Hardware > Buying & Owning Hardware

Green or ethical computing?

By Adam Clamp

Adam Clamp, Computanews green ICT columnist examines the ethics of computer manufacturers.

Where to begin?

Where to begin? As with all these things it’s never easy finding this stuff out! We have eco-labelling, but few if any labels that encompass more than just environmental impact. The only one I am aware of is the Ethical Consumer Best Buy Label  although the last time they ran an ethical scoring test on computers was back in 2007... However some technology companies do display their Best Buy label.

Measuring the ethical status of a product requires assessing many different areas including:  

• Investments - do manufacturers invest in, for example, armaments, animal testing, fossil fuels or are they invested in by any companies who are involved in human rights abuses or around the globe?
• Relationships - are they part owned by or have working partnerships with those involved in unethical practices?
• Environmental performance - is it good, is it bad or have they been accused of any environmental violations? Do they operate in an energy efficient manner and show care for the environment?
• Workers’ rights - what’s their record on this? Do they treat their workers well? What are working conditions like and do they conform to regulations on this area? 

If you are concerned about any of the above then just looking at eco labels isn’t enough. It seems that the addition of the word “Green” to any product makes it seem like it may also be ethical but this is sadly not the case. Green is the new marketing buzzword and can really help sell a product. Surely we need more labelling that tells us what the overall impact of a product is, not just on the environment but animals and people too?

Buying Decisions

Our decisions even when buying computers and IT equipment and who we choose to buy from makes an enormous difference to whether our money is invested ethically or not. But alas a lot of the time the choices we make are governed by time and money.

So what can you do if you want to make sure the computer or IT equipment you are buying is the most ethical? This ethical checklist could help:

1. Research companies for any ethical claims and certification
2. Obtain their Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Statement
3. Check new and up-to-date reports carried out by Ethical Consumer
4. Assess environmental performance by looking out for regulatory logos and accreditation marks 

At the end of the day the only sure way I know to find out whether a company or product is ethical or not is by contacting them direct and see what answers you get. Chances are that if you ask and the person on the end of the line doesn't know what you are talking about then it’s not a good sign.

Presently there is no concise guide or service you can access that will help guide you to the latest products on a regular basis. Some are available but go out of date quickly, particularly with such a fast changing business sector such as the electronics industry. Nothing can at present replace direct contact, research and assessment. This would be something you or a specialised consultant would have to do and is very time consuming.

Further reading

Ethical Consumer

Ethical Consumer Magazine and the Ethiscore online system will help to guide your choices on a wide range of products. The magazine and Ethiscore have been created and are managed by The Ethical Company Organisation. The next issue of their magazine will be focussing on computers.