Electronics firms slow on climate change: Greenpeace

Yahoo News 16 Dec 08;

MANILA (AFP) – Electronics manufacturers are finally taking climate change seriously but have been slow on the uptake, environmentalists said Tuesday.

Companies have been going green by reducing power consumption and the toxic substances in their products but have been "slow to get serious about climate change", Greenpeace campaigner Beau Baconguis said.

Her comments followed the launch of the group's Guide to Greener Electronics, now in its 10th edition.

"While there have been some improvements on toxic and e-waste issues only a small number of companies are really leading on the response to energy and climate change issues," she said

According to the guide mobile phone manufacturer Nokia leads the pack by sourcing 25 percent of its electricity from renewable energy sources and has committed to raising the figure to 50 percent by 2010.

Other companies that have committed to renewable energy use include Fujitsu Siemens Computers (FSC), software giant Microsoft, Toshiba, Motorola and Philips.

Greenpeace assessed the 18 biggest consumer electronics firms in the Philippines and gave half five out of a possible 10 points.

However, only three of the nine companies with five points or better -- FSC, Philips and Sharp -- support the level of cuts in greenhouse gases needed to stave off man-made climate change.

Philips and Hewlett-Packard "got top marks for committing to making absolute reductions in their own greenhouse gas emissions from the product manufacture and supply chain", Baconguis said.

She noted that some firms that gained points for being energy-conscious "are still shirking their responsibilities on toxics".

Those who scored well on the toxic chemical criteria set by Greenpeace for its guide and have products that are free of the worst substances include Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, FSC and Sharp.

Baconguis said Sony Ericsson "outranks Toshiba and Samsung" now that it has "prioritised its commitment to elimination of toxic chemicals in its manufacturing process".

Overall, Motorola, Microsoft, Dell, Apple, Samsung, Nintendo and LG Electronics were still underperforming on climate change.

Baconguis noted that these firms have "no plans to cut absolute emissions from their own operations and (provide) no support for the targets and timelines needed to avoid catastrophic climate change".

She added that gaming console manufacturers like Nintendo and Microsoft had not improved their environmental practices and thus remained at the bottom of the pile.