Sustainable IT for Beginners

Strategic IT procurement helps you drive sustainable progress

As with any industry, market signals are critically important for helping IT brands understand where the priorities lie. Sustainable IT procurement can be used as a strategic tool for driving the development of more circular, sustainable products and business models.

Today, many organizations place sustainability high up on the agenda. The priority is often to reduce negative impacts from the core business. However, indirect social and environmental impacts are often far more significant than those that stem from core business. Procurement can be a really useful way to advance the sustainability agenda in your organization. Strategic, sustainable procurement can help make your sustainability work more solid, and allow you to build a strong brand among employees and external stakeholders.

Demand from purchasers drives industry

IT brands often implement changes as a direct response to market intentions. Even though the IT industry has raised its sustainability ambitions in recent years, risks remain high. Many brands wait for purchaser demand before taking bigger steps in the right direction. By including relevant sustainability criteria and giving them enough weight in the procurement process, you can help drive the industry in a sustainable direction.

Setting the right criteria

Including comprehensive, challenging environmental and social sustainability criteria in procurement can help your organization reduce its climate footprint and other environmental impacts and avoid social supply chain risks. Circular criteria can also help you reduce costs and improve the best overall value of your IT usage.

TCO Certified gives you influence

TCO Certified helps get your voice directly into the IT supply chain, where the majority of the product’s lifetime sustainability impacts are found. Criteria are designed to drive change where it matters most, and purchasers asking for TCO Certified is the signal that sets the process in motion. Certificates are valid globally and allow organizations around the world to stand behind the same requirements to form a clear, unified voice that more effectively pushes the industry towards more sustainable practice.

The power of procurement

  • Helps you meet overall sustainability goals.
  • Gets your voice directly into the supply chain.
  • Signals to industry to take action!
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.

Chapter 2
Strategic IT procurement helps you drive sustainable progress

IT procurement can help your organization meet sustainability goals, lower environmental and social risk, and drive progress that really counts.

Chapter 3
Avoiding greenwash and bluewash in IT management and reporting

Greenwashing and bluewashing are increasingly becoming key issues for professional purchasers. Independent proof helps you avoid false claims.

Chapter 4
TCO Certified — so much more than an ecolabel

TCO Certified helps you select IT products with lower environmental and social impact. Compliance with all criteria is independently verified.

Chapter 5
How to use TCO Certified in procurement

It’s time to get started! These five steps help you plan your work with sustainable procurement. TCO Certified saves you time and resources.