chapter 3 green footprints of electronic companies...

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CHAPTER 3

GREEN FOOTPRINTS OF ELECTRONIC COMPANIES IN INDIA

With the advent of Globalisation and Liberalisation, the world is turning into a global

village. There has been exponential growth and development in developing economies

like India with a multiplier impact on the standard of living of the people. But the fruits

of such a development are not all the way sweet. There are some bitter and thorny

realities which are emerging parallel to the success stories, like dualism, westernisation,

heavier competition, depreciating human ethos and values and environmental

degradation. With the masses getting well off and products becoming economical and

easily accessible, they are provoked to buy more and more of consumer durables

nowadays.

In a recent report in 2013 by Corporate Catalyst India,

―Demand for Consumer Durables is poised for growth as the disposable incomes grow.

Also, the electrification of rural sector will augment demand. This sector attracted

demand even during recession‖.

Thus, Indian markets are highly growing markets. Due to this reason the

repercussions in the Indian markets are bound to bring about desired changes in global

products and markets. The growing problems of pollution and environmental degradation

have increased the markets for eco friendly products manifold.

The technological transfers from the developed nations and e-wastes generated

there from is a major cause of environmental trouble in developing nations; India being

one amongst them. This progressive degradation in the quantity and quality of the

environmental resources has encouraged societies to consider their responsibility in

current environmental problems. Companies, governments, and consumers should be

responsible for these environmental conditions and must take initiatives to attain

sustainable development (Andre´s, Salinas, Vallejo, 2009). Also as resources are limited

and human wants are unlimited, it is important for the marketers to utilize the resources

efficiently without waste as well as to achieve the organization's objective. As a result of

this, green marketing has emerged, which speaks for growing market for sustainable and

socially responsible products and services.

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The first objective required qualitative approach.

Objective 1: Trace out the developments in the adoption of green marketing concept

in electronic companies in India

But it required analysis on some common parameters also so that the adoption of green

concept and performances could be evaluated and compared. Thus, through content

analysis on various websites of the electronic rating agencies and electronic companies a

few parameters i.e. Environmental policy, manufacturing process, green house gas

emissions and carbon foot printing, energy efficacy initiatives and e waste management

were identified and then further the data related to these parameters was collected from

official websites of the companies and also through in depth interviews with the branch

managers and dealers of the electronic companies.

By 2020, India's electronics import bill is expected to exceed $ 400 billion, an amount

surpassing India's oil import bill." (www.Deloitte.com)

As mentioned earlier, when the sales of electronic companies were high during

recession and high import bill of electronics predicted, one may thoughtfully be provoked

to conclude that in the coming times Indian market is posed to be flooded by electronic

products from multinational and Indian electronic companies. Therefore, some of the

famous brands in electronic industry like LG, Wipro, Nokia, Samsung, Sony, Panasonic,

Videocon, Philips, Acer, Dell, Voltas, Godrej, Bajaj, and Orient are the best

representative of the electronic companies in India in context to the product categories

taken under this study (i.e. air conditioners, refrigerators, televisions, computers, mobiles,

kitchen appliances).

According to a report released by Greenpeace International, global electronic

companies must do more to end the use of climate changing dirty energy in their

manufacturing and supply chains. The 18th edition of Greenpeace Guide to Greener

Electronics (November, 2012) evaluated leading consumer electronics companies based

on their commitment and progress in three environmental criteria: Energy and Climate,

Greener Products, and Sustainable Operations. The Guide scored companies on overall

policies and practices to provide consumers with a snapshot of the sustainability of the

biggest names in the industry.

http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics/18th-Edition/

http://www.sfgate.com/?controllerName=search&action=search&channel=business%2Fprweb&search=1&inlineLink=1&query=%22Greenpeace+International%22




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Figure10: 18th

edition of Greenpeace guide to greener Products

(Source www.greenpeace.org)

The Indian company Wipro topped the rankings in its first appearance in the

International version of the Guide to Greener Electronics. Wipro scored high points (7.1)

for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and increasing its use of renewable energy,

placing energy efficient products in the market and for an effective take-back policy and

performance on the collection and recycling of post-consumer e-waste.

Hewlett Packard lost its top spot from the most recent edition of the Greenpeace

Guide to Greener Electronics, and now sits in 2nd position, with 5.7 points, behind

newcomer Wipro.

Nokia moved up to 3rd position in this edition of the Greenpeace Guide to

Greener Electronics. After three years at 1st position, Nokia fell to 3rd in last year‘s

edition.

http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/indian-company-wipro-tops-greenpeace-rankings-for-most-eco-friendly-electronics/

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Acer moved up the ranking to 4th position, with a score of 5.1. Acer is showing a

larger leadership role in its conversations with suppliers on a range of issues. This has

resulted in increase scoring across the three criteria.

Dell dropped to the 5th position, with 4.6 points because it scored poorly on all

Products criteria. Dell previously pushed back its commitment to eliminate polyvinyl

chloride plastic and brominated frame retardants from 2010 to 2011. Yet, Dell still hasn‘t

removed these chemicals from all of its products as promised, and still has no phase-out

date for hazardous substances.

Apple ended up in 6th position (scoring 4.5 points) mostly because of lack of

transparency on greenhouse gas emission reporting, clean energy advocacy, further

information on its management of toxic chemicals, and details on post-consumer recycled

plastic use.

Samsung moved up to 7th position, with 4.2 points in the present Greenpeace

Guide to Greener Electronics. Samsung is close to achieving a revised goal of eliminating

some of the most hazardous substances from its products.

Sony moved up to 8th position, with 4.1 points. Sony was a top scorer in last

year‘s Guide; it lost significant points for not continuing its energy policy advocacy work

for tougher greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Lenovo dropped to 9th place in this edition of the Guide. Lenovo made progress

since the last Guide, but did not reach its extended goal of eliminating these chemicals

from all its products by the end of 2011.

Philips moves down to 10th position in the Greenpeace Guide to Greener

Electronics, with 3.8 points.

Panasonic fell back to 11th position in this edition of the Greenpeace Guide to

Greener Electronics, with 3.6 points.

LGE (Lucky Goldstar Electronics) scored 3.5 points and moved up to 12th place.

LGE received points on a strong precautionary principle policy, but lacked sufficient

advocacy follow up.

HCL (Hindustan Computer Limited) Technologies and Info systems were

included in the global release of the 18th edition of the Guide for the first time, having

only been included in Indian editions previously. With a score of 3.1, HCL shared 13th

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position with Sharp. Sharp fell back to joint 13th position with HCL, with a score of 3.1.

Surprisingly, this solar power manufacturer does not have a renewable energy or energy

efficiency target, and it only powers 0.5 per cent of its electricity worldwide with solar.

Toshiba dropped to 15th position with 2.3 points. Toshiba has, as of March 2012,

removed polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) and brominated frame retardants (BFRs) from

most parts of its products.

Blackberry (earlier known as Research In Motion Ltd.) continues to score low in

the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronic, with 2.0 points. It remains in the 16th and

lowest position of the companies evaluated.

As the report points out, while the industry overall has taken several strides in the

right direction, crucial and growing problems remain: more people around the world are

gaining access to electronic devices, and while proper electronic take-back programs

proliferate, the speed of collection is not keeping pace with the rate of consumption,

creating ever greater amounts of toxic e-waste. In addition, companies have largely left

unaddressed the massive quantities of dirty energy embedded in their manufacturing and

supply chains, much of it coming from East Asia.

So, a brief profile of the green adaption by these companies is mentioned below

(with main focus on 1. Manufacturing process, 2. Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon

foot printing, 3. Energy efficacy, 4.E Waste Management):

3.1 Wipro

Wipro is globally recognized for its innovative approach towards delivering business

value and its commitment to sustainability. Wipro champions optimized utilization of

natural resources, capital and talent. Their 55+ dedicated emerging technologies ‗Centers

of Excellence‘ enable them to harness the latest technology for delivering business

capability to their clients.

Wipro believes that being an integral part of society, corporate organizations must

play an active role in furthering the cause of sustainability. They strongly endorse the

view that corporations should transcend the limited worldview of seeing themselves as

economic entities and must play an active role in society. Their legacy of values and good

governance practices that go back to the inception of the company help them in this

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regard. They view Sustainability Reporting as an important catalyst in the organizational

development process of seeding and reinforcing sustainability into every aspect of the

organization. Their Sustainability Report is predicated on the GRI (Global Reporting

Initiative) framework, one of the most widely accepted frameworks for sustainability

reporting. Reporting on an organization‘s sustainability performance is a powerful

indicator of an organization‘s culture of transparency and its sensitivity to larger societal

and ecological issues.

Wipro Ecoeye: Wipro is driving a self transformation to create an ecologically

sustainable organization and business. As Wipro moves forward on this path, it

continuously tries to influence all its stakeholders and communities, to move towards

ecological sustainability. It is a fact that the path to economic progress is ecologically

unsustainable. Each one of us is a part of this. The impact and effect of this could range

from serious disruption to society and economy as we know it, to global apocalypse and

unprecedented global strife. It is going to be a very serious impact ―how serious, is a

question of degree and time‖.

