Press release

ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd Receives Industry Leadership Recognition on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices for the Eighth Year in a Row

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ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. (ASEH, TAIEX: 3711, NYSE: ASX), the leading provider of semiconductor packaging, test, and system assembly services, today announced that it has been included in the 2023 Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) World and Emerging Markets. ASEH has also emerged as the only global enterprise to have received the highest scores on the DJSI – Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment Industry Group for eight consecutive years. The DJSI are float-adjusted market capitalization weighted indices that measure the performance of companies selected using environmental, social and governance (ESG) criteria. In tandem with the DJSI accolade, ASE has also been on the CDP’s annual list for Climate Leadership for seven years’ standing since 2016. The CDP is a global non-profit that runs the world’s environmental disclosure system for companies, cities, states, and regions.

ASEH is focused on building a robust and sustainable organization with the highest level of commitment to sustainability development. We are proud that our ESG performance has been duly recognized by both local and international sustainability rating agencies. Besides the DJSI and CDP accomplishments, ASEH was also listed on the FTSE4Good Emerging Index and has an A on the MSCI ESG Ratings. Within Taiwan, ASEH is a constituent of the TAIEX Sustainability Index, and a recipient of 15 awards this year, including the TCSA (Taiwan Corporate Sustainability Awards) Top 10 Sustainable Manufacturing Companies, Sustainable Supply Chain Leadership, Social Inclusion Leadership, Climate Leadership, ESG Annual Report and the Commonwealth Magazine Corporate Citizenship awards.

As the best-in-class company on the Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment Industry Group, ASEH outperformed the industry across all 3 dimensions – Governance and Economic Performance, Environmental and Social. Overall, ASEH achieved the highest scores in 18 categories – Business Ethics, Policy Influence, Information Security / Cybersecurity and System Availability, Innovation Management, Product Quality and Recall Management, Environmental Policy and Management Systems, Resource Efficiency and Circularity, Product Stewardship, Human Rights, Occupational Health and Safety, Customer Relationship Management, Privacy Protection, Risk and Crisis Management, Supply Chain Management, Climate Strategy, Labor Practice Indicators, Human Capital Development, and Talent Attraction and Retention. This year, 64 companies were assessed in the Semiconductors and Semiconductor Equipment Industry Group for eligibility to be included on the 2023 DJSI World and only 9 including ASE successfully made the cut.

“As a key player in the semiconductor industry, we have a duty to play a positive role in addressing headwinds posed by digital transformation, the pursuit of net-zero, workforce talent gaps, and the increasing complexity of sustainability topics,” said Jason Chang, Chairman and CEO, ASE Technology Holding. “We are extremely delighted to be recognized on the 2023 DJSI World and Emerging Market index and receiving the highest scores for a consecutive 8 years. We will continue to strengthen our corporate resilience by applying a strategic ESG framework based on low-carbon, circular, inclusive, and collaborative approaches, as well as balancing the company’s sustainability development and growth through technological innovation and digital transformation,” he continued.

Smart Factories and Global Lighthouse Network

In a significant stride towards digital transformation in manufacturing, ASEH established the world’s first 5G mmWave smart IC packaging facility in Kaohsiung in 2022. Following that accomplishment, ASE Kaohsiung’s wafer bumping facility was selected to join the renowned World Economic Forum Global Lighthouse Network (WEF GLN), a community of manufacturing sites and value chains that are leaders in the adoption of Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) cutting edge technologies. As one of the 132 GLN factories* in the world, ASEH has truly demonstrated the company’s strategic foresight and execution in integrating 4IR technologies into its smart manufacturing blueprints.

Green Transformation

ASEH has begun introducing internal carbon pricing and driving the pathway to Net Zero 2050 through investments in carbon credits, renewable energy, low-carbon transportation, low-carbon products, and supply chain. At the same time, we have also established a sustainable supply chain development plan that will include annual sustainability forums, Supplier Sustainability awards, providing suppliers guidance on carbon reduction and certification, and incentivizing supplier adoption of circularity and carbon reduction in their business models. Together with our value chain, we will help contribute to a more sustainable and green semiconductor industry.

Corporate Citizenship and Biodiversity

In 2022, the ASE Social Enterprise Co. Ltd. was formally established as a channel for ASE to apply innovative business models focusing on meaningful topics including women’s empowerment, environment, workforce talent, and an aging population. We are planning to establish elderly daycare centers in the vicinity of our manufacturing facilities to cater to employees with senior family members. Our facilities are also equipped with smart recycling machines to foster collaborative efforts on sustainable waste management and support ASEH’s circular economy concept together with our employees.

To further protect our environment and ensure the conservation of biodiversity, ASEH joined hands with the ASE Environmental Protection and Sustainability Foundation and the ASE Cultural and Educational Foundation to accelerate our goals of net positive impact for biodiversity and no deforestation by 2030. We have also established plans to adopt and restore newly built industrial parks as well as to protect endangered species such as the snake-eating turtle. In alignment with the Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures (TNFD) framework, ASEH publishes the TCFD (Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosures, including TNFD) report regularly to provide disclosures on the company’s positive contribution in promoting a sharing economy and driving up mutual benefits to society and the environment.

“ASEH will continue to actively leverage our leadership in IC Packaging and Test, and advance humanity through our four-pronged corporate strategy that encompasses establishing a culture of creativity, accelerating green transformation, collaboration across the supply chain and increasing social value. We are determined and working harder than ever to achieve maximum value for our stakeholders and future generations,” Jason Chang concluded.

For more information on ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd.’s ESG reporting, please visit https://www.aseglobal.com/csr/

Launched in 1999, the DJSI tracks the financial performance of leading sustainability-driven companies worldwide​. For more information on the DJSI, please visit https://www.spglobal.com/esg/csa/djsi-csa-annual-review

*As of September 2023

About ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd.

ASE Technology Holding Co., Ltd. is among the leading providers of independent semiconductor manufacturing services in assembly, test, materials, and design manufacturing. As a global leader geared towards meeting the industry’s ever-growing needs for faster, smaller, and higher performance chips, ASE Technology Holding develops and offers a wide portfolio of technology and solutions including IC test program design, front-end engineering test, wafer probe, wafer bump, substrate design and supply, wafer level package, flip chip, system-in-package, final test and electronic manufacturing services. For more information about ASE Technology Holding, please visit www.aseglobal.com or LinkedIn/X @aseglobal

Safe Harbor Notice

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although these forward-looking statements, which may include statements regarding our future results of operations, financial condition or business prospects, are based on our own information and information from other sources we believe to be reliable, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which apply only as of the date of this press release. The words “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify these forward-looking statements in this press release. These forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of our senior management and our actual results of operations, financial condition or business prospects may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements for reasons including, among others, risks associated with cyclicality and market conditions in the semiconductor or electronic industry; changes in our regulatory environment, including our ability to comply with new or stricter environmental regulations and to resolve environmental liabilities; demand for the outsourced semiconductor packaging, testing and electronic manufacturing services we offer and for such outsourced services generally; the highly competitive semiconductor or manufacturing industry we are involved in; our ability to introduce new technologies in order to remain competitive; international business activities; our business strategy; our future expansion plans and capital expenditures; the strained relationship between the Republic of China and the People’s Republic of China; general economic and political conditions; the recent shift in United States trade policies; possible disruptions in commercial activities caused by natural or human-induced disasters; fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates; and other factors. For a discussion of these risks and other factors, please see the documents we file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the 2022 Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on April 10, 2023.