Emerging Trends: Environment and the Electronics Industry

1
Emerging TrendsEnvironment and the Electronics
Industry

• Ms. Wei ZHAO
• Regional Industry Officer
• United Nations Environment Programme
• zhaow_at_un.org
• Asia-Eco-Design Electronics Conference
• Bangkok, 10 April 2006

2
The world spiralling into crisis
Environmental pollution Resource depletion
Need for energy resources
Demand for products
Consumer spending
Wealth increase
Economic growth
Population increase
3
We are addicted to consumption
4
Some Consumption Trends for Asia

• GDP per capita in East Asia increased 280
  1975-1998
• Asia TV ownership increased 500 1985 1997
• Asia meat consumption increased 1300 since 1970
• Car ownership doubled in Thailand 1990-1999
• China consumed in 2005 26 worlds crude steel,
  32 of rice, 37 of cotton, 47 of cement
• But 85 of Indias population still lives on
  less than 2 US per day

5
Some Consequences for Asia

• 200 million tons hazardous waste per year
• Solid waste increase from 2.7 to 5.2 million m3
  per day in 2025
• Bangkok, Manila, Beijing, Chennai and Shanghai
  already 10-50 m drops in water tables
• Average life time of urban dwellers 10 years
  shorter due to air pollution
• Energy consumption and related CO2 emissions to
  rise 50 between now and 2030
• 400 million Asians affected by floods each year

6
The birth of Life Cycle Thinking

• 1989 Launch of the Cleaner Production Program
  (UNEP)
• 1992 Rio Earth Summit
• 2000 Malmö declaration call for Life Cycle
  Economy
• 2002 Launch of the UNEP/ SETAC Life Cycle
  Initiative
• 2002 Johannesburg WSSD
• Triple bottom line
• Production consumption patterns
• Products services systems
• Life cycle thinking
• Partnerships

7
Life Cycle Initiative objectives

• LCA tools
• Guidelines for life cycle application
• Benchmarking indicators
• Communication strategies
• Training materials

• Develop life cycle management tools
• Promote life cycle thinking
• Establish best-practice LCA application
• Coordinate efforts between industry, government,
  academia, society

8
Life Cycle Thinking Reduce environmental impact
Other suppliers
Extraction
Companys policies Conception Design
Raw materials Intermediary products
Disposal
Manufacturing production
End of product life
Use and maintenance
Distribution
9
Putting Life Cycle Thinkinginto Practice

• Pragmatic! (time, costs, available data)
• Placing decision-makers central
• Consumer
• Businesses
• Governments
• Alignment with existing initiatives
• Keep the ultimate outcome in mind protect the
  environment

10
What can Consumers do?

• Products we buy
• Environmental impact
• Eco-Labeling
• Endangering species
• Social issues
• Disposal of products
• Recycling
• Take back schemes

Consumers are increasingly interested in the
world behind the product they buy. The impacts of
all life cycle stages need to be considered
comprehensively. Dr. Klaus Toepfer, Executive
Director, UNEP
11
(More) Sustainable Consumption

• The yearly energy consumption of the popular SUV
  Jeep compared to an average car is equivalent to
• Leave the refrigerator door open for 6 years, or
• Leave the light on in your bath room for 30
  years, or
• Leave your TV on for 28 years! (Source The
  Sierra Club)

12
What can Industry do?

• Design of products / services
• Raw materials
• Packaging
• Transport
• Disposal
• Marketing and delivery of products / services
• Integration with all business processes
• Policy / strategy
• Management and decision making
• Monitoring and reporting

13
Philips EcoVision 2002 - 2005

• Five Green Focus Areas
• Weight
• Hazardous waste
• Packaging
• Recycling disposal
• Energy consumption
• Targets for each area
• Each Philips product is compared with
  competitors products

14
Philips Green FlagshipsProducts that are
better than competitors

• MP3 player 39 less weight 87 less energy 47
  less packaging
• TL lamp 14 less mercury 56 less energy 129
  longer lifetime
• (compared to competitors average)

15
What can Governments do?

• Prioritize government programs
• Make policies more consistent
• Reduce environmental impact of government
  operations
• Product pricing to reflect real costs
• Introduce take back schemes
• Promote less polluting industry sectors
• Linking production and consumption patterns

16
Thai Green Label Scheme

• Thai Ministry of Industry with other stakeholders
• Exists since 1993
• 32 product categories refrigerators, paper,
  shampoo, fertilizers, mobile phones
• Pragmatic criteria
• Significant environmental impacts
• How easy is it for business to meet criteria?

17
Why Life Cycle Thinking?
18
More information?

• United Nations Environment Programme
• Division of Technology, Industry Economics
• PARIS
• Production and Consumption Unit
• 39-43 Quai André Citroën
• 75739 Paris, Cedex 15, France
• Tel [phone] / Fax [phone]
• E-mail sc_at_unep.fr
• www.uneptie.org/sustain/lcinitiative
• BANGKOK
• UN Building, Rajadamnern Avevue
• Bangkok 10400, Thailand
• Tel [phone] / Fax [phone]
• E-mail zhaow_at_un.org