The aim is to give consumers consistent, accurate information when comparing the most sustainable mobile phones, but Apple is noticeably absent for the time being
Operators are taking sustainability seriously: 2021 has seen a flurry of activity from telecoms operators when it comes to promoting sustainability credentials. Several operator groups around the world have set bold targets for the coming years, to contribute to the global net-zero objective for 2050. So far we’ve tracked 69 such initiatives in our Sustainability Tracker, of which 12 relate to promoting the circular economy. Today, five large telecoms groups (Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefonica, Telia, and Vodafone) have now partnered up on the Eco Rating Initiative, an industry scheme to help consumers identify sustainable mobile devices.
How the scheme will work: From June 2021, the operators involved will introduce a labelling scheme at the point of sale across 24 countries in Europe, including the UK. The scheme will assess a range of devices (starting with 12 brands which have adhered to the initiative so far), and rate each of them out of a maximum of 100 points to signal the environmental performance of the device across its entire lifecycle. The label will also highlight five key aspects of the sustainability of mobile devices: durability, repairability, recyclability, climate efficiency, and resource efficiency. The operators have launched a website with more information about the initiative and how each rating is determined.
It will be important to bring Apple on board: With this partnership, the telecoms industry confirms its commitment to being proactive on sustainability, in an area which is likely to see regulatory intervention in a not so distant future. Some jurisdictions, such as France, are considering laws to guarantee a ‘right to repair’ which also include transparency requirements on the lifecycle of devices. It is likely that the partnership will attract more operators in the future, and those that launched the initiative said they look forward to welcoming more manufacturers. For the time being, Apple’s absence is a notable one. Given its popularity, the loyalty to the iPhone of its customers, and Apple’s own commitments to sustainability, bringing them on board will be important for the success of the initiative.