At Wipro, they believe that: ―If every one of us – organizations and individuals

i.e. the global society transform to ecologically sustainable progress, we have the best

chance of shaping a secure and happy future‖.

The core of Wipro‘s social and community initiatives is focused on responsible

and deep engagement with all stakeholders – present and future generations. Eco-eye is

the way they see themselves and their engagement with stakeholders - on the journey to

more sustainable business practices. The initiative focuses on reducing ecological

footprint of their business operations, engagement with employees and their supply chain,

partners and customers to create a more sustainable society, and transparent

reporting/disclosures.

The ecological dimensions of their operations are focused on energy efficiency,

water efficiency, waste/pollution management and recently enhancing biodiversity– they

have set stretch targets for each of them. Moving beyond mere compliance with laws and

regulations, engagement with employees focuses on health and safety, people

development, and increasing diversity and inclusivity at workplace. Close collaboration

with suppliers to reduce their own ecological footprint and help meet and exceed labour

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and human rights norms is a key focus area. For customers and their business partners,

they offer a host of solutions and products to help make their own businesses more

sustainable. Transparent reporting is important for the internal and external stakeholders

– and they are responsibly proud of their achievements in this area – leaders in CDP,

inclusion in DJSI and NASDAQ 100, rated among the top in OeKom apart from host of

others.

Wipro is committed to the implementation of their policy through widespread

awareness and concrete actions, while being open to continual improvements. They

believe that the policy serves a strong foundation for their goal of a seamless integration

of marketplace, workplace environment and community concerns with Wipro‘s business

operations in order to support the larger goal of Sustainable Development.

The adoption in implementation as extensive to policies include:

3.1.1 Manufacturing Process

The core mission of Wipro Green Computing is to provide to customers, products that are

safe for the environment. Preserving the environment for future generations is the

foremost duty and Wipro has been on a journey to provide products, which are safe for

environment and human health. Wipro‘s vision is to avoid the use of substances in its

products that could seriously harm the environment or human health. Wipro takes all

steps to ensure that following substances are avoided in production process:

All materials and substances with hazardous properties that are a known threat to

human health or the environment.

All materials and substances with hazardous properties that show strong

indications of significant risks to human health or the environment.

All materials and substances with hazardous properties that bio persists and bio

accumulates in atmosphere and impact humans or the environment.

Wipro further believes that if reasonable scientific grounds indicate a substance

(or group of substances) could pose significant environmental or human health risks, even

if the full extent of harm has not yet been definitively established, precautionary

measures should be taken to avoid use of the substance(s) in products unless there is

convincing evidence that the risks are small and are outweighed by the benefits. Wipro

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considers these to be substances of concern that need to be eliminated in the long term

and substituted or gradually phased out in the short term. Wipro identifies substances for

elimination after studying the harmful substances recommended by the Ministry of

Environment and Forest, Government of India, international treaties and conventions,

RoHS legislation etc. as applicable to its area of operations.

Banning all the items banned under different laws, treaties and conventions.

List of elements which are not banned by laws but are threat to human health and

environment.

They have introduced number of measures to extend the life span of their

products. Wipro is providing services to customers by which they replace components to

extend the life span of older products. Wipro‘s product life span is now being defined as

7 years. Wipro has been developing the product keeping in mind to enhance the life of the

product. Accordingly, the life span for which Wipro guarantee to replace the component

as appropriate within the service facility (that includes warranty and AMC) has

elongated.

3.1.2 Greenhouse gas emissions and carbon footprint

India has a wider spectrum of choices precisely because it is at an early stage of

development. Our Prime Minister‘s vision is to create a prosperous, but not wasteful

society, an economy that is self-sustaining in terms of its ability to unleash the creative

energies of our people and is mindful of our responsibilities to both present and future

generations. Recognizing that climate change is a global challenge, India is engaged

actively in multilateral negotiations in the United Nations Framework Convention on

Climate Change (UNFCCC), in a positive, constructive and forward looking manner. The

countries objective will be to establish an effective, cooperative and equitable global

approach based on the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities and

respective capabilities, enshrined in the UNFCCC.

The National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) addresses the urgent and

critical concerns of the country through a directional shift in the development pathway,

through the enhancement of the current and planned programs through Eight National

Missions. Developing nations like India have a unique opportunity in addressing the

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climate change challenge in a responsible manner that is economically sound,

ecologically effective and socially inclusive. The per-capita emission rates of the

developing countries are a tiny fraction of those in the developed world. Following the

principle of common but differentiated responsibility, India maintains that the major

responsibility of curbing emission rests with the developed countries, which have

accumulated emissions over a long period of time. However, the U.S. and other Western

nations assert that India, along with China, will account for most of the emissions in the

coming decades, owing to their rapid industrialization and economic growth.

Wipro will align itself with the relevant missions of the NAPCC as relevant and

supports India‘s basic stand on green house gas emissions reductions.

Wipro considers regulations and policies as critical elements of enabling the low

carbon economy in India, and in this regard we have been proactively engaging

with the Government on different dimensions of climate change regulations.

Some of the key actions on ecological sustainability are

ISO 14001 Certification and greening of all buildings based on LEED

standards

Carbon Disclosure Project

Reduction in business commute

Usage of alternative sources of energy for lighting e.g. LED lights

Car-pool policy within employees

Micro-generation of wind / solar power on large owned-campuses

Run air conditioning plant on solar thermal

Explore usage of ‗clean‘ fuel for transport fleet e.g.. CNG

Plan future office locations in multiple clusters across the city to reduce

commuting distance

Plantation of rows of rain-attraction trees on ear-marked track of unused

campus land

Encourage Tele-con & Video-con facility to reduce employee travel emissions.

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Sustainability Action Plan

The year-wise absolute reduction targets on a cumulative basis are: 9 per cent

(2010), 15 per cent (2011), 23 per cent (2012), 29 per cent (2013), 37 per cent

(2014) and 44 per cent (2015).

The above goal will be met through a combination of Energy Efficiency

measures, Renewable Energy and behavioural changes aided by technology, e.g.

less travel on account of conferencing technologies.

Nearly 50 per cent of this reduction will happen as part of several business

initiatives that are already planned e.g. Server Virtualization, LEED buildings etc;

The balance 50 per cent will require an additional investment of Rs 115 crores

spread over 6 years in Renewable Energy and Clean Energy based cooling

solutions e.g. Earth Air Tunnel.

Along with the deployment of technology, process changes will need to be

implemented across e.g. a new system of allocating green house gas emissions

budgets at the location level and reflecting at Business Unit level as well will be

introduced.

Wipro will evolve a framework to measure the reduction in green house gas

emissions for our customers on account of using our products and solutions.

In order to effectively monitor progress on green house gas emissions goals, they

will strengthen the measurement processes and IT systems significantly. The

‗Carbon Accounting Tool‘ developed by the BTS group will be deployed

internally over the next 6 months.

Water: They will continue to increase the levels of recycling and conserving of

water. The target is to reduce water footprint per employee by 5 per cent every

year against a baseline level of 44 litres of fresh water per employee per day in

2007-08.

The total investments for all of the initiatives such as ‘higher quality’

recycling, investments in ‘high grade treatment’ technologies, rainwater

harvesting replenishing the water withdrawn etc. are estimated at Rs 4

crores over six years.

The investments will be made in progressive, linear steps.

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3.1.3 Energy efficiency initiatives

Wipro‘s initiatives include:

1. An Intelligent Automated Power Management- which will identify power savings,

measurement of carbon reductions and implementation of customer organization‘s

Green Goals.

2. Scalable Deployment – Enable automated power management of all systems

across an entire network right down to the system level

3. Flexible Policy Configuration – Configure policies at group and system levels;

apply modify at anytime

4. 24/7 Auditing – On-going reporting of savings vs. plan for all organizational

levels

5. Centralized Dashboards – Implement and review power management from custom

configured dashboards

6. Easy Implementation – Fully-automate deployment and configuration without

disrupting users

7. Enterprise Integration – Integrates with Active Directory Organizational Units to

audit and manage based on existing groups.

3.1.4 E- Waste management

The Environment Management Team at Wipro has been leading the E-waste

initiatives since August 2005 and continues this venture of making the environment a

safer and greener place. As a commitment towards IPR and EPR, Wipro has volunteered

to take full responsibility - both physical and financial - towards recycling e-waste of all

Wipro products.

Over the last few years, they have defined and redefined the process, identified

suitable recycling mechanisms, created service points across the country, identified

technically competent recycling agencies and setup a process for recycling of E-waste.

This is a service offered to all the customers through a single helpline number. Wipro

also actively encourages usage of environment friendly electronic products and promotes

the usage of e-waste recycling services through various marketing and communication

programs

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Customers can register on their website or choose to deliver the computers/ parts

through 19 authorized collection centers across the country. They can also call Wipro

representatives in respective locations for pickup. Wipro has identified partners who will

help in the recycling of e-waste. They also provide the clarification on documentation

control needed to ensure compliance to the standards prescribed by statutory pollution

control authorities, if required.

