Sweden – a paradigm shift in public purchasing
Following last year’s general election, Sweden’ s new government is exploring strategic ways to increase the focus on sustainability public purchasing.
Bank’s Successful Model for Sustainable IT Purchasing
Swedbank’s values-based, risk assessment approach to IT purchasing led to choice of TCO Certified as sustainability criteria in their purchase of 10 000 notebook computers.
IT industry has the ability to phase out hazardous substances
Chemsec, The International Chemical Secretariat, has withdrawn from the EU-Commission working group charged with updating the banned substances list in RoHS. It’s unfortunate that the working group has lost Chemsec as a member, as they have been instrumental in presenting concrete solutions to phasing out well-known hazardous substances contained in electronic
Curved displays – what you need to know
Curved displays are widely talked about as the next big thing in display and TV technology. Most major brands are now offering products featuring a curved display – whether desktop displays for work or gaming, as well as TVs and public signage products.
TCO Certified now part of German federal procurement criteria
TCO Certified, announced a new cooperation with the Office for Procurement of the German Ministry of the Interior (Beschaffungsamt des Bundesministerium des Innern, BeschA). TCO Certified is set to become part of the newly established code of conduct, agreed to by the BeschA and the electronics industry group BITKOM, another step toward more sustainable procurement of IT products.
How to create a Sustainable IT strategy that delivers results
Is your organization’s sustainable IT strategy helping you achieve the outcomes you want? Maybe you’ve just started working with sustainable IT or don't have any strategy at all! Either way, a structured plan with measurable goals is essential in helping you reach your sustainability targets with the help of IT.
Buyers driving IT brands to more responsible electronics
Electronics and IT products are largely manufactured under tough working conditions in price-pressed supply chains. These pressurized conditions have led to excessive overtime, unsafe working environments and other negative outcomes for workers. As some brands show progress toward more responsible practices, it is vital that organizations buying IT products use tools such as the new EU Public Purchasing Directive to continue the drive toward more sustainable manufacturing of electronics.
Smartphones and tablets – purchasers and procurers can make a more sustainable choice
More buyers of smartphones and tablets should make sure they’re asking the major device brands for devices that are sustainably sustainably designed and made. Niclas Rydell of sustainability certification organization TCO Development believes this buyer influence is critical is turning the tide of mounting environmental and social challenges associated with our increased use of mobile computing products.
Third Party Certifications join forces to challenge public sector
In a first of its kind collaboration, a group of third party environmental and sustainability certifications have joined forces to challenge the public sector to become more socially and environmentally responsible in their purchasing practices. The initiative coincides with the publication of EU’s expanded directive for public purchasing. The new directive expands opportunities to include environmental and social aspects when using public funds to buy goods and services. In EU, public purchasing accounts for around 200 billion Euro annually.
Report–TCO Development sees progress and remaining hotspots in socially responsible manufacturing among IT brands
A new report from TCO Development reveals some progress but also persistent problems among 17 major IT hardware brands working to comply with new socially responsible manufacturing requirements. The State of Socially Responsible Manufacturing in the IT Industry reviews brand efforts over a one-year period to meet new criteria in TCO Certified, the sustainability