System and governance of TCO Certified

TCO Certified is a global sustainability certification for IT products. Since 1992, it has provided IT purchasing organizations and the IT industry with a trusted, independent system of sustainability criteria and verification. TCO Certified addresses environmental and social impacts associated with IT products and their supply chains, helping organizations make more informed and sustainable choices.

TCO Certified is a program of TCO Development (TCO Utveckling AB), a Swedish company wholly owned by TCO, the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees. TCO Development operates on a not-for-profit basis and is legally separate from the companies and brand owners that apply for or hold TCO Certified certificates.

TCO Certified is governed in accordance with the principles of ISO 14024 for Type 1 Ecolabelling and is assessed by the Global Ecolabelling Network as part of the GENICES peer review process.

Information about TCO Certified, including complete criteria, verification requirements, the certification process and lists of certified products, is publicly available on our websites. Our main website, tcocertified.com, provides information about TCO Certified, while industry.tcocertified.com offers dedicated information and resources for brand owners and other industry stakeholders.

Information about criteria development and opportunities for stakeholder input is also available on our websites and in our newsletters.

The criteria in TCO Certified cover four focus areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain. All certified product models must meet all criteria applicable to their product category, as specified in the TCO Certified criteria documents.

Complete criteria documents, certification guidance and information about previous generations of TCO Certified are available on our websites.

A new generation of TCO Certified is published every three years. Our public roadmap outlines medium- and long-term sustainability goals and publication timelines for upcoming generations. Work plans and timelines are also communicated through our websites and newsletters.

The criteria development process offers several opportunities for stakeholder input. Drafts are announced on our websites and in newsletters, and all interested parties are invited to submit comments and ask questions. At least two draft rounds are held for each generation before the final criteria are published, with each draft open for public comment for a minimum of 30 days.

We actively involve a wide range of stakeholders, including purchasers, subject matter experts, academia, industry representatives and NGOs.

Summaries of feedback from the public review process are published in our newsletters.

TCO Development is responsible for decisions on the criteria in TCO Certified. The process is designed to prevent any single interest group from dominating decision-making. Feedback from a wide range of stakeholders, including purchasers, experts, academia, industry representatives and NGOs, is carefully considered.

This approach helps ensure that the criteria address environmental and social impacts while taking into account the IT industry’s ability to meet them. The aim is to develop criteria that are robust, credible and achievable.

The certification process for TCO Certified consists of four main steps:

1. Review of the applicable criteria, agreement with TCO Development and contact with an approved verifier.
2. Product testing, supply chain and factory assessments, and verification of compliance with the applicable criteria.
3. Submission of the application and required verification reports.
4. Certification of the product and ongoing monitoring of compliance throughout the certificate’s validity.

A list of certification fees is available on our website.

TCO Certified is open to all applicants who are willing and able to meet the published criteria and verification requirements, under transparent, fair and non-discriminatory conditions. The application process, approved independent verifiers and certification fees are publicly available. Applicants must enter into a TCO Certified license agreement before certification.

In line with TCO Development’s vision of a sustainable life cycle for all IT products, applications may be rejected on objective grounds. These include a material previous breach of the TCO Certified license agreement, infringement of TCO Development’s intellectual property rights, or serious, documented misconduct by the applicant or brand owner concerning environmental protection, labor rights, fraud or corruption that materially undermines the integrity of TCO Certified.

A certificate applies to the specified product, brand, registered model and sales names. The TCO Certified label and references to certification may only be used for that product while its certificate is valid. The certificate holder and, where applicable, the brand owner must maintain compliance throughout the certificate’s validity and take required corrective action. Our verification and non-compliance procedures explain how ongoing checks and certificate withdrawals are handled.

All applicable criteria in TCO Certified must be met before a product model can be certified. Compliance is assessed through product testing and independent verification by accredited verifiers. This includes environmental criteria and requirements for socially responsible manufacturing.

TCO Development coordinates the ongoing quality assurance program and makes decisions concerning certificates. Compliance is verified before certification and throughout the certificate’s validity by approved verification organizations that are independent of TCO Development, the applicant, the certificate holder and the brand owner.

The competence and independence of these organizations are demonstrated through accreditation and approval requirements based on relevant international standards. Verification includes product testing, factory assessments and follow-up activities.

TCO Development assesses identified non-compliances and requires corrective action when appropriate. If a non-compliance is severe, remains uncorrected or if requested action is not taken, the certificate for the affected product is withdrawn.

TCO Development informs the certificate holder and, where applicable, the brand owner of the effective withdrawal date. From that date, they may no longer use the TCO Certified designation for the affected product or market it as TCO Certified.

Certificates and associated rights for other products remain valid unless separately withdrawn or terminated. Information about withdrawn certificates is published on our website.

Stakeholders and the public can submit comments or complaints via email through our website. All complaints are reviewed internally and typically receive a response within one week.

If a complaint or concern relates to a certification or verification result, TCO Development will resolve the issue through existing procedures or by appointing an independent party accredited to assess test results and reports.

TCO Development confirms that TCO Certified meets the certification scheme requirements for sustainability labels in Directive (EU) 2024/825.

Supporting information is provided in the sections above. This includes the operation of the certification system (§2), published criteria and fair, open certification terms (§§2 and 4), consultation with experts and stakeholders (§3), procedures for non-compliance and withdrawal of label-use rights (§5), and monitoring by independent verification organizations before and after certification (§5).