Angus Kidman08 January 2010, 12:27 PM
CES 2010: what a difference a year makes; last year, Apple was being excoriated by Greenpeace for its poor environmental credentials.
Last year, Apple was being batted around the ears by Greenpeace for refusing to take part in its Electronics Survey. This year, Apple has changed its mind -- at least when it comes to having its overall environmental credentials rated -- and been lauded as a leading green player by Greenpeace campaigners.
Nokia and Sony Ericsson topped the rankings in the latest Guide To Greener Electronics, which ranks 18 global consumer electronics companies for the environmental impact of their products, including the use of hazardous substances, take-back schemes for obsolete products, and other initiatives to reduce climate impact within the business. The quarterly report was released at CES 2010.
Apple's improved ranking reflects a changing relationship with Greenpeace. "We like Apple, but we found a lot of their talk in the beginning of our work a bit duplicitous in terms of not walking their talk," said Greenpeace electronics analyst Casey Harrell. "I'm pleased to say that Apple has now hit that mark; new products they've put on the market are completely free of all of the most hazardous substances. Apple met their deadline full-on and early."
Greenpeace revised its criteria for the latest assessment, penalising companies which have announced plans to eliminate toxic chemicals such as brominated flame retardants from their products but then failed to deliver on them. That change of rules saw Samsung fall from second place to seventh in Greenpeace's rankings.
Companies are also penalised if they make claims which can't be substantiated. "We don't take the word of companies themselves; we do our own spot testing," said Harrell. At one point, Nokia was penalised for claiming to have mobile phone collection in India, but only operating a single collection point for the entire sub-continent. (That situation has since improved and Nokia is now "probably the top performer" when it comes to collection, Harrell said.)
The top five in the latest ranking were Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Toshiba, Philips and Apple. Nokia, Sony Ericsson and Nokia have now eliminated all toxic chemicals considered by Greenpeace from their products, while Toshiba has said it will do so before April 2010. Nintendo remains the worst-performing of the companies assessed.
"We have seen a lot of dynamic changes based on companies trying to leapfrog each other," Harrell said. "We're trying to create a race to the top."
The full report and ranking is available online.