The new rules will also require telecoms operators to inform consumers about the carbon footprint of their digital consumption.
A law for a broad range of sectors: In December 2020, France’s new anti-waste law came into force. The law aims to facilitate a consumption model that limits waste and preserves natural resources, biodiversity and the climate.
A ‘repairability index’ for devices: On 1 January 2021, some provisions of the law came into force, including a repairability index for electronic devices. The Index introduces a labelling system where manufacturers self-assign the score based on criteria such as ease of disassembly, price and availability of spare parts, and access to repair information. Phone and tablet vendors will also have to display information on how long software updates will support a device, and will be prohibited from software updates that slow down performance.
Measures for telecoms operators will apply next year: From 2022, provisions applying to telecoms operators will also come into force, requiring them to inform consumers of the carbon cost of their digital consumption (e.g. the equivalent in greenhouse emissions of 20GB of data per month).
