Wipro now No. 2 green electronics brand
Two Indian companies including Wipro and HCL have figured in the list of top five green electronics brand as per the latest edition of the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, because of their strong focus on the e-waste management and climate control. The study which for the first time has included climate and energy as criteria for evaluation, has placed Wipro in joint second position with Samsung.
“It is good to see Indian brands taking their environmental responsibilities more seriously and moving into the top bracket of the global green league. We hope they will turn words into action by launching PVC and BFR-free products soon,” said Abhishek Pratap, Toxics and Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace India.
Nokia remains on top in the list with a score of 7.5 points (out of 10). The other brands which have made it t the top five list are Sony Ericsson and Philips, according to the Greenpeace study.
Wipro recently disclosed the externally verified Green House Gas (GHG) emissions of its business and manufacturing operations, and outlined a detailed plan to cut carbon emissions by 20 per cent over the next three years. Wipro is the first Indian company to commit to absolute emission reduction targets, according to Greenpeace. Besides, all the new notebook models being launched by the company, and over half of its desktop models are in compliance with the latest Energy Star rating. Wipro has also strengthened its performance on e-waste management by reporting an increase in e-waste recycling rate.
HCL, the second Indian brand to figure in the top five global green companies list, has also improved e-waste recycling rate, according to Greepeace India. Half of the new products being released by the company, are compliant with the latest Energy Star rating. However, HCL has again failed to set targets for its carbon emissions reduction, according to Greenpeace.
Also Read
Meanwhile, Greenpeace has lifted penalty points from Hewlett Packard for launching a notebook that is virtually free of PVC (vinyl plastic) and brominated flame retardants (BFRs), and for re-prioritising its toxic PVC and BFR phase out by 2011.
“HP has taken the first step in catching up with Apple, which eliminated these materials from its product line almost a year ago,” said Greenpeace International Toxics campaigner, Iza Kruszewska. “HP’s action now puts pressure squarely on its competitors to launch more products that are cleaner and safer,” she added.
LG Electronics plummeted seven places in the Greenpeace ranking to 11th position, weighed down by a penalty point for backtracking on its timeline to eliminate PVC and BFRs from its products by the end of 2010. Only The company’s mobile phone range would be free of these toxic substances as of 2010, while a toxics phase-out in their televisions and monitors has been delayed until 2012.
Dell and Lenovo retained their penalty points for delaying their phase-out commitments indefinitely. Fujitsu and Lenovo have remained at the bottom of the table, as per the ranking.
With just two months to go for crucial climate negotiations at Copenhagen, IT companies needed to take responsibility and do more, said Abhishek Pratap. “Time is running out to prevent runaway climate change. It is imperative for big IT brands to demonstrate leadership by not only reducing their own carbon emissions but also enabling de-carbonised economic growth with their solutions,” added Pratap.