A tool for sustainable IT procurement valid for global use

TCO Certified is a global, comprehensive sustainability certification with everything included. It addresses sustainability issues connected to IT products and their supply chains and helps you make responsible choices, reduce risk, and meet regulatory obligations.

Like thousands of other organizations from all over the world, you can include TCO Certified in your procurement process to support your sustainable IT initiatives and efforts.

Environmental and social criteria with direct impact

The criteria target issues in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain.

Compliance with all criteria is checked for every product

All criteria are mandatory — certified product models must meet all criteria.

Wide choice of products from well-known IT brands

Thousands of certified products, including computers, displays and mobile devices, are available worldwide.

Criteria for social and environmental responsibility

The criteria in TCO Certified promote social and environmental responsibility across the entire product life cycle. To drive impactful change, the criteria are updated continuously. In total, we spend more than 10,000 hours on criteria development each year. All criteria are mandatory—an IT brand can’t pick and choose which ones to fulfill for any product category.

TCO Certified targets issues in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain to help you make responsible choices, reduce risk, and meet regulatory obligations.

Climate

To reduce direct (scope 2) and indirect (scope 3) emissions, our criteria promote product longevity, energy efficiency in products and factories, and increased demand for renewable energy.

  • Products must be designed to last longer to lower the annual product carbon footprint.
  • Scope 3 emissions are reduced through energy management systems and the use of renewable energy in manufacturing.
  • Additional emission reductions in manufacturing are incentivized, and best practices are shared to speed up the pace of change.
  • Scope 2 emissions are minimized by improving product energy efficiency.

Substances

To improve chemical safety in products, packaging, and manufacturing, we require substances to be assessed and verified as safer before use. Our list of accepted substances is updated continuously, with new substance types and parts of the supply chain.

  • Substances are banned unless independently verified as safer alternatives.
  • To maintain the use of safer substances, assessments are conducted by toxicologists, and reassessments can be made in light of new findings.
  • TCO Certified Accepted Substance List is public and can be used to promote the use of safer substances across all industries.
  • The current list includes cleaners and solvents, flame retardants, plasticizers, and stabilizers.

Circularity

To promote a more circular IT industry, our criteria ensure that products are designed for a long life and that components and materials can be reused and circulated effectively.

  • Products must be designed to last, reducing the need for frequent replacements and cutting down on e-waste.
  • A minimum of five years of supported product lifetime is required, including warranties and free security and functionality updates.
  • Products must be easy to repair and upgrade, extending their life and reducing the need for new devices.
  • Certified products are assigned a unique product identifier, enabling digital product passports that facilitate the transition to more circular practices.

Supply chain

We work systematically to address factory issues and specific hotspots, reducing environmental risks and ensuring safer conditions throughout IT product supply chains.

  • Factories must adhere to labor, health, and safety laws, ILO core conventions, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, anti-bribery standards, and more.
  • We enforce regular, independent factory audits to verify compliance. Corrective action plans are required for all non-conformities.
  • IT brands must disclose major sub-suppliers in their supply chains, including key factories and mineral sourcing locations.
  • Factories must meet international standards for environmental and energy management.

Climate

To reduce both direct (scope 2) and indirect (scope 3) emissions, our criteria promote product longevity, extended use, and energy efficiency, as well as renewable energy in manufacturing.

  • Products must be designed to last longer, effectively cutting emissions across the entire lifecycle.
  • Scope 3 emissions are reduced through energy management systems and the use of renewable energy in manufacturing.
  • Scope 2 emissions are minimized by improving product energy efficiency.
  • Additional CO₂ reductions in manufacturing are incentivized to further lower emissions.

Substances

To improve chemical safety in products, packaging, and manufacturing, we require substances to be assessed and verified as safer before use. Our list of accepted substances is updated continuously, covering more areas of the supply chain over time.

  • Substances are banned unless independently verified as safer alternatives.
  • Assessments are conducted by toxicologists, with regular reassessment to maintain safety standards.
  • The TCO Certified Accepted Substance List is publicly available, supporting transparency.
  • The current list includes cleaners and solvents, flame retardants, plasticizers, and stabilizers.

Circularity

To promote a more circular IT industry, our criteria ensure products are designed for long life, and that components and materials are reused and circulated effectively.

  • Products must be designed to last, reducing the need for frequent replacements and cutting down on e-waste.
  • A minimum of five years of supported product lifetime is required, including warranties and free security and functionality updates.
  • Products must be easy to repair and upgrade, extending their life and reducing the need for new devices.
  • Certified products are marked with a unique product identifier, helping users choose sustainable options and simplifying end-of-life recycling.

Supply chain

We work systematically to address factory issues and specific hotspots, reducing environmental risks and ensuring safer conditions throughout IT product supply chains.

  • Manufacturing must adhere to labor, health, and safety laws, ILO core conventions, the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, anti-bribery standards, and more.
  • We enforce regular, independent factory audits to verify compliance, with corrective action plans required for any non-conformities.
  • Brands must trace and responsibly source key minerals—such as tin, tungsten, tantalum, and cobalt—reducing risks of conflict and human rights abuses.
  • Factories are required to be certified under strict environmental and energy management standards.

Compliance with all criteria is checked for every product

Independent verification of compliance is the most important part of driving real and lasting change. With TCO Certified, product tests and factory audits are carried out before a certificate is issued and during its full validity period. Independent experts spend more than 20,000 hours on audits and tests each year. All certified models are verified to meet all criteria, regardless of where the product is sold, so you can be certain of what sustainability attributes your products meet.

Knowing that criteria compliance is independently verified helps you address sustainable IT in a trustworthy way and avoid greenwashing.

Compliance with all criteria is independently verified

Verification is carried out both before and after certification, throughout the life of the certificate.

20,000 hours of independent verification each year

More than 20,000 hours are spent on product testing and supply chain assessments each year.

Non-compliances are met with real consequences

Issues are always followed up, and certificates will be withdrawn if corrections are not made on time.