Greenpeace releases updated Guide to Greener Electronics
Greenpeace has released the eighth version of its Guide to Greener Electronics. The Guide compares environmental records of eighteen top electronics manufacturers. Only two of them – Sony Ericsson and Sony – scored above 5 out of 10. Greenpeace added a number of energy criteria for this version of the guide, looking at greenhouse gas reduction plans and energy efficient products. “We aim to show which companies are serious about becoming environmental leaders. We want them to race towards meeting the new criteria: phasing out other toxic chemicals, increasing the recycling rate of e-waste, using recycled materials in new products and reducing their impact on climate change,” said Iza Kruszewska, Greenpeace International Toxics Campaigner.
Most consumers want more information about the environmental impact of their shopping choices according to research released by Forum for the Future, a sustainable development charity and the Lloyd’s Register Group, a safety assurance organization. “Check-Out Carbon” report found that consumers want to use their shopping power to tackle climate change, but they need advice on what to buy and on how to use products. The report provides recommendations for manufacturers, government and retailers and encourages them to raise awareness among consumers.
The answer is yes. Brits regard the environment as one of the top three global issues according to a recent survey by YouGov for KPMG, a provider of professional services. Four out of ten respondents were prepared to pay more for goods and services that are environmentally friendly or have a low environmental impact. However deeper actions are yet to be taken. Only 15% people admitted that they fly less and just 9% own a low emissions car. Respondents perceived companies efforts to become greener as poor. “There are some important messages here for business. Consumers clearly feel that there is more for companies to do in reducing their environmental impact.” concluded Richard Sharman from KPMG’s Carbon Advisory Group.
Covalence published its quarterly ethical reputation ranking together with an overview of emerging topics. Toyota scored the best, followed by Unilever and HSBC. The emerging topics included: Social Stability, Lobbying Practices, International Presence, Product Environmental Risk and Social Sponsorship. Wal-Mart made the most progress and was awarded Best Ethical Performance.
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