As technology propels us into the future by fitting our universe into computers, phones, and cameras, a question looms large: what do the companies that make them do in the present for our planet?
With the highest overall sector average (65) of any sector scored by Climate Counts and all twelve companies now in our “Striding” group of companies, the Electronics/Computer sector has solidified itself as an example for other industries.
Electronics - Energy and sustainability issues are hot topics within this industry, since an electronic gadget’s life cycle (ranging from the extraction of materials, to the production, to the distribution, to the used energy, to the disposal) has such a far-reaching impact on the product’s – and the company’s — climate footprint.
This sector has set a high standard for corporate climate leadership by reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A significant percentage of the environmental impact of an electronics product – much of it tied to energy use and greenhouse gas emissions – occurs before the product is ever purchased by the consumer (e.g., the mining of ores for electronic conductors is hugely energy intensive and corrosive to the land). And since many of these products are disposed of within their first year of existence, the waste generated by electronics industry is enormous. An entire life-cycle-analysis of a product reinforces Climate Counts’ belief that corporate climate leaders must take responsibility for measuring and reducing the energy they use (including the demand they create), the waste they generate, and the emissions that result — companywide — as they create what has become an endless cycle of new products. It is a challenge that takes the notion of real innovation to a higher level.