Reports on the amount of electronic waste collected and recycled

Wipro launched its take-back and recycling program in 2007. Since then, they have

faced many challenges and have successfully overcome them. The problem of recycling

becomes more challenging in the Indian environment as customers are reluctant to give in

their products for recycling. However, as a result of Wipro‘s sustained efforts towards

awareness and education, it has resulted into a slow and steady progress towards the

collection of electronic waste for recycling. All the collection centres of Wipro have

started giving satisfactory results.

Wipro has increased the re-cycling of e-waste from 15 per cent in Financial

Year 2008-09 to about 45 per cent in the Financial Year 2011-12 comparisons to

past sales.

However they have improved their collection performance by 250 per cent

over previous years. In order to extend the lifespan of the product Wipro has taken many

initiatives by giving extended service contract which helps the consumer to use the

product beyond the average lifespan. Many customers like BFSI (Banking Financial

Service Institute) are taking benefit of this initiative. Wipro also has unique advantage of

corporate selling and generally the customers are bulk users like banks and big

corporates. Wipro is organizing special orientation programs for their corporate

customers to educate them on E-waste management.

3.2 Hewlett Packard (HP)

As the world‘s largest provider of information technology (IT) infrastructure, software,

services, and solutions, HP is in a unique position to respond to the challenge of reducing

energy use and waste.

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By uniting the power of people and technology, HP creates environmental

solutions that reduce impact and expand opportunities--for their business, their

customers, and the world. It means applying scale, portfolio, and partnerships to reduce

environmental impact and enable customers to be more efficient. They are improving the

efficiency of their portfolio, supply chain, and operations. And they see an even bigger

opportunity in developing HP solutions that improve or replace current energy- and

resource-intensive processes and behaviors with more efficient alternatives. HP is

committed to providing technology that helps reduce the costs. The HP Eco Solutions

program makes it easier than ever to identify HP innovations, products and services that

can reduce environmental impact and save money while delivering the high quality that is

expected.

3.2.1 Manufacturing Processes

With their infrastructure, software, services, and solutions—from digital printing to

energy and resource management—HP is pioneering products and solutions that help

people achieve more while reducing resource consumption and waste. Used effectively,

technology can ultimately contribute to a net positive impact in the consumption of

resources and energy. HP is an industry leader in helping their product manufacturing,

transport, and recovery partners understand, improve, and report on their environmental

performance. They continue to expand their reuse and recycling programs to improve

availability, reduce waste resulting from the operations, and capture value from IT

products at their end of life. And through collaboration with partners, as well as industry

and environmental leaders, they can further reduce their extended environmental impact.

3.2.2 Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions and Carbon Footprint

HP is delivering solutions to address key areas such as energy consumption while

investing in sustainable technology research and development that help customers

improve their lives or businesses and reduce their environment footprint. Responsibly

managing their own operations is a cornerstone of their commitment to environmental

sustainability. Across HP‘s global operations, they continually work to reduce energy

consumption, green house gas emissions, paper use, water consumption and waste

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generation. These efforts have resulted in a 20 per cent reduction in 2011 green house

gas emissions for HP operations, as compared with 2005.

3.2.3 Energy efficacy

At HP, they recognize an enormous opportunity to deliver energy-efficient IT

infrastructure, and to innovate IT solutions that provide people and businesses with better

insight into and control over their energy use. They are in a unique position to help

customers better understand and improve their energy use, turn energy consumption data

into usable information, and develop more efficient and productive operations that use

less energy and reduce associated green house gas emissions. They are committed to

making HP global operations more energy efficient, seeking low-carbon energy sources

where possible. And looking outward, HP collaborates with government agencies,

nongovernmental organizations, universities, and peer technology companies to improve

their own performance, develop standards to advance the industry, and contribute to

advanced research in energy and sustainability. Many data centers are inefficient—

estimated to use less than half of the overall energy they consume for computing. HP is

reimagining those models from the ground up. HP is helping customers forgo brick-and-

mortar data centers with the HP POD modular data center, also known as the HP Eco

POD. Through HP Project Moonshot, they are designing next-generation, extreme low-

energy server technologies. And HP Labs‘ sustainable data center project is a large-scale

rethinking of how data centers are designed, built, and operated.

3.2.4 E Waste Management

Since 1987, HP has recovered over 2.3 billion pounds of products for reuse and

recycling. HP helps extend the life of IT hardware through their remanufacturing

programs, reducing environmental impacts and making IT equipment accessible to

more people. They recycle products that are no longer suitable for reuse.

An important part of the cost-savings story is the HP return and recycling

program. HP can help recapture value from existing equipment by trading it in for new

HP technology. The HP Planet Partners program, available in more than 50 countries and

territories, offers recycling and convenient return options for recycling computing

hardware and print cartridges.

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More than 310 million HP LaserJet and ink cartridges contained content from

―closed-loop‖ recycling process in 2010, as cartridges and parts are reduced to raw

materials that can be used to make new cartridges and other metal and plastic products.

In 2011, they achieved a milestone of recycling 2 billion pounds of electronic

products and supplies since 1987.

They work with a network of vendors in 67 countries and territories worldwide to

collect, process for resale, and/or recycle returned products. Computers and data center

equipment is refurbished and resold when leases end or customers trade them in for

newer, more efficient models. They recycle products that are no longer suitable for reuse.

3.3 Nokia

Nokia has been named one of the ‘Best Global Green Brands’ of 2012 in a report

from brand consultancy Interbrand. The report measures companies‘ performance in

environmental sustainability across two measures:

(i) The extent to which they source, produce, and distribute products and services in

an environmentally responsible manner; and

(ii) How effectively they convey those values to consumers.

With over 1.3 billion customers using Nokia devices, they are in a unique

position to effect positive environmental and social change around the world. For

Nokians, sustainability isn‘t merely an exercise in damage limitation – it‘s an opportunity

to make a real difference, both to people and to the planet.

Caring for the environment Climate change, energy and resource use are some of the

biggest challenges facing the world today. So Nokia is doing their best to help wherever

possible; from natural disasters to food security to rising sea levels, they all impact

economies, communities and the environment.

This means integrating environmental sustainability into everything they do. For

example, reducing the emissions of own facilities and those of suppliers; increasing

energy efficiency throughout operations and using green energy where possible; saving

resources through simple initiatives such as cutting down on packaging; and using

sustainable, ethically sourced materials in products.

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In addition, their product creation is guided by life cycle thinking. It helps

continuously improve the environmental aspects of products and processes in each phase

of the product life cycle, from raw material acquisition to the end of life of the product.

Over the years, they have been able to reduce the environmental impact of their products

significantly.

But they go further than that. They also use considerable resources to help

organisations such as WWF and IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature)

develop and implement environmental projects around the world. And they use their

global reach and mobile technology expertise to encourage customers to adopt greener,

more sustainable lifestyles.

Making lives better Clearly, environmental investments and initiatives also have social

benefits. After all, protecting the planet is vital to the wellbeing of the communities it

supports. In addition, they invest in social projects which impact three key issues;

education, livelihoods and health. The power of mobility plays a key role in the

development of these areas.

For example, there are the kids in South Africa who are benefiting from mobile

mathematics learning tool. The farmers in rural India are using Nokia Life Tools to

enhance their business by giving them access to up-to-date information, ranging

from market prices to weather forecasts. And the communities in the Amazon region

where Nokia Data Gathering is helping combat the spread of diseases such as dengue

fever.

These are just some of the many ways in which Nokia is helping make people‘s

lives better, particularly in developing countries. From improving health and wellbeing to

empowering people both economically and socially… the humble mobile phone has

come a long, long way.

The Nokia Code of Conduct

The Nokia Code of Conduct sets their approach to ethical and sustainable business

practice and is based on the highest ethical standards. It outlines their commitment to

respect and promote human rights and fair workplace practices, equal opportunities,

environmentally sustainable business, and zero-tolerance policy on bribery and

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corruption. First introduced in 1997, the Nokia Code of Conduct had its latest renewal in

2009, well accepted and applied globally in their operations and requires the same

standards from suppliers.

Nokia Research Committee (NRC) recently initiated a project for a futuristic

mobile phone concept with an aim to initiate public discussion around

environmentally sustainable R&D.

Nokia is committed to the principles of the United Nations Global Compact. They

believe that environmental management has to be fully incorporated in their business

processes. Environmental issues are everyone's responsibility at Nokia and an integral

part of managing business because they are related to all that they do. The environmental

work is based on global policies and standards.

The Nokia-wide Environmental Management System (EMS) according to the ISO

14001 standard covers production sites and large offices. All Nokia production sites are

included in the company wide ISO 14001 single certificate. The first manufacturing sites

have completed the certification end of 2000. Certification is an ongoing process, with all

new production sites being covered by the certificate. The EMS in large offices and R&D

sites is verified internally.

The Environmental Management System consists of:

Nokia's Environmental Policy

Identification of environmental aspects, and evaluation of their significance

Objectives and programs for achieving environmental targets

Compliance with legal and other regulatory requirements

Audits, management reviews, and continuous improvement

Operational management (data and processes) for energy and water consumption,

waste, etc.

The goal of the Nokia Environmental Management System is to improve their

environmental performance, focusing on:

energy consumption

water consumption

air emissions

ozone-depleting substances

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waste management

packaging


Nokia manufactures its phones primarily in its own factories and apply the highest

standards to ensure safe and supportive labour conditions. Proximity to suppliers and

partners also brings environmental benefits.

