Green footprint is all over the tech world

Green is in. The recent noise to make computing efficient and friendly to the environment has pressed the IT sector to hook up on a new paradigm of providing “Green IT.” From enormous equipment in high-tech data centers to consumer products such as mobile PCs and phones, the IT world is abuzz with green initiatives.

Encouraging the practice of using technology resources efficiently, reducing the use of hazardous materials, and promoting recyclability or biodegradability of defunct products and factory waste, the green hype has caught up with IT companies to take their share of making this world a healthier place to live in.

Technological innovation thrives with
social responsibility and efficient resource use

Studies show that the energy need of the rest of the world out paces renewable and non-renewable resources. Production of toxic materials thereby heightens while toxic wastes and Greenhouse gas emissions increase.

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU), a United Nations agency with the task to standardize and regulate international radio and telecommunications, affirmed in a recent conference in Indonesia that information and communication technologies (ICT) can both be a cause and a potential cure for climate change.

Perceived as a major part of the problem and a key to the solution, the ITU stated that ICT can play a vital role in combating climate change. They can be used for remote monitoring of climate change and gathering important scientific data like using telemetry or remote sensing by satellite. New smart technologies can also usher in a whole new generation of energy-efficient products, notably in next-generation networks (NGN).

The ITU pointed out that the proliferation of ICT products in homes and offices, and their deployment throughout the world, places an increasingly heavy burden on energy consumption. Energy demands caused by high-tech lifestyles in some countries are now being replicated in others.

The late night glow in homes and offices emanating from computers, DVD players, TVs and battery chargers is all too familiar. And the move to "always-on" services, like broadband or mobile phones on standby, has greatly increased energy consumption compared with fixed-line telephones, which do not require an independent power source.

The ITU underlined an active commitment to promote the use of ICT as a positive force to reduce greenhouse emissions and to find ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. The agency said it will support and facilitate scientific studies aimed at implementation of new measures against the negative effects of climate change.

Tech companies tumble in green list

The latest edition of Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics saw the rankings of the world’s biggest consumer technology companies drop significantly as a new criteria that measures impact on climate change was added. The list was first launched in August 2006 as a challenge to electronic companies to “green” their products, from production to disposal.

In the new list, out of the 18 electronics companies evaluated, eight companies including Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericsson, LG Electronics, Toshiba, Motorola, Philips, and Sharp scored above 5/10. Last year, only two companies, Sony Ericsson and Sony scored above 5/10.

Aside from introducing the new criteria, Greenpeace said it also tightened the requirements on electronic waste (e-waste) and toxic chemicals. The newly added energy criteria, the group said, require companies to show their political support for global mandatory cuts in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions.

In the previous survey, improvements in the take-back programs of mobile phone manufacturers Nokia and Motorola provided a big lift in their standings. The Greenpeace scorecard cited Nokia’s improvements in its take-back program in the Philippines and Thailand.

Gaming company Nintendo remained in the cellar, not moving from last place since Greenpeace started the survey. It managed a paltry score of 1 (0.8 in 2008).

In a statement recently released to the media, Greenpeace stated, “the information and communications technology (ICT) sector currently accounts for 2 percent of global GHG emissions, equal to the aviation industry. As one of the most innovative and fastest growing industries, Greenpeace expects the sector to take leadership in tackling climate change by reducing both their direct and indirect climate carbon footprint.”

Listed below is the score of the 18 technology companies surveyed in Greenpeace's Guide to Greener Electronics:

Nokia (7.45 points) – Scores top marks for leading competitors on toxic phase out

Samsung (7.1 points) – Holds second position for commitment to reduce absolute emissions

Sony Ericsson (6.5 points) – Up two places with better product energy efficiency reporting

LG Electronics (5.7 points) – Up two places but needs to eliminate hazardous chemicals from all products

Toshiba (5.5 points) – Moves up two places with an extra point for promising to cut GHGs

Motorola (5.5 points) – Scores higher and climbs two places because of use of renewable energy

Philips (5.3 points) – Falls from 4th to 7th position and needs to put its commitment to responsible recycling policies into practice

Sharp (5.3 points) – Rises from 9th to joint 7th place with its energy efficient products

Acer (4.9 points) – Put 16 new models of a monitor that are almost free of hazardous chemicals and climbed two places from 11 to 9 but still need to sort out the power cord

Panasonic (4.9 points) – Advance from 12th to 10th place for energy efficiency and pvc free product range but still bad on e waste

