Page 11 - LONDON EDIT 2008-2009 pj

www.binfo.co.uk

It is a measure both of the importance of Green IT and the inadequacy of third party accreditation schemes that Fujitsu Siemens Computers has launched a new Green IT labelling scheme for its notebooks, PCs and servers.

The new Green Plug label will be applied to products that meet environmental targets relating to energy consumption, material use and recycling. In order to qualify for the label, notebooks, PCs, workstations, thin clients, servers and storage products must meet certain mandatory criteria. Those that do will be awarded one, two or three stars depending on how many additional targets they meet. Green Plug is far from being the only green labelling scheme set up by a manufacturer. Philips, too, has introduced a green label to help customers choose the most environmentally responsible products in its portfolio (see caption). The benefit of such labelling programmes is that they make it easy for customers to identify a manufacturer’s greenest products without having to do the research themselves. After all, how many companies have the time, resources or influence to extract from manufacturers all the information needed to make an informed decision about a product’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle?

According to a survey of 10,000 adults conducted by Strategic Oxygen and Cohn &Wolfe in September and October 2008, the public wants to receive more information about a product’s energy consumption and production methods. The GreenFactor study found that the Number One obstacle to green purchasing was ‘lack of awareness’ (cited by 53%), just ahead of price (45%).

Manufacturer certification schemes are likely to be welcomed by consumers who appear to value the publicity material of suppliers above independent sources – the GreenFactor survey found that information on a product’s

packaging (33%) and a brand’s website (32%) was given more weight by consumers than ‘independent brand comments online’ (28%) and input by ‘friends and peers’ (13%). But is it wise to rely on green labels that may have a very low bar for qualification, be highly selective in the criteria chosen for qualification and act as a fig leaf for a multitude of environmental sins?

One of the most revealing parts of the GreenFactor report is a comparison between consumers’ perceptions of green leaders and Greenpeace’s facts-based ranking of 18 leading manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones, TVs and games consoles. Cross-tabulating GreenFactor’s findings with The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics shows that the brands consumers perceive to be green may not have the best environmental practices after all, whereas others that score highly in Greenpeace’s ranking, like Samsung and Nokia, are not considered to be green leaders by consumers.

This underlines the benefit to manufacturers of burnishing their green credentials though a variety of means including labelling schemes, whilst highlighting the need for independent assessments like those provided by Greenpeace.

The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics is influential (it has been given credit for the recent greening of Apple) because it challenges t posturing of consumer electronic manufacturers in relation to ene toxics elimination and recycling. The 10th edition of the Guide released in November 2008 prais manufacturers for making their products more energy-efficient b criticises Motorola, Microsoft, De Apple, Lenovo, Samsung, Nintend and LG Electronics for having no to cut absolute emissions from t own operations and for not supp the targets and timelines needed avoid catastrophic climate chang

In this respect, The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics is different from narrow product certification schemes, such as Energy Star and EPEAT (for PCs and notebooks) that help identify the most environmentally responsible products but don’t take account of a manufacturer’s overall environmental record. Independent eco-labelling schemes are another useful source of information. Environmental Resources Management Ltd recently assessed different schemes for the UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) and classified four as ‘Class 1’ schemes: Nordic Swan, EU Flower, New Zealand’s Environmental Choice and Germany’s Blue Angel. Products that carry these labels are likely to have a smaller environmental footprint than ones that don’t, but because the schemes are regional, voluntary (opt-in) and have limited scope, they, too, have weaknesses. Manufacturer and independent certification schemes have an important role to play in helping business people and consumers make informed purchasing decisions. But they are no guarantee that the company that has made them is a ‘green leader’ and committed to taking the actions needed to minimise the effects of climate change.

www.greenpeace.org/electronics/ companyrank

www.greenfactorstudy.com www.fujitsu-siemens.com/greenlabel

Manufacturers’ green certification schemes have a role to play, but should be treated with caution

What’s in a label?

Philips has developed the Philips Green Logo to identify products with a smaller environmental impact like the Magic5 ECO fax from Sagem Communications

Fujitsu Siemens Computers’ Green Plug label