Telcos Go Green: Can Energy Standards Really Save the Earth?

In a survey conducted by AT&T, 60 percent of its customers replied that, all things being equal, they would consider the environmental consequences of a smartphone or similar item before purchasing it.

“AT&T’s eco-ratings give consumers product information they want,” says Jeff Bradley, senior vice president of Devices at AT&T Mobility. “Consumers want the best and fastest devices while being able to make an empowered choice about environmental impacts of the device. Our eco-ratings accomplish just that.”

At this year's Mobile World Congress, AT&T debuted its eco-rating system, which is now widely available to consumers. The system assesses 15 specific criteria drawn from five general categories of sustainability attributes, including the usage of environmentally preferable materials, minimization of hazardous substances, energy efficiency, responsible end-of-life treatment, and environmentally responsible manufacturing.

Device manufacturers submit an assessment of which of the 15 criteria the device meets. AT&T then reviews the report, confirms the data, and enters the calculations into its five-star system, with five stars being the highest. The 15 specific criteria include, for example, the percentage of post-consumer plastic used in the device, the restriction of compounds such as lead, cadmium, mercury, nickel, and antimony trioxide/antimony compounds, and the device’s energy-efficient features.

Fiscal responsibility and a commitment from telcos to be mindful of their effect on the environment is more than just corporate citizenship. Sustainability, and the adoption of well-planned energy standards, can be leveraged as smart business strategy. Bottom line: you'd have to make a lot of trips to the store with your reusable grocery bags to make an environmental impact as big as AT&T can with a simple five-star rating system. Even Al Gore on his cherry picker can't do that.