Sustainable IT for Beginners
Sustainability risks connected to IT products — an overview
IT products come with many social and environmental sustainability risks, from raw material extraction to final assembly and throughout the life cycle. The majority of the sustainability impact happens in the supply chain, where it is hidden from the purchaser’s view. Risk areas include unfair and unhealthy working conditions, climate impact, hazardous substances, and toxic e-waste.
Our current, linear way of producing and consuming IT products damages fragile ecosystems. It causes the loss of valuable natural resources, with more than 50 million tonnes of potentially toxic e-waste generated yearly. IT products also contribute to the climate crisis. A single notebook computer generates around 300 kg of greenhouse gas emissions during its lifetime, of which almost 80 percent stem from the manufacturing phase. Poor working conditions are a continuing challenge throughout the IT product supply chain, putting human health and worker lives at risk. Buying and managing IT products more sustainably means reducing environmental and social risks throughout the product’s life cycle.
Some of the major risks include:
- Social responsibility: Health and safety issues, forced labor, excessive overtime.
- Hazardous substances: Affects worker health and pollutes the environment.
- Conflict minerals: Known to fuel wars and human rights abuses.
- E-waste: Harming ecosystems and human health and depletes natural resources.
- Climate gas emissions: Generated during both manufacturing and use.
- Linearity: Depletes natural resources, contributes to the climate crisis and the destruction of natural habitats.
A complex supply chain that is difficult to control
Most sustainability impacts happen in the IT product’s complex and geographically widespread supply chain. Subcontractors of raw materials and components are numerous and often divided over several continents. The final assembly factory, where the end product is made, is rarely owned by the IT brand. Instead, production is outsourced to selected factories, and this selection may vary over time. This complexity means that gaining insight and influence is difficult. It is nearly impossible for a single organization to manage the sustainability risks in IT procurement by itself.
TCO Certified helps you manage risks
Using TCO Certified in procurement helps you avoid sustainability risks and drive progress. The certification includes social and environmental aspects and addresses the most important sustainability challenges connected to electronics, such as climate, circularity, hazardous substances, and supply chain responsibility. Compliance with all criteria is independently verified by accredited experts, which heavily reduces the risk of greenwashing and bluewashing.
TCO Certified helps you manage risks
All parts in the series
Chapter 1
Sustainability risks connected to IT products — an overview
IT products come with a large number of sustainability risks. The majority happen in the supply chain and are hidden from the purchaser’s view.
