Foxconn's Tiger Leap Combining Nature and Technology in Ecological Roof Garden

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Hon Hai Technology Group, the world's largest technology manufacturing and service provider, has actively responded to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In recent years, it has continued to optimize the campus environment around the world and used the Tiger Leap Group Headquarters in Tucheng, New Taipei City as a demonstration base to create a "Smart Green Ecological Roof Garden" that combines nature and technology and has ecological, environmental protection and carbon reduction benefits. The coffee grounds produced in the factory are also turned into treasure and provided to local small farmers for use as compost, establishing an ecological cycle of community resources.

The Tucheng Huyue Headquarters, which has a history of more than 30 years, is an important base for the group's daily operations and customer NPI (New Product Introduction). Its rooftop solar system has been upgraded since October 2023. It uses more efficient solar modules, and the installation capacity has been expanded from 63.6 kwp to 716.9 kwp. The power generation in the first year is approximately 849,000 kWh, an increase of 18 times. It can provide all lighting electricity in the factory and reduce carbon emissions by approximately 419 tons each year. The accompanying solar energy monitoring system can obtain big data information such as solar module and inverter operation, power generation, weather, sunshine intensity, etc. in real time, and present environmental contribution, such as carbon reduction and other environmental protection data, so that colleagues can understand the company's efforts on the net zero path, which is an important part of internal education and training.

The green energy transformation of the roof of the Huyue Factory specially adopts a trellis solar energy system. The solar module is designed to be elevated, and the lowest point is still 2.3 meters, retaining a walkway for employees to rest and walk. The group's general affairs team then planted edible landscapes to create an aerial friendly farm, allowing colleagues to participate in planting and harvesting fruits and vegetables. To date, passion fruit, strawberries, tomatoes, basil, etc. have been produced. The roof has now become a popular place for employees to rest and relax in the factory. By fully covering the roof with solar panels and vegetation, the heat absorption temperature of the building is reduced, effectively reducing the power consumption of air conditioning.

In order to better handle and transform the waste within the factory, the NbS (Nature-based Solutions) system module was introduced to the Sky Farm: red earthworms were introduced to digest the dead branches and leaves and raw kitchen waste within the factory, and the resulting earthworm manure was returned to the farm, forming a natural closed-loop ecosystem of organic fertilizer; the factory also turned the 317 kilograms of coffee grounds produced each month into treasure, and provided them to small farmers in Tucheng District for use as compost.

"World Earth Day is our annual self-examination point and starting point, not the end point," said Hon Hai Technology Group's Chief Environmental Officer, Hong Rongcong. "The circular economy is one of the two core environmental strategies of the group. We not only have a 'closed-loop self-sufficiency', but also expand the 'external cycle' outside the factory to strengthen the connection with the organization where the factory is located. In the future, we will also further evaluate the reuse of common waste materials such as coffee grounds through industry-university cooperation, expand the implementation of the group's commitment to society and the environment, and continue to promote the concept of 'sustainable management = EPS+ESG'."

"As a demonstration site for the group's green and sustainable development, Tiger Leap headquarters uses electric buses for commuting and daytime shuttle service, and has installed supporting measures such as charging stations. At the same time, we reduce the use of disposable plastics, recycle kitchen waste, use local seasonal ingredients, and create green catering, allowing Tiger Leap's employee cafeteria to obtain environmentally friendly restaurant certification last year. In the future, we will gradually expand to Tucheng and other plants in Taiwan to provide employees with a friendlier and more environmentally friendly working environment." said Liang Lixin, senior director of the Central General Affairs Department of Hon Hai Technology Group.

As a demonstration base for Foxconn's internal environmental education and training, Foxconn Tiger Leap has display billboards in various facilities on the rooftop, and an observatory sign on the fifth floor that introduces the surrounding wetlands and other ecological natural environments, as well as the topography of the Linkou Plateau and Guanyin Mountain around the Taipei Basin. The lobby on the first floor of the headquarters has a vegetation wall and displays the Foxconn logo made of 3D printing from construction waste. Together with the signs for the algae reef and sustainable ocean project, a small biodiversity education venue has been created. The UL2799 zero waste certification sign and two environmental information promotion electronic signs set up in the restaurant also allow employees to learn about the group's sustainable efforts while dining and relaxing, integrating environmental education into daily work and life to build the group's overall environmental protection and carbon reduction culture.