Technical Committee launching for Climate Change Mitigation criteria for EPEAT ecolabel – now is your opportunity to get involved!

The Global Electronics Council (GEC) is developing criteria to address climate change impacts throughout the life cycle of electronic products. These criteria will initially be leveraged across  EPEAT ICT product categories, including computers and displays, mobile phones, imaging equipment, servers, and televisions.  This Call for Participation is to notify stakeholders of the opportunity to participate on the multi-stakeholder Technical Committee that will evaluate and reach consensus on sustainability leadership criteria to reduce climate change impacts. GEC is partnering with NSF International, an organization with extensive expertise in managing voluntary consensus processes, to convene and manage the Technical Committee.

The criteria will address best practices for mitigating climate change impacts, inclusive of criteria to address embodied carbon in the supply chain through manufacturing energy efficiency and renewable electricity sourcing, product energy efficiency, reduction of high global warming potential chemicals in manufacturing, carbon footprint analysis to identify product-specific hot spots, and manufacturer carbon reduction goals aligned with climate science.

See the Call for Participation for information on how to participate in the Technical Committee. Applications for Technical Committee membership are due by midnight ET on July 16, 2021. 

If you have questions about the Climate Change criteria or the criteria development process, please send an email to: Criteria@GlobalElectronicsCouncil.org.

GEC is pleased to release its final State of Sustainability Research for Climate Change Mitigation, which reflects stakeholder comments and data-supported recommendations submitted during the public consultation process. This State of Sustainability Research serves as the evidenced-based scientific foundation for EPEAT criteria development.

The research identifies priority contributors to climate change across the life cycle of ICT products and strategies to reduce these impacts. It critically analyzes greenhouse gas emissions resulting from component and manufacturing processes, as well as the contributions of product use for diverse electronic devices. Given the drivers of greenhouse gas emissions, the research proposes strategies to reduce emissions, which translate into proposed performance criteria.

GEC is now convening Expert Ad Hoc Groups to review and draft criteria for climate change mitigation. Stakeholders interested in participating in criteria development are encouraged to contact Criteria@globalelectronicscouncil.org.

The State of Sustainability Research for Climate Change Mitigation is the first of four analyses supporting GEC’s initiative to develop modular criteria that will apply across all EPEAT product categories. In 2021 GEC will release additional State of Sustainability Research to support modular criteria for its three other priority impact areas: sustainable use of resources, reduction of chemicals of concern, and corporate environmental, social, and governance (ESG) performance.

Please contact Erica Logan (elogan@globalelectronicscouncil.org) with any questions.  

On setting carbon reduction goals in alignment with the Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTi)

GEC thanks stakeholders for providing comments on our State of Sustainability Research (SOSR) report for Climate Change Mitigation. As a result of comments received, GEC would like to convene experts to develop criteria on setting SBTi-based carbon reduction goals for manufacturers and their supply chains. SBTi criteria development will either be added to an existing Expert Ad Hoc Group or an additional group formed.

Stakeholders interested in providing expert input on setting SBTi aligned goals are asked to notify GEC by sending an email to CRITERIA@globalelectronicscouncil.org by June 2, 2021.

Stakeholders who previously expressed interest in participating in Expert Ad Hoc Groups for Climate Change Mitigation will receive meeting scheduling information soon.

Please contact Erica Logan (elogan@globalelectronicscouncil.org) with any questions.

GEC invites stakeholders to participate in the review and drafting of criteria for the upcoming EPEAT sustainability impact module for Climate Change Mitigation.

Below is a list of Ad Hoc Groups that GEC is currently forming:

• Conducting life cycle GHG emission assessments;
• Implementing energy efficiency measures in product and component manufacturing to reduce embodied carbon;
• Sourcing electricity from renewable energy sources for manufacture of product and components to reduce embodied carbon;
• Reducing use of high global warming potential chemicals in component manufacturing; and
• Product energy efficiency.

Ad Hoc Groups will review, provide feedback, and make recommendations on draft criteria and definitions. The work of the Ad Hoc Groups will start in June 2021 and are expected to continue for 8-10 weeks. The Groups will meet by teleconference and provide offline review and comment on drafts. Stakeholders with expertise in the Ad Hoc topics are encouraged to participate, including, but not limited to, manufacturers, government policy, purchasers, non-governmental organizations, academics, and component and material suppliers.

If you have expertise in any of these topics and haven’t already notified us of your interest in participating, please send an email to CRITERIA@globalelectronicscouncil.org by May 19, 2021. Please identify the Ad Hoc Group(s) that you are interested in from the above list and provide a brief summary of your background and experience with the topic.

Please contact the project lead, Erica Logan (elogan@globalelectronicscouncil.org) with any questions.

GEC invites stakeholders to comment on its State of Sustainability Research on Climate Change Mitigation for ICT products, including:

• Identification of additional lifecycle analyses and data on climate change impacts;
• Mitigation strategies and best practices leading to demonstrable impact reduction;
• Errors, omissions, and affirmative feedback (e.g., if priority sustainability impacts are adequately addressed)

This SOSR will serve as the scientific basis for development of EPEAT sustainability performance criteria.

Comments must be submitted by May 7, 2021 using the attached SOSR Public Comment Form and submitting it via e-mail to CRITERIA@globalelectronicscouncil.org by May 7, 2021 .

Read more about climate change criteria development.