Nokia’s Xingwang Industrial Park in China, a cluster of facilities including

them and 12 partners, has achieved an annual decrease in energy consumption

equivalent to nearly 45,000 tonnes of coal as well as water conservation of half a

million tonnes.

In 2010, Nokia’s Chennai factory in India won the 'Golden Peacock

Environment Management Award - 2010’, under the Telecom/IT-Hardware

category.

The award recognises Nokia‘s efforts in terms of effective implementation of

Environmental Management System (EMS) and setting high standards in its

management. In line with Nokia Natural Resources Policy they want to ensure that all

materials used in their products come from socially and environmentally responsible

sources. For fiber based printing and packaging materials aim is to use 100 per cent

certified renewable or recycled materials by 2015. It accepts certifications by Forest

Stewardship Council (FSC) and / or The Programme for the Endorsement of Forest

Certification (PEFC) with priority on the former. It also targets to use at least 70 per cent

of recycled fibers on an average across all packaging.

3.3.2 Green House Gas Emissions and Carbon Footprint

Nokia created its first climate strategy in 2006 and it was reviewed and updated in

2010. The strategy looks at the energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of

products and operations and sets reduction targets accordingly. While Nokia is not a

particularly energy intensive company, they‘ve still made major improvements. Over a

third (40 per cent in 2011) of the energy they use to power their operations is

renewable, reducing CO2 emissions by around 55,000 tonnes per annum.

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They encourage their employees to replace travel with video and teleconferencing

as much as possible. Nokia has over 230 video conferencing facilities around the world,

used for about 6,000 meetings per month.

Since 2008, Nokia’s air travel miles and related CO2 emissions have been

reduced by 36 per cent.

3.3.3 Energy Efficacy

They are constantly striving for superior performance in energy efficiency. Devices now

feature a power-saving standby mode or a battery saver, which help to save handset

energy. They have also introduced applications, features and technologies such as Nokia

Battery Monitor 3.0, ambient light detector and efficient Snapdragon™ processor, OLED

or AMOLED displays, to save energy.

Between 2000 and 2009, they reduced the average no-load power

consumption of chargers by over 80 per cent, and best-in-class chargers by over 95

per cent. With the recent introduction of more 5 and 4 star chargers, the current

figures are even more impressive.

New power generation: They research and experiment with the best way to use

new energy sources, in particular, solar power. Ever wondered whether it‘s possible to

power a mobile phone just from the sun‘s rays? As part of their long-term research into

energy efficiency, they are testing solar charging in Nigeria and Kenya currently. The

Portable Solar Charger is part of a project where Nokia is exploring the charging

opportunities for people that do not have access to the electricity grid. Kenya and Nigeria

provide the perfect opportunity for testing this solution as recent World Bank reports

indicate that only 16 and 51 per cent of Kenyans and Nigerians respectively had regular

access to electricity between 2007 and 2011. Thousands of people in Nigeria and Kenya

are set to pilot the Solar Charger. The pilot will be studied to see the product‘s business

potential, usage patterns, the environmental and social impacts, and whether it could be

introduced for full commercial production.


They had set a target to reduce waste sent to landfill from factories by half annually, with

a view to reaching close to 100 per cent waste utilisation by the end of 2012. And they‘re

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doing pretty well so far. Five out of seven Nokia factories have already reached 100 per

cent waste utilization or are within 1 per cent of that target.

In 2011, Nokia caused 45,900 tonnes of waste. Of this, 91 per cent was reused

or recycled, energy was recovered from 5 per cent, and only 4 per cent went for final

disposal in landfill or incineration without energy recovery.

They‘ve set recycling points mainly in the Nokia Care centres around the world to

drop off old Nokia equipment and give it a new life. If there is no recycling point nearby,

one can also drop phone off at any electronics recycling point organized by the local

authority.

Nokia works with carefully selected companies who reclaim materials from the

phones and accessories they pass on to them. These companies are assessed on a regular

basis to make sure anything handed to them is recycled responsibly.

Nokia has been running take-back campaigns since the late 1990s and

regularly work with environmental organizations or non-governmental organizations such

as WWF to increase consumer awareness in different markets around the world. They

also work with others in the industry to improve recycling standards.

Nokia supports the concept of individual producer responsibility. In order for

them to carry out their own responsibilities they need others in the value chain, like

consumers and retailers, to commit to bring back old mobile phones and accessories for

responsible recycling.

3.4 Acer (Australian Council for Educational Research)

Acer takes environmental responsibility seriously in all of their operations and products.

They have developed an environmental management system that not only helps save

energy and ensure appropriate treatment of waste in all of their offices, but also works to

raise the environmental awareness of employees. Their products embody the concepts of

the precautionary principle and individual producer responsibility (IPR) as they

endeavour to reduce their environmental impact throughout each stage of the product

lifecycle and provide appropriate recycling channels to help consumers do their part for

the environment.

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Environmental Management

Thorough implementation of Acer‘s Environmental Safety Management System keeps

the corporation in line with their environmental policy by reducing the impact their

products and operations have on the environment and to helping attain their environment,

health and safety (EHS) objectives. Among these objectives include providing safe

products and services, minimizing the environmental impacts of products and operations,

and ensuring that employees are healthy and safe in the workplace.

Environmental, Health and Safety Policy

Acer endeavours to achieve balanced development in economy, environment and society.

They are devoted to environmental protection. They understand that all their products,

services and activities have potential impact to the environment and community where

they conduct business. They are also dedicated to providing a safe and healthy workplace

for employees believing that occupational health and safety is the foundation of sound

and responsible business operations. They ensure that all employees understand their

roles and responsibilities and are working with their partners and suppliers to meet or

exceed the environmental, health and safety commitments.

Meet or exceed all applicable legal requirements, industry standards and voluntary

agreements to which Acer subscribes.

Improve resource productivity by promoting pollution prevention, energy

efficiency and waste reduction.

Carefully select raw materials and suppliers to provide safe and low

environmental impact products.

Strive to create a safe and healthful workplace and to prevent occupational injury

and illnesses.

Continuously improve EHS performance based on audit and communications.

Acer Environmental Management team

Acer's Eco committee was formed in 2004, consisting of management from its

worldwide regional offices. All employees are expected to comply with applicable

environmental laws as well as Acer's own environmental policy and programs.

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Environmental Objectives

The five focal points of their environmental objectives are to fortify their Environmental

Management System (EMS), strengthen green product development, expand product

recycling and processing services, and strengthen green supply chain management and

environmental communication platforms.

3.4.1 Manufacturing process

Acer ensures quality control and environmental policies are put into practice according to

ISO/TL standards by regularly conducting internal and external audits. With the objective

of prevention through inspection, defects found by auditors are documented for

correction, ensuring that the inspection system serves as a reference for continual

improvement.

Providing environmental information about products is a responsibility that all

international corporations must assume. The primary objective is to keep consumers

informed about environmental information regarding the products they purchase. Acer

uses the IT ECO Declaration standard; information disclosed includes the following:

EMS and environmental report

Environmentally conscious design

Energy consumption

Noise characteristics

Electrical safety

EMC and electromagnetic emissions from monitors

Chemical emissions

Hazardous substances

Batteries

Packaging

Recycling

Acer started to manufacture environmentally friendly products even before

it spun off the computer manufacturing division, and has been following IT ECO

Declaration practices for all products.

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For the monitors Acer uses Sweden‘s TCO mark, which demands the most

extensive and strict application criteria in the entire monitor industry. The label standards

are primarily concerned with energy use, ergonomics, radiation, and safety.


Any aggressive carbon reduction or application of renewable energy is welcome by Acer

to keep atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations below 450 ppm, therefore Acer

supports the two absolute green house gas emissions reduction targets proposed by the

EU, firstly to use 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050, and secondly to cut

industrialized nation emissions by 30 per cent by 2020, with 1990 as the baseline year.

Acer also backs international initiatives such as in US, Japan, or India to sharply reduce

green house gas emissions and appeals to all circles worldwide to work together in

preventing global green house gas emissions from increasing beyond the year 2015.

Acer India headquarters office building in Bangalore initiated an office

building energy conservation project through its CSR Club. Before noon each day,

staff on the east side of building offices would pull down the shades and resort to electric

lighting while staff on the west side of the offices would rely only on diffused natural

lighting. After noon, the staff on either sides of the building would switch methods. This

measure proved effective at preventing certain areas of the office from overheating, thus

conserving energy and reducing carbon emissions. Regardless of whether it is a small or

large space, all of their office remodeling plans adopt and adhere to consistent energy

conservation precepts. In 2010, they took the opportunity to establish an auto

shutdown system. They expect that their investments in these energy-saving

improvements will pay for themselves several times over in terms of effective energy

conservation and carbon reduction once operations move back into these spaces. In

assessing and choosing office equipment, energy saving functionality is one of the core

evaluation criteria. They also prioritize equipment that does not use toxic materials, has

reduced ozone and noise pollution, has low-energy consumption design, and uses

environmentally friendly ink.

