Environmental Sustainability

Climate Change Risks and Opportunities

As a major manufacturer of printed circuit boards in Thailand, Apex recognizes climate change's risks and potential impacts and the importance of green sustainability for corporate development. Therefore, Apex is committed to environmental protection and energy conservation, aiming to integrate production with environmental protection, optimize energy and resource use efficiency, and reduce carbon emissions and waste generation.

Firstly, the plan involves adopting ISO 14064 certification standards, developing an internal carbon footprint information collection platform, establishing a more comprehensive carbon inventory mechanism, and deepening the investigation of other GHG to develop carbon reduction plans. Secondly, Apex actively seeks alternative energy sources, building on the foundation of its Sandbox and Solar Project, collaborating with energy-saving organizations and equipment manufacturers to explore more energy-saving opportunities, expand the breadth of renewable energy programs, and strengthen carbon reduction policies. Thirdly, addressing the issue of waste pollution management, Apex plans to reduce waste generation through new processes and developments, coupled with the Apex wastewater recycling project to enhance waste management and water resource management systems, moving towards resource recycling.

In addition to launching various large-scale environmental-friendly projects by relevant departments, the management team at Apex is also committed to raising employees' awareness of carbon reduction, integrating environmental sustainability and corporate social responsibility into employees' thinking patterns, and leading employees to participate in green actions to protect the environment in their daily practices.

Since 2022, Apex has integrated stakeholder concerns into its risk and opportunity assessments. Through the ESG-related departments, stakeholder issues are consolidated, and senior executives assess risks and opportunities based on their impact level, categorised by frequency or likelihood. These are then ranked based on the product of impact level and frequency or probability, identifying significant risks and opportunities for management.

Climate Risk Scenario

Climate risk scenarios in this assessment combine Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSPs) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RCPs). Scenarios are simulated to evaluate policy implementation's social and economic impacts, considering future GHG concentrations and radiative forcing from other climate model inputs to estimate various degrees of global warming scenarios. The scenario used in this report, SSP2-4.5, falls into the moderate category. This indicates a focus on regional economic and security issues over broader development, with uneven development among countries leading to unclear policy effectiveness. Despite efforts from global and national institutions, progress towards sustainable development goals remains slow. RCP 4.5 represents a moderate emissions scenario, with CO2 emissions declining only by the mid-century and unable to achieve net-zero emissions before 2100, aligning more closely with the current development path.

Climate change risks and opportunities impact the Company's strategic and financial planning. Therefore, Apex follows TCFD recommendations to assess the resilience of climate strategies by analysing transition and physical risk types alongside climate opportunities within a moderate scenario context. The scenario is set as follows:

Climate Change Risks and Opportunities

Management of Water Resources and Wastes

Waste Management

PCB manufacturing processes rely on stable water resources, electricity, and chemicals, with complex wastewater characteristics and process flows. Apex initiated the Aqua Project in 2022, establishing a dedicated water resources task force and collaborating with suppliers to segregate liquids from various methods. These liquids undergo physical, chemical, and biological treatments for reuse or are sold to recycling companies to ensure resource recycling. Discharges that cannot be reused or sold are controlled within standard parameters per industrial zone regulations and discharged into designated channels according to rules.(Data covers all plants and subsidiaries.)

Apex's water sources are obtained from third parties, specifically local water supply companies and industrial zone treatment plants. In 2024, Apex's withdrawal water was 4,148 megaliters, with a discharge of 3,318 megaliters. In 2023, withdraw water was 3,822 megaliters, with a discharge of 3,058 megaliters.(Data covers all plants and subsidiaries.)

Water Recycle

Apex utilizes the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas, a water risk assessment tool developed by the World Resources Institute (WRI), to regularly assess water stress at all production sites. Currently, all production sites in Thailand are located in areas of high water stress. To address this, we continuously work to improve wastewater recycling rates, sourcing all water from local municipal water suppliers and industrial estate treatment plants. After use in various processes, wastewater is discharged into temporary storage tanks according to process types, aiming to maximize resource reuse:

  • Alkaline etching solution is treated with RecoCell equipment for electrolysis to recover copper from waste liquid. The processed alkaline etching solution is then returned to the respective process.
  • Certified vendors handle acidic etching solutions in the industrial area, where electrolysis is used to recover the remaining copper from waste liquid, maximizing resource value.
  • Other process wastewater is filtered through RO systems, and over 90% of it is recycled for reuse in the original process.
  • Wastewater sediment sludge is produced by mixing remaining industrial wastewater with domestic sewage, followed by sedimentation and filtration. Certified contractors within the industrial zone then treat the resulting sludge.
  • Before discharging wastewater to treatment plants, the parameters of discharged wastewater are controlled within standard limits according to industrial area regulations. cording to industrial area regulations.

In 2024, Apex's water intake was 4,148 megaliters, with water consumption estimated at approximately 830 megaliters and wastewater discharge at 3,318 megaliters. All discharge paths comply with Thai industrial laws and regulations, with no major violations in 2024. Although the water shortage risk at the plant site is low, Apex maintains supplier agreements to ensure a stable water supply and avoid production or delivery disruptions.


Energy & GHG Emission

Energy Efficiency and Policy

Since 2022, Apex has gradually implemented its solar energy initiative, with some solar installations already operational. In 2024, solar energy usage increased by 61.27% compared to the previous year, accounting for 3.08% of total energy consumption. During the year, installed systems generated a total of 9,660.36 MWp of solar energy.

