HSINCHU, Taiwan, July 6 /PRNewswire-Asia-FirstCall/ -- UMC (NYSE: UMC; TSE: 2303), a leading global semiconductor foundry, today announced verification of its 2008 corporate social responsibility (CSR) report by Det Norske Veritas (DNV), demonstrating that the report conforms to GRI G3 application Level A+ and fulfills requirements of AA1000AS 2008 (AccountAbility 1000 Assurance Standard (2008)). This verification by DNV demonstrates that the content, information and data of the report are true and accurate. UMC is the first semiconductor foundry in Taiwan to receive third-party verification for its CSR report, which is published on the company's public website.

"UMC has always valued sustainable development and corporate social responsibility," said Dr. Shih-Wei Sun, CEO of UMC. "We publish our CSR report annually to openly disclose UMC's policies, goals, actions and performance in environmental protection, corporate governance and social event participation. In addition, UMC has a dedicated CSR Committee that coordinates all related social responsibility efforts. We are proud to receive this third-party confirmation of our CSR report, as it signifies UMC's emphasis on progressiveness and transparency with regard to the company's information disclosure."

UMC began publishing corporate environmental reports (CER) annually since 2000. In 2001, UMC began publishing paperless CER reports on its website to support environmental protection. In 2006, UMC evolved its CER into CSR to include the company's efforts and achievements in environmental protection, corporate governance and social events participation. GRI introduced its G3 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines in October 2006, prompting UMC to adopt these guidelines for the company's report that was released in 2007. The report subsequently earned GRI's highest grade of "A", the first ever by a Taiwanese company.

UMC has put forth significant efforts in every aspect of CSR over the years, with successful results that have recently gained worldwide recognition. UMC's CSR report and other CSR information can be found at:

    English: http://www.umc.com/English/about/CSR_v_5.asp
    Chinese: http://www.umc.com/chinese/about/CSR_v_5.asp

About UMC

UMC (NYSE: UMC; TSE: 2303) is a leading global semiconductor foundry that provides advanced technology and manufacturing services for applications spanning every major sector of the IC industry. UMC's customer-driven foundry solutions allow chip designers to leverage the strength of the company's leading-edge processes, which include production proven 65nm, 45/40nm, mixed signal/RFCMOS, and a wide range of specialty technologies. Production is supported through 10 wafer manufacturing facilities that include two advanced 300mm fabs; Fab 12A in Taiwan and Singapore-based Fab 12i are both in volume production for a variety of customer products. The company employs approximately 12,000 people worldwide and has offices in Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Europe, and the United States. UMC can be found on the web at http://www.umc.com .

    Editorial Contacts:

    In the USA:
     UMC-USA
     Charlene Loveless
     Tel:   +1-408-523-7850
     Email: charlene.loveless@umc-usa.com

    In Taiwan:
     UMC
     Richard Yu
     Tel:   +886-2-2700-6999 ext. 6951
     Email: richard_yu@umc.com

SOURCE United Microelectronics Corporation