Sustainable IT for Beginners
Avoiding greenwash and bluewash in IT management and reporting
Greenwashing and bluewashing – the use of inaccurate or exaggerated environmental or social claims – are increasingly becoming critical issues for professional purchasers. To avoid this risk, you must ensure that sustainability claims are independently verified, which often requires expertise and large resources. An ecolabel or certification can be of great help, but only if it is credible.
Placing social and environmental demands on suppliers and directing the budget toward more sustainable alternatives is an effective way of avoiding risk and meeting your organization’s sustainability targets. However, if you don’t ensure that products and manufacturing facilities meet your demands, you risk being subject to greenwash and bluewash.
Independent proof helps you avoid false claims
It all comes down to proof. Even the strictest sustainability criteria fall flat if no system is in place to independently verify and monitor sustainability progress. It is often difficult for purchasers to get hold of product information that has been independently verified. Therefore, many are forced to rely on industry self-declarations and unverified product claims, resulting in high risks of greenwashing and bluewashing.
Tests and audits demand large resources
Best practice in procurement means proving all sustainability claims. Doing so is extremely time-consuming work that requires a high level of expertise. Specifying a sustainability label where tests and audits are included and carried out by independent experts increases the quality of controls to a fraction of the cost and resources required from the procuring organization.
Holding industry accountable
With TCO Certified, compliance with all criteria is independently verified by accredited experts. They spend more than 20,000 hours on product testing and supply chain assessments each year. The certification also includes a system for continuous improvements and ensures progress by holding the industry accountable for solving the issues. This systematic way of working means that you can feel confident that the certified products you purchase are a more sustainable choice.
Why you should avoid false claims
All parts in the series
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.
