Arm: Powering green, equitable digital future via energy-efficient computing

2025 WIC Distinguished Contribution Award

Social Contribution award-winning enterprise: Arm

Chip designer and developer Arm Holdings plc is a global business leader in computing platforms, founded in Cambridge, the United Kingdom, in 1990. 

Built on high-performance, low-power computing platforms, Arm continues to empower technology companies worldwide to unlock the full experience and performance of artificial intelligence (AI). Together with a global computing ecosystem and more than 22 million software developers, Arm is helping to shape the future of AI on its platform.

Since entering the Chinese market in 2002, Arm has embedded sustainable development into its operations — making sustained contributions to technological decarbonization, social equity and education development in the country.

Advancing sustainability, tackling global emissions reductions

To address the profound challenges that climate change poses to global society and the economy, Arm has made a clear commitment: Using the end of fiscal year 2020 as a baseline, the company aims to reduce absolute greenhouse gas emissions by 50 percent by the end of fiscal year 2030. 

The target is in line with the 1.5°C pathway and the goals of the Paris Agreement. As of fiscal year 2025, Arm has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 76 percent compared with the baseline, while achieving 100 percent renewable electricity usage across its global operations.

Advancing energy-efficient computing to enable green industrial transformation

Guided by a focus on both high performance and high energy efficiency, Arm is helping to reshape the AI computing foundation across data centers, smart devices, automotive systems and the Internet of Things through the Armv9 architecture — delivering greener computing with a stronger performance and lower energy consumption. To date, more than 325 billion chips based on Arm's architecture have been shipped worldwide.

Bridging digital divide through inclusive access to technology

Through technology licensing subscription models such as Arm Flexible Access, the company lowers barriers for startups and small and medium-sized enterprises — enabling them to access its computing technologies, tools and resources at low cost or free of charge during their early stages of development. To date, more than 70 startups in China have leveraged Arm Flexible Access to support innovation.

Advancing educational innovation, building future capacity

In 2012, Arm launched the Arm University Program in China, partnering with universities to develop a globally leading teaching and laboratory system in electrical engineering and computer science. 

The program now covers more than 600 universities nationwide, has established over 100 joint laboratories and has developed 173 technical courses — benefiting more than 100,000 students each year by strengthening their innovation and practical capabilities.

In addition, Arm introduced the Arm Academic Access program to the Chinese market in 2024, specifically designed for academic research institutions. The program allows researchers to use commercially proven Arm IP free of charge for innovation, evaluations, designs and development. By lowering barriers to the use of Arm technology in academic research, it supports both chip design education and scientific research, enabling new breakthroughs in teaching and research.

In 2024, the World Internet Conference established the WIC Distinguished Contribution Award to recognize individuals and enterprises that have made outstanding contributions in global internet-related fields. 

To date, 12 leading figures and 26 well-known business enterprises from around the world have received the award.

For enterprises, the award features three categories — Social Contribution, Innovation Breakthrough, and Growth Potential. 

The awarded companies span a wide range of sectors — including internet platforms, mobile communications, artificial intelligence, chip designs, energy and power and cybersecurity. 

Together, they depict a diverse and thriving internet ecosystem, encouraging more outstanding enterprises to engage in the development of the internet and to jointly explore the limitless possibilities of the digital future.