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3.4.3 Energy Efficacy

As part of commitment to energy conservation, carbon reduction and sustainability, Acer

has always focused on the energy-saving design of products. Some of the leading energy-

saving technologies featured include Intel's Display Power Savings Technology (DPST),

best feasible power management systems, Acer PowerSmart key, and Acer PowerSmart

power supply equipment.

They apply for ENERGY STAR® certification for selected products in their

desktop computer, notebook computer and monitor product lines. The percentages of new

models in major product lines that meet the latest ENERGY STAR® requirements in

2012 reached 100 per cent for notebooks, 33 per cent for Desktop and 97 per cent for

monitors. Notably, 60 per cent of new notebook models exceed the ENERGY

STAR® requirements by 50 per cent.


It is also a major environmental protection concern at Acer. Acer‘s products embody the

concepts of individual producer responsibility (IPR) as they endeavour to reduce their

environmental impact throughout each stage of the product lifecycle by eco-design and

will provide appropriate recycling channels to help consumers do their part for the

environment. Their products are modularized to be easily upgraded in order to prolong

usable lives and are easy to be disassembled to increase efficiency in recycling processes.

In addition, to encourage plastics recycling activities in the end of life of products and to

save energy and resource extraction for new materials from the earth, some Acer‘s

products also use recycled materials in the housing of the products. Acer now uses only

paper products for padding and no longer using polyethylene foam. This means that all

packaging is almost 100 per cent recyclable and greatly reducing environmental

impacts from land filing and incineration.

3.5 Dell

As revealed by the revised Dell Global Environmental policy on November, 2012; Dell

is committed towards environment sustainability. The statement of the policy is as

follows:

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―Dell aspires to be a company in which environmental excellence is a priority in

all things we do. Our goal is to fully integrate environmental stewardship into the

business of providing quality products, best-in-class services, and the best customer

experience at the best value.

The following criteria provide a framework for establishing and reviewing

environmental objectives and targets:

Deliver Environmentally Responsible Products and Services

– Design products considering their lifecycle environmental impacts.

– Provide products and services that provide environmental benefits to our customers.

Prevent Waste and Pollution

– Operate Dell's facilities to conserve resources, minimize harmful impacts on the

environment, and prevent pollution.

– Set expectations of environmental excellence in their supply chain and among their

business partners.

Demonstrate Environmental Responsibility

– Use sustainable practices that protect Dell's employees, neighbors, and the

environment.

– Communicate and discuss company progress openly.

Comply With the Law

– Conduct business in full compliance with applicable environmental laws and

regulations.

– Meet the commitments of the voluntary environmental programs in which Dell

participates.

Continually Improve

– Foster a culture of environmental responsibility and employee engagement.

– Evaluate and continually improve their environmental performance.

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Dell considers the environment at every stage of the product lifecycle starting with how a

product is designed. Instead of one eco-friendly product, they consider the following

when designing all of their products.

Smarter material choices

They meet and often exceed local legal requirements when it comes to providing safe

materials in products and many of the products are designed with environmentally

preferable materials like recycled plastics.

Energy efficiency

Nearly every eligible Dell product can be configured to meet the requirements for

ENERGY STAR qualification and they have reduced notebook and desktop energy

related costs by 25 per cent since 2008.

End of life and reuse

Glues and adhesives can create processing challenges for recyclers, so they have come up

with other methods, such as innovative snap fits, to accomplish the same design goals.

Environmental standards

When searching for technology that meets tough environmental standards, look for

reputable third-party eco-labels of ENERGY STAR®, EPEAT® and the 80 PLUS®

Program.

Smarter material choices

They are committed to making smarter choices about the materials that go into their

products by using environmentally preferable materials and avoiding those that are not.

Dell holds it selves to the world’s toughest environmental standards such as

Europe’s RoHS and REACH and goes beyond these standards with chemical use

policy by reducing or eliminating other substances even if they are not restricted.

They also use recycled-content plastics in many of their products, helping close the

recycling loop.

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At Dell, they track their green house gas emissions and set a high bar for improvement.

This includes the commitment they first made in 2007, announcing a goal to reduce

global green house gas emissions per dollar of revenue by 15 per cent by the end of 2012.

Net Carbon Intensity: Since Financial Year 2008, their emissions intensity is

14.2 per cent lower.

With the donations collected from customers, partners of Dell use the funds to

rebuild and replenish natural habitats. The trees fix carbon as they grow, turning carbon

dioxide into wood. All the restoration work is done in protected areas that can never be

developed or harvested for timber. Current projects are located in the U.S., Canada and

Panama, and each is monitored and verified by third-party auditors to ensure that the

efforts meet the carbon sequestration targets.

3.5.3 Energy efficacy

To lower the power bills and their collective carbon footprint, Dell‘s engineers are

focused on making their products as energy efficient as possible. Dell products use less

and less power with each generation saving an additional 25 per cent or more in

desktop and notebook related energy costs since 2008 and Dell servers are warrantied

to run for extended periods at up to 113° F/45° C, allowing for an extensive geographic

range of potential chillerless operation. They even designed a modular data centre for

eBay that uses outside air even in the hot summer months of Arizona.


The Basel Convention greatly reduces the international transfer of waste, including e-

waste. Dell has expanded and surpassed the Convention‘s guidelines to define e-waste as

all non working parts or devices, regardless of materials, and require that all equipment

be tested and certified before being exported. The policy also states: All exports and

imports of electronic waste handled by Dell and its authorized environmental partners

will comply with existing international waste trade agreements and legal requirements.

Dell does not permit electronic waste to be exported from developed

(members countries in the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and

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Development (OECD) or the European Union (EU)) to developing (non-OECD/EU)

countries, either directly or through intermediaries.

No prison or child labour will be used in the disposal of electronic waste. Every

reasonable effort will be made to control all electronic wastes and prevent it from

entering landfills or incinerators. Any e-waste collected or accumulated through disposal

chain must be tracked and documented, through final disposition, to ensure that it is

properly recycled. They audit themselves and their recycling partners to confirm that their

policies and standards are being met. Dell provides multiple hassle-free options for

disposing e-waste responsibly and keeping it out of landfills either directly or through

their partnerships.

3.6 Apple

From reporting their entire carbon footprint to finding ways to reduce that footprint,

Apple takes a comprehensive approach to environmental responsibility. Product by

product, facility by facility, they report on their progress every year. So anyone can see

what they are doing — and what they have done — to make a difference.

Apple reports environmental impact comprehensively. They do this by focusing

on their products: what happens when they design them, what happens when they make

them, and what happens when the customers take them home and use them.

Total Footprint = Manufacturing61 per cent +Transportation5 per cent + Product

Use30 per cent + Recycling2 per cent + Facilities2 per cent.

Total Carbon Footprint= 2 per cent Facilities +98 per cent Product Life Cycle

To calculate the carbon footprint: To measure a company‘s environmental footprint

accurately, it‘s important to look at the impact that company‘s products have on the

planet. Other companies continue to report only the carbon footprint of their facilities.

But Apple uses a comprehensive life cycle analysis approach to determine where

greenhouse gas emissions come from. That means adding up the emissions generated

from the manufacturing, transportation, use, and recycling of products, as well as the

emissions generated by facilities. About 98 per cent of Apple‘s carbon footprint is

directly related to their products. The remaining 2 per cent is related to facilities,

including data centers.

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Minimizing the impact of growth They design products in a manner such that they use

less material, ship with smaller packaging, be free of many toxic substances, and be as

energy efficient and recyclable as possible. So as they continue to grow faster than the

rest of the industry, they‘re doing it with products that are friendlier to the environment

than ever, and they remain committed to create products that have the least amount of

impact on the environment.

Though their revenue has grown, their greenhouse gas emissions per dollar

of revenue have decreased by 21.5 per cent since 2008.

And they’re still the only company in their industry whose entire product line

not only meets but exceeds the strict energy guidelines of the ENERGY STAR

specification.

3.6.1 Manufacturing process

Manufacturing — including extraction of raw materials and product assembly —

accounts for 61 per cent of Apple‘s total greenhouse gas emissions. Apple‘s attention to

product design has led to significant reductions in carbon emissions compared with

earlier-generation products — even though new products are more powerful than ever.

(Reduction in Carbon Emissions:

Apple TV: 2007-2012: 90 per cent reduction,

iMac: 1998-2012: 67 per cent reduction,

Mac mini: 2007-2012: 49 per cent reduction,

MacBook Pro: 2006-2012: 6 per cent reduction)

Toxic Materials Removal: Their entire product line — Mac, iPod, iPhone, iPad, and

accessories — is free from many toxic materials.

Material used: Over the past decade, Apple designers and engineers have continued to

pioneer new ways to build their products. Manufacturing innovations such as unibody

constructions have allowed MacBook and iPad products to become thinner while are

being even more resilient. And the latest iMac features a process called friction-stir

welding, which helps enable iMac to use 68 per cent less material and also generate 67

per cent fewer carbon emissions than earlier generations.

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Toxic substance removal: Designing greener products means considering the

environmental impact of the materials used to make them. From the glass, plastic, and

metal in their products to the paper and ink in their packaging, their goal is to continue

leading the industry in reducing or eliminating environmentally harmful substances.

