Electronics Companies Still Must Eliminate Dirty Energy from Supply Chain – Greenpeace
Jan0
Electronics Companies Still Must Eliminate Dirty Energy from Supply Chain – Greenpeace
San Francisco, CA (PRWEB) November 19, 2012
Global electronic companies must do more to end the use of climate changing dirty energy in their manufacturing and supply chains, according to a report released today by Greenpeace International.
While these companies have made progress at removing toxic chemicals from the mobile phones, computers and tablets they produce, their manufacturing and supply chains are still too heavily dependent on dirty energy sources that are contributing to climate change.
Greenpeace International’s 18th version of the Guide to Greener Electronics [1] ranked 16 electronics companies based on their commitment and progress in three environmental criteria: Energy and Climate, Greener Products and Sustainable Operations.
“The next big environmental challenge for consumer electronics companies is to reduce their carbon pollution,” said Greenpeace International IT analyst Casey Harrell. “Consumers have stated that they want greener electronics, which means high functioning gadgets that are built and powered by renewable energy.”
The bulk of the carbon footprint associated with many electronic devices is buried in the manufacturing chain, where the electronic devices are assembled. More carbon is used in the manufacture of some gadgets, such as tablets and smart phones, than consumers ever use after buying them.
“Companies should work with their suppliers to implement more efficient manufacturing processes and to power the supply chain with renewable energy, not fossil fuels, just as they have successfully done to reduce the toxic materials in electronics,” Harrell said.
As global electronics use grows, only corporate environmental leadership can prevent increased electronic waste and ensure that the industry transitions to using clean energy to manufacture its products. Electronic companies have also gained political power in many countries, meaning their advocacy for clean energy can impact government policy.
The Indian technology firm Wipro topped the ranking in its first appearance in the International version of the Guide to Greener Electronics. [2] Wipro scored the most points due to its efforts to embrace renewable energy and advocacy for greener energy policies in India. Wipro also scored well for post-consumer e-waste collection for recycling and for phasing out hazardous substances from its products.
“Wipro has set a new benchmark for sustainability, not only in India but across the globe, that will have a long-term impact in shaping the green energy debate in the electronics industry,” said Greenpeace India Senior Campaigner Abhishek Pratap. “The rest of the electronics sector should follow in the footsteps of Wipro’s climate leadership.”
HP dropped from No. 1 in last year’s edition of the guide to No. 2. Nokia moved up from No. 4 to No. 3. Taiwanese computer maker Acer was the most improved company in the guide, moving up nine spots to No. 4 for engaging with its suppliers on greenhouse gas emissions, hazardous substances, conflict minerals and fibre sourcing. Dell dropped from No. 3 to No. 5. Apple dropped slightly from No. 5 in last year’s edition to No. 6. Blackberry maker RIM did not improve from its 16th ranking, the bottom of the group. [3]
The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, launched in 2006, has prompted improvements within the electronics industry, including the phase-out of hazardous substances from products. [4] The guide is part of Greenpeace’s wider campaign to push the IT industry to develop the solutions needed for a global clean energy revolution. [5]
Greenpeace is a politically and financially independent global campaigning organisation that acts to change attitudes and behaviour, to protect and conserve the environment and to promote peace. Greenpeace supports the reuse and repair of electronic products. We encourage individuals to extend the working life of their gadgets, to buy used products when possible and to buy new products only when truly necessary.
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CONTACT
San Francisco: David Pomerantz, Greenpeace USA Media Officer, dpomeran(at)greenpeace.org, +1-914-584-9054
Casey Harrell, Greenpeace International IT campaigner, casey.harrell(at)greenpeace.org, +1-415-307-3382
NOTES TO EDITOR
1. This year’s 18th Guide to Greener Electronics: http://www.greenpeace.org/rankingguide
2. Wipro and three other Indian consumer electronic companies were assessed separately in a version of the Guide to Greener Electronics specifically for Indian companies, using the same set of criteria from 2007 – 2011. The current edition of the guide merges the Indian version and the international version.
3. These changes in ranking order are based on the integration of Wipro (5.4) and HCL Infosystems’ (4.3) scores from the previous version of the Guide. In previous rankings, Wipro and HCL’s score were released only in India, though the evaluation criteria were identical. To gauge ranking order changes in this latest edition of the Guide, Wipro and HCL’s previous scores were intergrated into the past ranking order of the globally released Guide. In the previous global ranking, Wipro would have been ranked second, HCL seventh.
4. A timeline of Greenpeace electronics campaigning: http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/toxics/electronics/Campaign-timeline/
5. Greenpeace’s campaign focusing on the IT industry: http://www.greenpeace.org/coolit
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Talesun Solar Signs a 26MW Module Supply Agreement with Nice Corporation, Japan
Sep0
Talesun Solar Signs a 26MW Module Supply Agreement with Nice Corporation, Japan
Changshu, China (PRWEB) July 27, 2012
Zhongli Talesun Solar Co., Ltd. recently signed a 26MW module supply agreement with Nice Corporation, Japan. According to the agreement, Zhongli Talesun will provide at least 26MW of its highest quality TP660P and TP572M solar modules to Nice Corporation for their residential projects.
