Lenovo, world’s leading technology company, recently launched its CO2 Offset Services in Singapore. Customers in Singapore will be allowed to seamlessly offset carbon emissions of selected new Lenovo products at the point of purchase.
In the current world that we are living in today, we are using quite a lot of gadgets in our leisure and working life, from desktops, laptops, monitors, tablets and smartphones. Our consumption of technology gadgets in the world has created environmental concerns among organisations and consumers who are more conscious about eco-friendly initiatives and measures taken up by technology companies.
With Lenovo’s CO2 Offset Services, Lenovo customers can choose carbon offset projects from a range of United Nations (UN) approved initiatives spanning across different continents and hemispheres. There is a certificate confirming the offset emissions for each product’s serial number that is issued with the purchase, along with an official certifying badge for each product.
How does this service works? This service works by factoring in emissions produced from the manufacturing and shipping of each individual product, as well as those for an estimated typical five years of usage. This amount is then offset through one of the many partner initiatives, including projects overseen by UN.
The partner initiatives in Asia Pacific include a biomass energy project that generates electricity using a sugar mill, a wind energy project that generates clean and renewable energy, as well as a project that offers waste disposal in a safe and clean manner that generates renewable energy and reduces greenhouse gases.
Customers nowadays have better understanding of eco-friendly measures and environmental protection. They also have a growing desire for eco-transparency in all their purchases and Lenovo CO2 Offset Services is one of the first in the world to tie dedicated offsets to individual products, to help better understand individual carbon footprints.
“This is a unique opportunity for our customers to see direct carbon offset results that are tangible through the IT purchases they make, and it is also a cause that is entrenched in Lenovo’s beliefs and mission,” said Ronnie Lee, General Manager at Lenovo Singapore. “We have crunched the numbers and can say with confidence what carbon impact the individual product you buy will have. You can then simply choose to offset this product’s carbon footprint at the point of purchase.”
Lenovo CO2 Offset Services was first launched in Europe to the local Lenovo customers in the region, and has now been extended to customers across Asia Pacific. Lenovo is also working to allow business customers to retrospectively offset purchases made within the last three years, where data is available. To date, more than 26,000 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents (corresponding approximately to the emissions of 1.7 million miles of air travel [1]) have already been offset by Lenovo’s customers globally.
An example of how the program works can be seen in a recent cooperation with a Lenovo customer in Germany. Lenovo worked with the insurance company LVM Versicherung to supply 4,000 new ThinkPad X1 Yoga laptops and 4,500 ThinkVision P27h-20 monitors through Lenovo’s CO2 Offset Services. To further reduce carbon emissions from shipping, the order was delivered from one of Lenovo’s global manufacturing sites in China via train instead of airplane. Not only did the service help the company meet its sustainability targets, it also fostered a sense of corporate purpose that contributes to the wider sustainability ethos and commitments.
“Climate action is more urgent than ever. Consumers’ awareness about the issue is at an all-time high. Leading companies have been preparing for this, and are responding to it,” commented Niclas Svenningsen, Manager for Global Climate Action at UN Climate Change of the initiative. “Lenovo has a long track record in addressing environmental issues, including climate change, through the establishment of science-based targets. Some targets include a 50% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030, and other in-house initiatives that have reduced their carbon footprint significantly. We are glad to collaborate with Lenovo under our Climate Neutral Now initiative, to further raise awareness and encourage the voluntary use of carbon markets as a tool to accelerate climate action. This is the first collaboration of this kind for Climate Neutral Now and we look forward to its success.”
For more information about Lenovo CO2 Offset Service, please visit their official webpage.
Notes:
[1] Based on an average flight distance of 950km
* Information courtesy of Lenovo and WE Communications *