For decades, the electronics industry commonly used toxic substances such as

arsenic, brominated flame retardants (BFRs), mercury, phthalates, and polyvinyl chloride

(PVC). Although most parts of the world still allow the use of these substances. In the

majority of markets, they now offer PVC-free cables, and they will continue to bring

these cables to other regions as they receive certifications.

Apple has also eliminated BFRs from thousands of components, putting those

years ahead of others in their industry. And they use mercury-free LED backlights and

arsenic-free glass in every display they make. To ensure that their suppliers meet high

standards; they take apart their products in their Cupertino labs. Then they test them using

many methods, including X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy and ion chromatography.

Their products are also tested by independent laboratories to double-check their results.

Environmentally conscious materials: In addition to eliminating toxins and designing

products with highly recyclable aluminum enclosures, Apple works with environmentally

conscious materials including recycled plastics, recycled paper, biopolymers, and

vegetable-based inks.

Smaller packaging: Making thinner, lighter, and more material-efficient products that not

only reduces their carbon footprint, but it also means that those can be shipped in smaller

packaging. In fact, they employ teams of design and engineering experts who develop

product packaging that‘s slim and light yet protective. Efficient packaging design reduces

materials and waste, and it also helps reduce the emissions produced during

transportation. For example, the packaging for iPhone 5 is 28 per cent smaller than

that for the original iPhone shipped in 2007.


Other companies in the industry primarily report on the greenhouse gas emissions

associated with their facilities as a gauge of their environmental impact. But switching off

lights and recycling office waste aren‘t enough. The products they make represent the

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biggest impact on their environment. That‘s why Apple focuses on product design and

innovation. Even so, Apple has taken significant steps to lessen greenhouse gas emissions

produced by their facilities worldwide.

Clean energy: At Apple, working toward the goal of net zero — is using 100 per cent

clean, renewable energy at all their facilities and data centres. In many locations, they

have already met that goal. They‘re constructing new buildings and updating existing

ones. They‘re installing their own onsite renewable energy sources, including solar arrays

and fuel cells. And for the balance of energy needs, they‘re establishing as many long-

term contracts with energy suppliers as are allowed. They have made tremendous

progress and have now converted 75 per cent of their energy needs at their corporate

facilities and data centres to renewable sources.

Data centre: All of the data centres are energy efficient and 100 per cent powered by

renewable energy.

Employee commuter programs: In fiscal year 2012, more than 13,000 employees

participated in Commute Alternatives program — a 30 per cent increase year over year

— and commuted to work using transit options that have reduced traffic, smog, and

CO2e emissions associated with the use of single-occupancy vehicles. This includes more

than 1600 Cupertino-based Apple employees who ride to work daily on free biodiesel

commuter coaches and shuttles. Employees in Cupertino also helped prevent more than

102,500 kg of CO2e emissions by using electric vehicle charging stations, and they took

more than 50,000 trips on Apple‘s shared bicycles in 2012.

3.6.3 Energy efficiency

Using a life cycle approach, Apple measures the greenhouse gas emissions associated not

only with producing products but also with their use by customers. Because they design

both the hardware and the operating system, they are able to make sure they work

together to conserve power and lessen the amount of greenhouse gases generated. Since

2008, they’ve reduced the average power consumed by Apple products by 40 per

cent, reflecting their drive to create the world’s most energy-efficient products. And

as a result of their emphasis on creating products that consume less energy, the

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portion of greenhouse gas emissions caused by usage of their products has decreased

by 43 per cent since 2008.

ENERGY STAR qualification: Every single Apple product not only meets but exceeds the

United States Environmental Protection Agency‘s strict ENERGY STAR guidelines for

efficiency.


Product recyclability: Apple‘s approach to recycling begins in the design stage, where

they create compact, efficient products that require less material to produce. And the

materials they do use — including arsenic-free glass, high-grade aluminium, and strong

polycarbonate — are reclaimed by recyclers for use in new products. Even the product

packaging uses recyclable materials wherever possible.

Longer-lasting products: Apple designs products that last longer. The built-in battery in

their MacBook lineup is a perfect example. It can be charged up to 1000 times. And

because this battery lasts up to five years, it saves money that might otherwise be spent

on new batteries, produces less waste, and increases the lifespan of notebook.

Responsible recycling: All e-waste collected by Apple-controlled voluntary and

regulatory programs worldwide is processed in the region in which it is collected.

Nothing is shipped overseas for recycling or disposal. Nor do they allow the disposal of

hazardous electronic waste in solid-waste landfills or incinerators. They currently work

with 153 partners around the globe whose facilities are evaluated annually on such topics

as worker health and safety, environmental compliance, material tracking, and social

responsibility.

Apple recycling programs: Apple has instituted recycling programs in cities and college

campuses in 95 per cent of the countries where their products are sold, diverting more

than 151,504 metric tons of equipment from landfills since 1994. In regions where there

is no formal take-back program, there is arrangement for pickup, transport, and

environmentally sound recycling of end-of-life electronics. Their goal in 2010 was to

achieve a worldwide recycling rate of 70 per cent. They met and exceeded that goal in

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2010. This far surpasses the last reported numbers from Dell and HP, numbers that were

each lower than 20 per cent.

In 2012, Apple global recycling once again exceeded 70 per cent goal, and are

confident that they will maintain this level through 2015.

Indian Companies

Several Indian companies are also hopping towards achieving the green footprint on the

global stature. Some of the efforts to mention are:

3.7 Hindustan Computer Limited Infosystems (HCL Infosyatems)

HCL Infosystems (HCL) is included in the global release of the 18th edition of the

Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics for the first time, having only been

included in Indian editions previously. HCL shares 13th position with Sharp.

Green House Gas Emissions: HCL discloses greenhouse gas emissions from their entire

operation. HCL discloses their direct green house gas emissions, although the company

fails to provide information about their employees‘ travel. They also fail to set an

ambitious target for renewable energy use. HCL performs reasonably well by

committing to reduce its absolute green house gas emissions by 20 per cent by the

year 2014. Their clean energy policy to mitigate emissions lacks clarity. HCL’s

advocacy lags behind due to lack of public support for renewable energy policy in

India. They have initiated the process with suppliers for measurement of green house gas

emissions in their supply chain.

3.7.1 Energy Efficiency Products: The company states that 29 per cent of its products

are free of polyvinyl chloride plastic (PVC) and brominated frame retardants (BFRs).

HCL has pushed back their deadline to eliminate these chemicals from 2011 to December

2012 without mentioning a deadline to eliminate antimony and beryllium. HCL provides

little information on product warranty and innovation tools that would extend the life of

their products. They fail to increase the use of recycled plastic in its products.

3.7.2 Sustainable Operations: HCL – similar to Wipro –provides convenient

information to customers in India to enable them to access its take-back service, which is

available through 24 collection centres and via web registration. They have given a letter

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written to supplier on avoidance of conflict metals in the products. HCL performs well on

its chemical management policy and for its use of the precautionary principle, but there is

lack of clarity on chemical use. HCL does not disclose information about its sustainable

paper sourcing policy; specifically set goals for recycled and Forest Stewardship Council

certified supply, as well as to detail a policy that refuses to buy from companies engaging

in deforestation and illegal logging.

3.8 Videocon

The Vision statement of the company states:

―At Videocon, all our efforts are centred around the customer and his needs. We are

committed to delight and deliver beyond what is expected. By focusing on the right

means, we have been successful in building a robust and dependable Videocon Value

Chain.‖

Improved Technology: With the rapidly changing industrial scenario, technology is no

longer a premium value-add. Rather, in recent years, a constant update of technology has

become a bare necessity. As a forward looking company, Videocon is extremely vigilant

in terms of staying updated with the latest technology and replacing outdated technology

with the best-in-class offers of the times.

Videocon's E-Waste Recycling Policy: Under the guidelines of the Ministry of

Environment and Forest, Government of India, for End of Life Cycle (EOL)

product recycling program, applicable from 1st May 2012 onwards, Videocon has

initiated various activities to promote E-Waste recycling activities in the following areas:

Manufacturing facilities: Control, storage and disposal of E-Waste through

authorized recyclers.

Suppliers: Recycling and disposal through authorized recyclers.

End Customers: Electronic waste is collected separately from the general waste

stream via designated collection facilities appointed by the Government or local

authorities as per the stated draft rules. To facilitate the service and be a part of the

cause, one can call a Videocon Service Centre.

Product Category: CTV / LCD / LED / REF / WM / AC / MWO / DVD / Coolers /

& Other Home Appliances

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Collection Centres: Govt. authorized recyclers/Videocon Service Centres.

Conditions

Products offered for recycling are not eligible for exchange offers.

The service is available as per conditions applicable in the respective area by

recyclers.

Videocon reserves the right to change the terms of the recycling scheme at any

time.

This scheme is applicable only for Videocon branded products.

3.9 Godrej

Established in 1897, the Godrej group has grown in India from the days of the charkha to

nights at the call centers. One of India‘s most trusted brand, Godrej enjoys the patronage

and trust of around 500 million Indians every single day. With 7 major companies with

interests in real estate, FMCG, industrial engineering, appliances, furniture, security and

agri care – to name a few – their turnover crosses 3.3 billion dollars.