The agreement marks the successful entrance of Talesun Solar in the Japanese PV market. After approximately six-month of evaluation and negotiation, Mr. Koichiro Hirata, President of Nice Corporation announced, “Nice Corporation is extremely impressed by Talesun’s professionalism and the high-quality products that it produces”. Nice Corporation believes that Talesun Solar, with its premium quality modules that are comparable to local Japanese brands, will make its presence known in the Japanese PV market in the very near future.
Frank Qi, Vice President of Global Sales of Talesun Solar, commented about the announced cooperation between Talesun Solar and Nice Corporation. “This announcement not only recognizes the establishment of Talesun Solar in the ever-expanding Japanese PV market, but also helps create future collaboration opportunities with the Japanese.”
About Talesun Solar
Talesun Solar is an international operating producer of premium quality solar modules and cells for both private and industrial sectors. The company’s 210,000m², fully automated production plant in the Chinese province of Jiangsu will reach a production capacity of 2GW by the end of 2012. Talesun Solar has subsidiaries in Singapore, Munich and San Jose. For more information about Talesun Solar, please visit: http://www.talesun.com.
About Nice Corporation
A member of Nice Holdings, Inc. (8089.T), Nice Corporation is a well-established real estate developer and construction material provider in Japan. The company is dedicated on introducing and developing renewable energy, focusing on residential Solar PV systems following the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. For more information about Nice Corporation, please visit: http://www.nice.co.jp.
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, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Investment and Supply Chain Development Needed to Drive European Ocean Energy Potential
Aug0
Investment and Supply Chain Development Needed to Drive European Ocean Energy Potential
London, United Kingdom (PRWEB UK) 14 June 2012
The European Ocean Energy Association’s 3rd annual event- Ocean Energy 2012- will gather senior level delegates from the EC, member state governments, utilities, investors and OEMs to discuss project deployment, industry investment and the development of a viable European ocean energy supply chain.
Despite the euro zone facing increasing sovereign debt, the ocean energy industry has continued to attract interest and investment from the big industrial players. Alstom, Vattenfall, Siemens and Lockheed Martin have all expressed interest in the growth potential offered by the ocean sector over the coming years: “We are already seeing OEMs being attracted into the area” remarked Neil Kermode, Managing Director of the European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC). “We will see their discipline and firepower brought to bear on the issues that will arise and I believe we will see a ramping up of deployment”.
Utilities are also recognizing to the potential for ocean energy to provide large and reliable quantities of clean power, with Iberdrola, E.On and EDF currently embarking on developing some of the first pilot projects. “The next 5 years must deliver several multi-device arrays of 5-10MW capacity, utilising different technologies to promote utility investment into larger scale commercial arrays” commented Richard Church, Marine Energy Development Manager at RWE Innogy.
The key barriers to reaching this stage continue to be the same issues facing many emerging industries- high technology risks and lack of available capital. “Small ocean energy development companies often lack the capital and capacity to perform full scale tests and further develop their product to a commercial state” stated Björn Bolund, Technology Area Responsible for Ocean energy at Vattenfall.
Dan Pearson, Chief Executive Officer of Meygen also cites the lack of a viable supply chain as a factor currently limiting development: “Placing technology proving and reliability to one side, supply chain and its ability to quickly demonstrate reduction to the cost of tidal stream energy is the key concern to us and shareholders. Without confidence that cost reduction can be achieved in foreseeable timescales (between 2016 – 2020) it will be very challenging to secure the future finance required”.
The UK is leading the way in addressing these issues, recently launching a €24million contest to support wave energy projects, in addition to the availability of 5 ROCs per MWh. This level of support is not yet reciprocated across all European states- the importance of realising a unified policy to facilitate this support is also highlighted by Pearson: “We believe that a coherent strategy for Marine Energy development is key and that this is currently missing. It is incumbent upon the industry and governments of relevant member states of the EU to raise the profile of the industry in a unified manner”.
The EUOEA’s Ocean Energy 2012 will offer delegates an unparalleled opportunity to network with the leading policy makers, industrial players, supply chain partners, utilities and investors as they address the issues that face the future of the industry. Sessions include updates from the first operational ocean energy projects, options for developing a viable ocean supply chain, insights on technology and project cost reduction and options available for obtaining finance and reducing project risk.
More information on the forthcoming conference and the discussions to be held there is available at http://www.greenpowerconferences.com/oceanenergy , by following @greenpowermc on Twitter, or by joining the Ocean Energy LinkedIn group.
