavilion in the Jianfu Palace Garden. Following previous exhibitions held at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, Paseo de la Reforma in Mexico, and Humburg World Heritage Site, Speicherstadt, HONOR's youth empowerment project has once again entered a global cultural landmark.
HONOR’s Commitment to Tech for Good
In pursuit of its Tech for Good strategy, HONOR remains dedicated to developing human-centric technology and products. To meet the digital needs of the elderly, visually and hearing impaired individuals, HONOR provides on-device AI solutions such as screen reading and AI subtitles, bridging the digital divide with offline and personalized accessibility features. By the end of 2023, HONOR has developed and implemented 26 elderly-friendly projects, benefiting over 4.66 million users with visual assistance functions and over 940,000 users with hearing assistance features.
During the event, HONOR demonstrated its proprietary real-time AI subtitle feature, which makes sound visible for people with disabilities. “HONOR maintains an open and collaborative approach in our upcoming Tech for Good initiatives. Through open collaborations, we are fully unleashing the potential of AI in ESG and other fields by leveraging the synergy between on-device and cloud-based AI,” said George Zhao, CEO of HONOR Device Co. Ltd.
Clean Energy Usage Reached 8% in the First Year
HONOR actively incorporates climate change into its corporate management. With the goal of achieving carbon-neutral operations by 2045, HONOR has made significant efforts to reduce its carbon emissions across its products, manufacturing and operations, demonstrating a strong commitment to environmental sustainability. Since 2023, HONOR has embraced the use of clean energy, which accounted for 8% of its energy usage in the first year.
HONOR has achieved remarkable milestones in its commitment to green products and manufacturing. Driven by advancements in research and design, material selection, durability and efficiency, 128 HONOR smartphones and tablets have obtained CQC environmental certification, leading to a reduction of approximately 876 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions. Meanwhile, packaging innovations implemented in 2023 achieved a carbon reduction of over 650 tonnes.
The HONOR Intelligent Manufacturing Industrial Park has been recognized as a national-level green factory, with a self-built photovoltaic power station expected to generate 700,000 kWh of clean electricity annually.
In terms of green operations, HONOR has adopted paperless operations in internal offices and offline stores, achieving a reduced printed paper consumption equivalent to saving 108 Masson pines from being cut down in 2023.
In 2023, HONOR’s ESG projects garnered recognition from multiple authoritative industry institutions, including the Fortune China Best Designs and Bloomberg Green ESG 50.
Please scan the QR code or click here to read the full HONOR ESG Report 2023.