ARLINGTON, USA – Last week, America’s Consumer Electronics Association released its 2010 report into the sustainability credentials of ten leading electronics brands such as Intel, Dell, Panasonic and Nokia. Overall, these electronics industry leaders – and many others, too, of course – are making great progress in establishing ethical and sustainable manufacturing, distribution, recycling and reporting standards. Read below for the highlights.

The full report is available for inspection here. Some of the main points made about the industry as a whole are that:

• Nine of the ten largest CE [consumer electronics] companies by global revenue have established corporate-wide commitments to ISO 14001 certification and report on the number and location of ISO certified facilities. [Nokia is one of these. ISO 14001 is the standard for environmentally managed businesses, ensuring they comply with all relevant requirements and helping them improve over time].
• Nine of the ten largest CE companies by global revenue have been reporting to the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) since 2007 and are improving their reports by increasing the amount and quality of data reported each year. [And one of these].
• The CE industry has established more than 5,000 locations in the U.S. to collect consumer electronics for recycling. [Find your local Nokia Recycling Point here].
• In 2009, the ten largest CE companies by global revenue donated $882 million, in both cash and products, to support activities that enhance local environments, social well-being, and/or economic development.
• All ten of the largest CE companies by global revenue issue public sustainability reports using guidance from the Global Reporting Initiative.

The report picks out Nokia for special comment in three areas. First, the company’s ambitious commitment to reducing its greenhouse gas output. Second, for driving its suppliers to also adopt environmental management systems. And third, for the introduction of Ovi Life Tools. As the reports says:

The service strives to improve the quality of life for those in emerging markets. For instance, the service provides farmers in developing countries with accurate and regular information on weather and availability of seeds, fertilizers, pesticides, and prevailing market prices for produce. Ovi Life Tools also enables families to access health and nutritional information through the healthcare service, and enables its users to even learn English through the educational offering.

Ovi Life Tools is available in India, Indonesia, and China and also includes the recent launch of the service in November 2010 in Nigeria. It currently has 6.3 million users in these four markets.

You can find out more about Nokia’s commitment to sustainability here. Let us know what you think.

image credit: Andrea Costa Photography