The products in the electronic range include: Green Balance Air

Conditioner, Edge Pro Refrigerator offering six star performance, Godrej Eon Glitz

Washing Machine, Kitchen Appliances etc.

Godrej Environment Policy statement thrives towards:

Practice pollution prevention systems.

Conserve key resources like water, fuel, energy and raw materials such as wood

derivatives, steel etc. by optimizing its use.

Monitor and reduce the effect of fumes, dust and noise level in the ambient air.

Maximize recycling and reuse the waste and scrap generated.

Promote the usage of recyclable material.

Dispose off inevitable waste in an environment friendly manner.

They abide by this policy by periodically reviewing their objectives and involving

interested parties as applicable.

Commitment towards Green Goals

Reduce consumption of energy and water by 2-6 per cent every year over the next

ten years.

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Reduce the amount of waste going to landfills by 2-6 per cent every year over the

next ten years.

Increase the use of renewable, including renewable energy, by 2-10 per cent every

year in place of non-renewable, over the next ten years.

Reduce green house gas emissions and other process emissions by 2-6 per cent

every year, over the next ten years.

Increase use of recyclables and enhance recyclability of resources embedded in

our products by 2-10 per cent every year over the next years.

Increase the share of harvested rain water in the overall annual use of water by 2-

10 per cent every year over the next ten years.

Incorporate life cycle assessment criteria for evaluating new technologies and

products.

Strive to adopt green purchasing policies and incorporate the latest clean

technologies at the design stage.

Putting in efforts towards above mentioned goals it has acclaimed following plaudits:

1. National Green Governance Award in 2005 for conservation of 1750 acres

mangroves forest.

2. LEEDs Platinum Rating for CII- Sohrabji Godrej Green Business Centre.

3. Green guard Certification for Stallion Green workstations, Spacio Green

workstations and Unite Green storages

With a green logo of; “Ideas that make life brighter” its efforts are focused on

creating carbon neutral, zero waste, water positive and energy efficient businesses and the

related goal is; ―To become carbon neutral and water positive, achieve zero waste to

landfill, reduce specific energy consumption and increase their renewable energy sources.

The Godrej Group has already been working on these goals as they are signatories to the

CII code for Mission of Sustainable Growth (MSG) which is a 10-point program for

ecologically sustainable business growth.

In its perspective- ―A green product / service is that which reduces energy, water or

material consumption by 20 per cent, green house gas emissions by 20 per cent,

eliminates toxic materials or uses 100 per cent recyclable, renewable and / or natural

material.‖ It is striving hard towards having a third of their portfolio revenues comprise

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good and/or green products and services – defined as products that are environmentally

superior or address a critical social issue (e.g., health, sanitation, disease prevention) for

consumers at the bottom of the income pyramid.

3.10 Onida

They endeavour to leave behind ‗A Better World than what has been inherited‘. For this,

they emphasize on

Complying with all applicable Environmental Legal and other Requirements.

Awareness and Training regarding Environmental Management System throughout

the Organization, and Business Associates.

Strive for Continual Improvements in our Environmental Performances Prevention

of pollution.

3.11. Bajaj

The Company strives to provide a safe and healthy working environment and comply, in

the conduct of its business affairs, with all regulations regarding the preservation of the

environment of the territory in which it operates. The Company is committed to prevent

the wasteful use of natural resources and minimize any hazardous impact of the

development, production, use and disposal of any of its products and services on the

ecological environment. The Company has achieved ISO 14001 Environmental Standards

and Management Certification.

3.12. Voltas

Voltas is India's largest air conditioning company, and one of the world's premier

engineering solutions providers and project specialists. Founded in India in 1954, Voltas

Limited offers engineering solutions for a wide spectrum of industries in areas such

as heating, ventilation and air conditioning, refrigeration, electro-mechanical projects,

textile machinery, mining and construction equipment, water management & treatment,

cold chain solutions, building management systems, and indoor air quality. It is striving

towards clearly defining its clear environment policies and targets still.

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3.13 Conclusions

Thus, the above discussions lead to following conclusions with regard to the

developments in adoption of green marketing concept in electronic companies in India:

1. A very few of Indian companies have made a landmark in the international

scenario in context to their green performances. WIPRO and HCL are the two to

name.

2. At Wipro, the total investments for all of the initiatives such as ‗higher quality‘

recycling, investments in ‘high grade treatment‘ technologies, rainwater

harvesting replenishing the water withdrawn etc. are estimated at Rs 4 crores over

six years.

3. The Environment Management Team at Wipro has been leading the E-waste

initiatives since August 2005.

4. Wipro launched its take-back and recycling program in 2007.

5. Wipro has increased the re-cycling of e-waste from 15 per cent of their sales in

FINANCIAL YEAR 2008-09 to about 45 per cent of their sales in the

FINANCIAL YEAR 2011-12. However they have improved their collection

performance by 250 per cent over this period.

6. HP, through its rigorous efforts has achieved a 20 per cent reduction in 2011 green

house gas emissions, as compared with 2005.

7. HP started its e waste management way back in 1987. In 2011, they achieved a

milestone of recycling 2 billion pounds of electronic products and supplies since

1987.

8. In 2010, Nokia‘s Chennai factory in India won the 'Golden Peacock Environment

Management Award - 2010‘, under the Telecom/IT-Hardware category.

9. Nokia has been named one of the ‗Best Global Green Brands‘ of 2012 in a report

from brand consultancy Interbrand. With over 1.3 billion customers using Nokia

devices, they are in a unique position to effect positive environmental and social

change around the world. The farmers in rural India are using Nokia Life Tools to

130

enhance their business by giving them access to up-to-date information, ranging

from market prices to weather forecasts.

10. Nokia Research Committe recently initiated a project for a futuristic mobile phone

concept with an aim to initiate public discussion around environmentally

sustainable R&D.

11. Nokia created its first climate strategy in 2006 and it was reviewed and updated in

2010. Over a third (40 per cent in 2011) of the energy they use to power their

operations is renewable, reducing CO2 emissions by around 55,000 tonnes per

annum. Since 2008, Nokia‘s air travel miles and related CO2 emissions have been

reduced by 36 per cent.

12. Between 2000 and 2009, Nokia reduced the average no-load power consumption

of chargers by over 80 per cent, and best-in-class chargers by over 95 per cent.

With the recent introduction of more 5 and 4 star chargers, the current figures are

even more impressive.

13. Nokia has been running take-back campaigns since the late 1990s. In 2011, Nokia

caused 45,900 tonnes of waste. Of this, 91 per cent was reused or recycled, energy

was recovered from 5 per cent, and only 4 per cent went for final disposal in

landfill or incineration without energy recovery.

14. Acer's Eco committee was formed in 2004. Acer started to manufacture

environmentally friendly products even before it spun off the computer

manufacturing division, and has been following IT ECO Declaration practices for

all products.

15. In 2010, Acer took the opportunity to establish an auto shutdown system.

16. Acer India headquarters office building in Bangalore initiated an office building

energy conservation project through its CSR Club in 2011.

17. The percentages of new models in major product lines that meet the latest

ENERGY STAR® requirements in 2012 reached 100 per cent for notebooks, 33

per cent for Desktop and 97 per cent for monitors. Notably, 60 per cent of new

notebook models exceed the ENERGY STAR® requirements by 50 per cent.

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18. Also, in 2011 all packaging was made almost 100 per cent recyclable and greatly

reducing environmental impacts from landfilling and incineration.

19. At Dell, they have reduced notebook and desktop energy related costs by 25 per

cent since 2008. . Dell products use less and less power with each generation

saving an additional 25 per cent or more in desktop and notebook related energy

costs since 2008.

20. Since FINANCIAL YEAR08, emissions intensity at Apple is 14.2 per cent lower.

Though their revenue has grown, their greenhouse gas emissions per dollar of

revenue have decreased by 21.5 per cent since 2008.

21. And Apple is still the only company in their industry whose entire product line not

only meets but exceeds the strict energy guidelines of the ENERGY STAR

specification.

22. Apple is now making thinner, lighter, and more material-efficient products which

not only reduces their carbon footprint, but it also means that those can be shipped

in smaller packaging as compared to earlier years.

23. Since 2008, Apple has reduced the average power consumed by Apple products

by 40 per cent, reflecting their drive to create the world‘s most energy-efficient

products. And as a result of their emphasis on creating products that consume less

energy, the portion of greenhouse gas emissions caused by usage of their products

has decreased by 43 per cent since 2008.

24. In 2012, Apple global recycling once again exceeded 70 per cent goal, and are

confident that they will maintain this level through 2015.

25. Under the guidelines of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Government of

India, for End of Life Cycle (EOL) product recycling program, applicable from

1st May 2012 onwards; Videocon has launched its e waste recycling programs at

various stages of production.

Thus, it is well revealed that although the core Indian companies are lesser in the

race of performing better environmentally; Wipro and HCL which entered the race in

2007 bagged first and thirteenth position respectively in 2012. Ever since, Greenpeace

132

International started evaluating the electronic products and brands following

developments emerged.

1. In Jan, 2004 Samsung became the first company to commit to eliminate PVC and

BFRs in all consumer electronics products but without a specific timeline.

