Electronics Manufacturers Face New Supply Chain Threat

May 28, 2013 11:10 AM ET
Campaign: Conflict Minerals

New Green House Gas Protocol (GHGP) amendment will now require NF3, nitrogen triflouride, to be included in inventories under the Corporate Standard, Value Chain (Scope 3) Standard, and Product Standard under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).  

NF3, primarily used in the production of popular electronics such as LCD panels, computer circuits and thin-film solar cells, is said to be 17,200 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in trapping atmospheric heat over a 100-year time span. 

Electronics manufacturers now must determine how they will control the emission of NF3 and meet the new standards.  Options range from capturing the gas before reuse or destroying it before it leaves the facility.  Global Brands Toshiba, Samsung, and LG have all opted to substitute the more earth-friendly fluorine although there are cost and liability drawbacks.

 

Find out more about the complexity of Electronics Manufacturers Supply Chain’s and the various threats they face HERE.