2023 Energy Saving Implementation Status:
  1. Lean Project
    The project was implemented from 2022 to 2023 and focused on six key measures to improve equipment operational efficiency. As a result, the average monthly energy consumption for equipment operation in 2024 decreased by 13.39%, saving approximately 78,026.4GJ annually.
  2. Solar Project
    The Solar Project is being implemented in three phases from 2021 to 2028 to install solar energy systems. Upon completion of all phases, Apex’s total installed solar capacity is expected about 21MWp, equivalent to an annual reduction of about 15,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Compared to the company’s 2021 GHG inventory baseline, this reduction represents more than an 8% decrease in carbon emissions.

    In 2024, Apex made an additional investment of approximately NT$119 million in major green energy and sustainability-related equipment, specifically in solar power systems, bringing the cumulative installed capacity to 8,297 kWp. Beyond its commitment to sustainable development, Apex also fostered internal engagement during the solar panel installation process by inviting professional vendors to design and lead safety-focused training sessions. Employees were encouraged to participate, helping to build team cohesion and a sense of pride and honor in being part of the Apex Family.

Mitigating Global Warming

Apex recognizes the global focus on climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, as well as the importance of taking action across all sectors to reduce emissions. In 2016, Apex established a greenhouse gas inventory as the basis for its reduction targets, with 2019 set as the base year, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% (Scope 1 + Scope 2) within the next five years. By the end of 2022, Apex had successfully achieved this target. In 2023, a new phased target was set, using 2022 as the base year, aiming for a 5% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions within the next five years. However, adjustments to the product mix in 2024 affected the year’s emissions.

Apex’s manufacturing processes consume large amounts of electricity. With the implementation of the FA Goal, the energy consumption of some equipment has gradually decreased. Through the execution of the GREEN Project, Apex continues to improve the production and usage ratio of renewable energy. The first phase of the solar power generation project has been fully operational, achieving a carbon reduction of approximately 4,829 tons in 2024. The solar power project is divided into three phases, aiming to effectively reduce electricity purchases and carbon emissions in the future.

Apex adopts ISO 14064-1:2018 as its reporting standard to establish its greenhouse gas inventory. This standard covers CO₂, CH₄, N₂O, HFCs, PFCs, SF₆, and NF₃ applicable to Apex’s operational control approach. Data collection is conducted by region. If the group operates only an office without a manufacturing site in that region, only the electricity consumption of the local office is collected. For calculation, Taiwan uses the latest annual electricity emission factor announced by the Bureau of Energy, Ministry of Economic Affairs; China follows the emission factor specified in the “Notice on Key Work for the Management of Enterprise Greenhouse Gas Emission Reporting in 2022” by the Ministry of Ecology and Environment; and Thailand uses the emission factor published by TGO-CFO. The Global Warming Potential (GWP) values used are referenced from IPCC AR6.

Other indirect greenhouse gas emissions mainly come from the supply chain. Therefore, Apex has collaborated with suppliers to carry out Scope 3 greenhouse gas inventories, aiming to expand the scope of assessment to better control Scope 3 emissions.

GHG Emissions Situation :

Environmental Policy

Compliance with Environmental Regulations

The company is committed to corporate social responsibility and dedicated to complying with all environmental regulations to ensure that our operations align with the principles of sustainable development. We fully recognize the importance of environmental protection for both business and societal progress. Accordingly, we actively implement various measures to ensure compliance with domestic and international environmental laws and continuously optimize our environmental management systems to minimize ecological impact.

First and foremost, all of our facilities strictly adhere to environmental protection laws throughout the production process to ensure that operations do not negatively impact the environment. To date, the company has not incurred any significant losses (including penalties or compensation) due to environmental pollution, nor has it been subject to disciplinary action by regulatory authorities. This demonstrates our strong sense of discipline and responsibility in environmental management. Additionally, we have established comprehensive environmental management systems and regularly review and improve them to maintain compliance and reduce environmental risks.

Secondly, to ensure environmental quality, we conduct at least one third-party noise and air pollution inspection each year. Through professional environmental monitoring agencies, we ensure that emissions comply with regulatory requirements and that potential environmental risks can be promptly identified and addressed. In addition, we continuously invest in environmental protection technologies and equipment to reduce the environmental impact of our operations and safeguard the environmental quality of the surrounding communities.

Regarding product-related environmental regulations, the company strictly complies with the EU’s Restriction of Hazardous Substances Directive (RoHS) and the Registration, Evaluation, Authorization and Restriction of Chemicals (REACH) regulation. We ensure that our products do not contain or limit the use of hazardous substances and meet international environmental and health requirements. Our supply chain fully complies with relevant regulations to ensure that raw material sourcing, manufacturing, and final products all meet environmental standards, thereby reducing our ecological footprint.

In addition, the company actively supports biodiversity conservation by protecting the natural environment and ecosystems at each facility in accordance with local regulations and international initiatives. We take steps to avoid disrupting natural habitats and harming wildlife to preserve local biodiversity. Employees are also encouraged to participate in conservation activities, such as tree planting and beach cleanups, embedding ecological awareness into our corporate culture.

The company regards compliance with environmental regulations and the protection of biodiversity as fundamental responsibilities of its business operations. Through regular monitoring, internal management, supply chain collaboration, and employee engagement, we strive to ensure environmental sustainability. We will continue to raise our environmental management standards, promote green production, and implement eco-friendly measures to contribute to the long-term protection of the global environment and natural resources.

In 2024, all Apex facilities incurred no significant losses (including compensations) or penalties due to environmental pollution. Apex consistently operates at the highest standards to mitigate environmental costs during production processes, striving for mutual benefit with the environment.

  • Compliance with environmental laws and regulations
  • Continuous improvement of pollution prevention measures
  • Implementation of energy and resource conservation plans
  • Execution of environmental protection education and training
  • Introduction of an electronic document exchange system

Practical measures
  • Planting Saplings for Forest Restoration and Conservation
  • Donate Composting Bins for Waste Disposal, Burying Them to Serve as Fertiliser