2. In Jan, 2005 Sony Ericsson agreed to phase out toxic chemicals. Nokia released

the first PVC free mobile phone.

3. In March, 2006 HP committed to produce a phase out plan for a range of

hazardous chemicals in its products. Similarly, in June Dell announced 2009

deadline to eliminate PVC and BFRs from all its products

4. In 2006, the first Guide to Greener Electronics was launched, Version 1

guide. Nokia and Dell shared the top position whereas Apple, Motorola & Lenovo

at the bottom. Greenpeace found a type of BFR in HP laptops even after the

company had claimed that this chemical had been eliminated. Therefore, HP was

charged by a penalty point in the Guide.

5. After the release of Version 2 in December, 2006 and Version 3 in April 2007,

many companies took the initiative to eliminate harmful chemicals from their

products. And after an array of efforts Lenovo reached the top and Apple still

remained the last.

6. In June 2007 Version 4 was released. Apple jumped to 10th place, Nokia regained

the lead.

7. In August 2007 first version of Indian guide was released. Greenpeace India

launched an Indian version of the Guide to Greener Electronics, initiating major

improvements by market leaders Wipro and HCL.

8. In September 2008, Nokia regained the lead in Version 9 lifted due to improved

take-back practice in India.

9. In March 2009 all Apple products became PVC/BFR free, meeting its

commitment. It became the first company to eliminate these substances from

computing products, (with the exception of power cords).

133

10. In March 2010 Indian companies Wipro and HCL launched PVC and BFR free

computing products, with a desktop from Wipro in January and a laptop from

HCL in March.

11. In Jan 2011 Greenpeace released 3rd edition of Product Survey at the Consumer

Electronics Show. It highlighted the progress that electronic industry had made

and organized the greenest products according to their performance. Samsung,

Acer, Asus, and HP had the greenest products in their respective category.

12. In November 2012 the eighteenth version of the Guide to Greener Electronics

which revealed improvement on renewable energy investment and climate

leadership from a number of companies, including Wipro, the first Asian

headquartered company to top the Guide rankings.

The company ranks the top manufacturers of personal computers, mobile phones,

TVs and games consoles according to their policies and practices on

Toxic chemicals

Recycling and

Climatic change.

These companies multiplicity produce other electronic items also in the electronic

category as refrigerators and washing machines also.

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The journey of past few years is listed below in Table 5:

Table 5: Progress Report of Electronic Companies According to Greenpeace International

EDITION ►

POSITION

▼

9th

Sept.,2008

10th

Dec.,2008

11th

Mar.,2009

12th

June,2009

13th

Sep.,2009

14th

Jan.,2010

15th

May,2010

16th

Oct.,2010

17th

Nov.,2011

18th

Nov.,2012

1. Nokia 7 Nokia 6.9 Nokia 7.5 Nokia 7.45 Nokia 7.5 Nokia 7.3 Nokia 7.5 Nokia 7.5 HP 5.9 Wipro 7.1

2. Samsung 5.7 Sony Ericsson

5.9

Samsung 6.9 Samsung 7.1 Samsung 6.9 Sony Ericsson

6.9

Sony Ericsson

6.9

Sony Ericsson

6.9

Dell 5.1 HP 5.7

3. Fujitsu Siemens

5.5

Toshiba 5.9 Sony Ericsson

5.7

Sony Ericsson

6.5

Sony Ericsson

6.5

Toshiba 5.3 Philips 5.1 Philips 5.5 Nokia 4.9 Nokia 5.4

4. Sony Ericsson

5.3

Samsung 5.9 Philips 5.7 LG Electronics

5.7

Philips 5.9 Philips 5.3 Motorola 5.1 HP 5.5 Apple 4.6 Acer 5.1

5. Sony 5.3 Fujitsu

Siemens 5.7

Sony 5.5 Toshiba 5.5 Toshiba 5.7 Apple 5.1 Apple 4.9 Samsung 5.3 Philips 4.5 Dell 4.6

6. LG Electronics

4.9

LG Electronics

5.7

LG Electronics

5.5

Motorola 5.5 Motorola 5.3 LG Electronics

5.1

Panasonic 4.9 Motorola 5.1 Sony Ericsson

4.2

Apple 4.5

7. Toshiba 4.7 Motorola 5.3 Toshiba 5.3 Philips 5.3 Sharp 5.1 Sony5.1 Sony 4.9 Panasonic 5.1 Samsung 4.1 Samsung 4.2

8. Dell 4.7 Sony 5.3 Motorola 5.3 Sharp 5.3 Sony 5.1 Motorola 5.1 HP 4.9 Sony5.1 Lenovo 3.8 Sony 4.1

9. HP 4.7 Panasonic 5.1 Sharp 4.9 Acer 4.9 Apple 4.9 Samsung 5.1 Sharp 4.5 Apple 4.9 Panasonic 3.6

Sony 3.6

Lenovo 3.9

10. Acer 4.5 Sharp 4.9 Apple 4.7 Panasonic 4.9 Panasonic 4.9 Panasonic 4.9 Dell 4.3 Dell 4.9 Philips 3.8

11. Panasonic 4.5 Acer 4.7 Acer 4.5 Apple 4.7 LG Electronics

4.7

HP 4.7 Acer 4.1 Sharp 4.7 Sharp3 Panasonic 3.6

12. Philips 4.3 Dell 4.7 Panasonic 4.3 Sony 4.5 Dell 4.7 Acer4.5 LG Electronics

3.7

Acer 4.1 Acer 2.9 LGE 3.5

13. Apple 4.1 HP 4.5 Dell 3.7 Dell 3.9 Acer 4.7 Sharp 4.5 Samsung 3.7 Fujitsu 3.9 LG Electronics

2.8

Toshiba 2.8

HCL Infosysytems

3.1

Sharp 3.1

14. Lenovo 4.1 Apple 4.3 Lenovo 3.7 HP 3.5 HP 4.5 Dell 3.9 Toshiba 3.5 LG Electronics

3.5

15. Motorola 3.7 Philips 4.1 Microsoft 2.7 Microsoft

2.4

Microsoft 2.7 Fujitsu 3.5 Fujitsu 3.5 Lenovo 3.5 RIM 1.6 Toshiba 2.3

16. Sharp 3.1 Lenovo 3.7 HP 2.7 Lenovo 2.4 Fujitsu 2.7 Lenovo 2.5 Microsoft 3.3 Toshiba 2.3 RIM 2.0

17. Microsoft 2.2 Microsoft 2.9 Nintendo 0.8 Fujitsu2.4 Lenovo 2.5 Microsoft 1.5 Lenovo 1.9 Microsoft 1.9

18. Nintendo 0.8 Nintendo 0.8 Nintendo 1 Nintendo 1.4 Nintendo 1.4 Nintendo 1.8 Nintendo 1.8

Source: www. Greanpeace.org

135

From the table 5, it was revealed that the green score of majority of the companies

has been improving over the time and they are been regularly checked for any green wash

or fake efforts (Nokia is one such example wherein it has been penalised twice for its

doubtful and fake claims). Greenpeace also suggests some improvements based on the

firm‘s green report card to focus its efforts and improve its position on the countdown of

greener environment. But, the Indian company Wipro has made the grand entry in the list

of greener products at first position with the highest score ever 7.1. Another Indian

company, HCL Info systems took an entry in the list with thirteenth position and score

3.1 which reveals that not only the MNCs but also the core Indian companies are striving

towards the green way. This indubitably is a race towards greener products and in turn

the greener environment. These efforts in true way reveal the real picture of development

in adoption of green concept in electronic companies in India.

136

References

1. Andrés Fraj, E., Martinez-Salinas, E., & Matute-Vallejo, J. (2009).

A multidimensional approach to the influence of environmental marketing and

orientation on the firm‘s organizational performance. Journal of Business

Ethics, 88(2), 263-286.

2. http://www.deloitte.com/assets/Dcom India/ The Indian Electronics

Manufacturing Sector Bundle of Opportunities accessed on 12 June 2013

3. http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/campaigns/climate-change/cool-

it/Campaign-analysis/Guide-to-Greener-Electronics accessed on12 October 2012.

4. http://www.slideshare.net/IBEFIndia/consumer-durable-august-2013accessed on

15 October 2012

5. www.acer.com accessed on 2 April 2013.

6. www.apple.com accessed on 5 April 2013

7. www.bajaj.com accessed on 2 May 2013

8. www.dell.com accessed on 13 May 2013

9. www.godrej.com accessed on 13 April 2012

10. www.hcl.com accessed on 27 April 2013

11. www.hp.com accessed on 22 May 2013

12. www.lenovo.com accessed on 14 May 2013

13. www.lge.com accessed on 13 June 2013

14. www.marketinggreen.wordpress.com accessed on 6 June 2013

15. www.micromax.com accessed on 18 June 2013

16. www.nokia.com accessed on 30 May 2013

17. www.onida.com accessed on 12 April 2013

18. www.videocon.com accessed on 8 May 2013

19. www.voltas.com accessed on 8 May 2013

http://www.slideshare.net/IBEFIndia/consumer-durable-august-2013accessed

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