Apple (4.7 points) – Drop one position to 11th with no change in scores but get kudos for their green MacBook

Sony (4.5 points) – Plunges from 5th to 12th place for inadequate commitments on eliminating hazardous chemicals, e waste policy and cutting GHGs

Dell (3.9 points) – Stays at 13th place because of backtracking on toxics phase out

HP (3.5 points) – Is at 14th position and has no products on the market free of toxic substances

Microsoft (2.5 points) – Loses a point for a poor recycling policy but stays in 15th position

Lenovo (2.5 points) – Down two places with no set timeline for toxics phase out on all products

Fujitsu (2.4 points) – Debuts second from last with no products that are free of hazardous chemicals

Nintendo (1 point) – Stays put in last position with a glimmer of hope with partially pvc free consoles

Canon goes for green technology with environment-friendly products

Canon Marketing Philippines recently announced its initiative to encourage awareness on current environmental issues by promoting the use of energy-efficient products.

“The company recognizes the critical global issue of environmental concerns. In line with this belief, Canon reiterates its commitment to provide products that lessen energy consumption and are increasingly earth-friendly,” Ramon G. Arteficio, Canon Marketing Philippines President and CEO said

Canon also announced that it has accomplished new product modifications and enhancements that are designed to lower energy consumption and increase recyclable materials including new automatic shut-off functions, decreasing warm-up period features, enhancing reusable plastic, and implementing an environmental information system in stages of product development.

“Complying with international standards of environmental preservation, Canon’s latest line of scanners, fax machines, copiers, and inkjet printers have gained the seal of Japan’s Eco Mark and USA’s Energy Star,” Arteficio said.

Arteficio also said that the company maintains close relationships with various organizations that promote environmental conservation.

Adopt individual, not collective, takeback scheme, IT firms told

This article was originally posted on the Cyberpress web site the organization's Greent I.T. forum in November 2007. Cyberpress, also known as the I.T. Journalists Association of the Philippines is an organization of I.T. reporters in the country established in 1996.

Precisely because they know what substance they put into their own products, local subsidiaries of IT companies were urged by an environmental group to assume the responsibility of getting their junk products individually and not rely on the government’s effort to gather them on a collective basis.

At the recent CyberPress Forum held at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City, Greenpeace Philippines said tech firms such as PC and mobile phone makers have the moral, if not legal, obligation to recover and recycle their electrical and electronic wastes.

Representatives of IT companies who took part in the conference did not make an issue with the proposal, with top executives of computer producers Lenovo and IBM saying they would suggest to their headquarters to implement an individual takeback scheme in the country.

For its part, Board of Investment director Domingo Bagaporo said the government recognizes the merits of the suggestion and will thus consider it as the trade department winds up its cellphone waste collection and recycling program. The pilot project, which has Glorietta, Greenhills, and SM Megamall as collection points, will run up to December 31.

Beau Baconguis, toxic tech waste campaigner of Greenpeace Philippines, said a “takeback" policy is one of the crucial criteria that the group uses in rating the environmental-friendliness of a technology company.

In the recent quarterly issue of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, game consoles came out as the least environment-friendly electronic gadgets because of its lack of takeback policy. The report, first launched in August 2006 and rates PC and mobile phone manufacturers on their environmental practices, was expanded to include gaming consoles and television sets.

Video game market leader Nintendo lands at the bottom of the ranking guide with a score of zero out of a possible 10 points, followed by TV manufacturer Philips (2.0), and Microsoft (2.7). The global games consoles sector is the fastest growing sector of the electronics industry and is dominated by only three companies, Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft.

The new edition of the quarterly guide also shows important changes at the top of the ranking. Sony Ericsson has now taken the top spot, followed by Samsung, and Sony. Nokia, which has held the top spot since June 2007, has slid down to number nine, and, along with Motorola has been given penalty points.

During the forum, it appeared that the Philippines does not have a definitive law or clear-cut policy governing e-waste and recycling of electronic products.

IT stalwart Gus Lagman commented that the country does not even have a junkyard where harmful components of technology products can be processed safely.

The head of Sun Microsystems Philippines, another tech vendor, noted that although the government has embarked on some initiatives in addressing e-waste, a lot more needs to be done in terms of keeping the pressure on electronic companies to observe proper waste disposal and recycling.

Sun, along with EMC Philippines, revealed that they have the studied these environmental issues early on and have implemented energy-saving features that can maximize power resources.