Note to Editors
Green Power Conferences are pleased to welcome journalists to attend the Ocean Energy 2012 Congress free of charge. To request a press pass please email michael.chaplin(at)greenpowerconferences(dot)com
About the European Ocean Energy Association
The European Ocean Energy Association is the official trade association for the marine energy industry, and was set up with funding from the European Commission to speak for the industry across Europe and to assist the Commission with policy development. Headquartered in Brussels, the EU-OEA presents a unified voice on behalf of the marine energy industry and offers a coordinated approach to networking, lobbying and policy development at the heart of the European Union. The association brings together leading developers, utilities, research organisations and major industrial companies with the shared goal of accelerating the development and deployment of utility-scale marine renewable energy projects:
http://www.eu-oea.com/.
About Green Power Conferences
Green Power Conferences is the market leader in renewable energy conferences. Since 2003, over 15,000 delegates have attended more than 300 conferences, exhibitions, workshops and training courses providing strategic business intelligence to the renewable energy and sustainability industries. Green Power’s expertise lies in producing high quality, interactive events that provide ample networking opportunities for delegates, sponsors and partners. More information and a full list of current conferences is available at: http://www.greenpowerconferences.com.
Media Contacts
Michael Chaplin
Ocean Energy Marketing Manager
Green Power Conferences
michael.chaplin(at)greenpowerconferences(dot)com, +44 (0)20 3384 8870
©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Renewable Choice Energy Publishes Research on Supply Chain Scorecards
Mar0
Renewable Choice Energy Publishes Research on Supply Chain Scorecards
Boulder , CO (PRWEB) January 19, 2012
Renewable Choice Energy today announced the release of its extensive research on supply chain sustainability scorecards. The paper includes an in-depth analysis of 16 scorecard programs including those from Walmart, Dell, Ford, Google, IBM, Johnson Controls, the Federal Government and more. The research shows that sustainability scorecards are a fast rising global trend across the supply chains of many industries. Large buyers are setting the pace for scorecards and smaller buyers are eagerly following suit. With new emphasis on measuring supply chain sustainability and risk, scorecards are becoming a key component of corporate social responsibility and proving to be a competitive differentiator.
Mark Newton, former Executive Director of Global Sustainability at Dell and now Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility at Timberland, explains, “From the highest levels of a corporation, organizations are beginning to think holistically and to engage suppliers to be innovative in their efforts,” Newton says. “Whether you are a large multi-national organization or a supplier to one, managing carbon emissions is another lever to reduce waste and drive efficiency.”
Many organizations have a stake in supply chain performance:
Government entities include agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and lawmakers at the local, state or federal level.
Non-governmental organizations (NGOs) operate independently from government and are not-for-profit businesses that usually have a social or environmental mission.
Trade associations are affiliations of businesses within an industry that usually attempt to collaborate and standardize processes and requirements.
Corporate shareholders and investors are commercial influencers who are interested in improving the return on their investment while simultaneously mitigating their risks and look at the supply chain as an opportunity to do that.
“Buyers and sustainability directors at even the largest companies in the world are happy to engage with suppliers on sustainability issues,” says Tom Holcomb, Chief Operating Officer of Renewable Choice Energy. “Many suppliers build stronger relationships with their customers simply by asking for help and guidance when responding to scorecard requests.”
Key findings include:
Many organizations incorporate the scorecard into their purchasing process and a supplier’s performance can count for as much as 10 to 15% of their overall rating.
The top motivators for supplier scorecard implementation include managing risk, industry leadership, and corporate influence.
The most common metrics measured by these companies are energy, carbon, and waste, followed by water, packaging, and social/community.
Sustainability scorecards are an integral part of doing business today. Pressure is coming from many directions – NGOs, trade associations, government, shareholders and investors.
By following a few best practices, suppliers can be sure they understand the sustainability expectations of their customers and succeed in scorecard compliance.
Download the research here.
About Renewable Choice
Founded in 2001, Colorado-based Renewable Choice Energy helps establish clients as leaders in their industry by supporting sustainability initiatives that increase transparency, reduce risk, lower costs, leverage competitive advantage and improve stakeholder relations. Renewable Choice has worked with hundreds of leading Fortune 500 and small companies alike and over 2,000 LEED® green building projects. Their team of experts can help clients meet and exceed a wide range of objectives in the areas of CDP and additional voluntary reporting, supply chain sustainability assessments and scorecard programs, greenhouse gas inventories, carbon accounting, and renewable energy & carbon offsets. Renewable Choice and its clients have received prestigious awards from the EPA and DOE for supporting and expanding the renewable energy market and have been featured in hundreds of media outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, USA TODAY, and more. To learn more, visit http://www.renewablechoice.com.
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©Copyright 1997-
, Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.
Vocus, PRWeb, and Publicity Wire are trademarks or registered trademarks of Vocus, Inc. or Vocus PRW Holdings, LLC.