We shared Acer's sustainability experience with students from Switzerland and Taiwan.

Material Topics：Talent Attraction, Retention, and Development      
Stakeholders in Communication：Educational and Research Institutions

In August 2023, a group of 28 students and faculty members from the University of Applied Science and Arts of Southern Switzerland and 14 students and teachers from the National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, visited the headquarters of Acer. We introduced the students to the Acer Group and our products as well as various ESG initiatives. Additionally, we showed them around the experience center to give them a firsthand understanding of Acer's products. During the Q&A session, we learned about the keywords that made the strongest impression on students during Acer's introduction using Word Cloud. Students were particularly impressed by ESG, Sustainability, and Vero. We also gave students the opportunity to select three ESG topics that interested them the most. The results revealed that students were most interested in energy, carbon emissions, and climate change , innovative research and design, and supplier environmental and social management and performance. Lastly, we encouraged students to ask questions, and they had numerous inquiries about product recycling, greenhouse gases (RE100), application of PCR, and OBP in products. We provided detailed explanations for each question.

Information Technology Industry Council Environment & Sustainability Affiliate Group

Material Topics：Circular Economies and Product Life Cycle   
Stakeholders in Communication：Industry Associations

In 2023, Acer continued its membership with the Information Technology Industry Council, Environment and Sustainability affiliate group. As a member, Acer has access to industry-leading staff expertise on regulatory compliance and product and corporate standards development and implementation. The organization’s influence enables connections to key government officials, industry experts, intelligence, and industry benchmarking through involvement in working groups and face-to-face meetings. ITI Environment and Sustainability also provides access to compliance calendars, tools, and collective reporting services to improve compliance efficiency for members. 

Acer continued to participate in three main working groups within the ITI Environment and Sustainability group that address green procurement, product stewardship, and energy efficiency, where members discuss emerging and existing tech policies and standards and provide industry expertise to guide the development and maintenance of these policies and standards. Key topics for the workgroups in 2023 include, Energy Star, EPEAT and TCO green procurement standard development, right-to-repair, PIP 3:1 and PFAS chemical reporting and restrictions, and the Basel Convention transboundary movement of wastes. 

Acer also continued its participation in the Right-to-Repair task group, which was convened to get feedback from membership and to develop a strategic approach to the many proposed laws and stakeholder pressures to address product lifecycle, spare parts availability, independent repair, etc. of electronic products in the United States and the European Union. With the proliferation of new right-to-repair laws, beginning with the passing of the New York Digital Fair Repair Act, the group continues to discuss the best path forward to ensure reasonable and harmonized right-to-repair expectations for electronics manufacturers. The output from these discussions has been an instrumental factor in the development of Acer’s self-repair programs.    
 

Participation in Taiwan Climate Partnership

Material Topics：Energy, Carbon Emissions and Climate Action       
Stakeholders in Communication：Industry Associations

The Taiwan Climate Partnership is a crucial organization for Taiwan's ICT industry in addressing climate change issues. The organization's mission is to assist Taiwan's supply chains in aligning with international standards for green energy and carbon reduction. It aims to harness the power of collaborative partnerships, engage in extensive exchanges with international organizations, stay connected with global climate trends, and facilitate low-carbon transition through systematic collaboration among its members to effectively solve problems. In 2023, as the industry developed, climate strategies and net-zero related issues further influenced the supply chains. The organization has expanded its membership to the ICT supply chain and the financial industry, with a total of 90 corporate members. 

Acer, as one of the founding members of the Taiwan Climate Partnership, continued to support and participate in the organization's activities in 2023. This commitment included attending general assembly and board meetings, as well as participating in roundtable meetings, seminars, and international forums of the Net Zero City Expo that focused on policy, practical exchanges, key trends, and issues in international communication.

 In addition, Acer was invited by the Taiwan Climate Partnership to share Acer's sustainable actions in high-tech and net-zero initiatives during the COP28 UN Climate Change Conference in Dubai. It also initiated technological carbon reduction actions at the Digital x Green exhibition hall. Working with logistics suppliers on the topic of "Transitioning Toward Sustainable Transportation," Acer shared its climate strategy, sustainable logistics strategy, and how to work with logistics partners to move towards low-carbon transportation through Online to Offline methods with the world. 

Private Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA)

Material Topics：Supplier Environment and Social Management        
Stakeholders in Communication：Advocacy Organization

Acer continues to actively participate in the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA), an advocacy organization that encompasses various sectors and stakeholders. The primary objective of PPA is to raise awareness about conflict minerals issues in the Democratic Republic of Congo and the African Great Lakes region, as well as propose solutions for the supply chain.In 2023, Acer entered into a five-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the upcoming phase from 2023 to 2027, aiming to expand the scope beyond 3TG and the Great Lakes region, while addressing concerns related to both large-scale and artisanal mining. In October 2023, Acer attended the annual physical meeting of PPA's multi-stakeholder members, engaging in face-to-face discussions with 28 participants to gain insights into the achievements of PPA in 2023. The meeting featured keynote speeches and panel discussions to familiarize the group with important issues, followed by group discussions among the members to prioritize future initiatives. The priorities for 2024 and beyond include focusing on progress and due diligence, clarifying common frameworks and facilitating information sharing, enhancing the impact of data, and addressing key barriers, such as increasing funding channels, promoting participation in responsible large-scale mining (LSM) as well as artisanal and small-scale mining (ASM), and further examining the impact of corruption on responsible procurement efforts. Acer firmly believes that collaborative efforts with the entire industry and building partnerships with all stakeholders are the most effective means to drive significant improvements in the social and environmental conditions associated with raw material extraction.