The next generation of TCO Certified will include more than 40 new Sustainable Performance Indicators (SPI). Some are mandatory to report while others are voluntary. All of them will be included in the new benchmarking function that will be released in December.

To help brand owners measure sustainability progress, a benchmarking function will be added to TCO Certified Portal. In the new benchmarking function, you can access Sustainable Performance Indicator data that will help you measure the sustainability performance of products from your brand, and compare with competing products. You will be able to identify areas where your organization excels and where there is room for improvement.

Benchmarking data will be kept anonymous

The data in the benchmarking function will be anonymous, so that no information can be traced to a specific brand, or a product model. The benchmarking function will be open only for brand owners with certified products.

40 new Sustainable Performance Indicators — only some are mandatory

TCO Certified, generation 9 includes more than 40 new Sustainable Performance Indicators. Some of them are beyond the requirements of TCO Certified, and are optional to report. However, all products that are certified according to TCO Certified, generation 9 will be included in the benchmarking function, and in cases where brand owners choose not to report SPI data, the product will receive the lowest classification.

Voluntary SPIs can be reported also after certification

By submitting the additional data, the product will receive a better classification than if no data is submitted. It is possible to submit data at any time, even after the product is certified, to improve the SPI result, and in turn, the benchmarking result.

Next step — purchasers get access to selected data

Sustainable Performance Indicators are also useful for purchasers as they enable data-driven decision making and sustainability reporting. Later next year, a simplified version of the benchmarking function will be launched, aimed at purchasing organizations. This public system will only contain a small selection of data. During the development process, you will have the opportunity to provide feedback on what information is most relevant to include. We will start developing this system during q1, 2022, and you will receive more information closer to the time.

Timeline:

December 1, 2021: Launch of benchmarking function for brand owners.
Q1, 2022: Development of function for purchasers will start.
Q2, 2022: Function for purchasers will be launched.

If you have questions about the Sustainable Performance Indicators or the benchmarking function, please contact Hannes Mäki, Criteria Developer, TCO Development.