HP top Greenpeace rankings while BlackBerry makers flounder

The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics has ranked HP as the most sustainable out of 15 leading brands, with BlackBerry makers, RIM, coming last. Alex Blackburne has the full details.

The fourth edition of Greenpeace’s Guide to Greener Electronics provides electronics users with some startling realisations into the products they’re using.

The Guide, which “ranks 15 gadget and electronics companies on energy, greener products and sustainable operations”, found HP to be the most sustainable company, with a score of 5.9 out of 10.

The American company score most of their points in the new Sustainable Operations section, but “it has the best programme for measuring and reducing emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) from its suppliers” as well.

“Right now, HP takes the top spot because it is scoring strongly by measuring and reducing carbon emissions from its supply chain, reducing its own emissions and advocating for strong climate legislation,” said Greenpeace International campaigner, Tom Dowdall.

“However all companies we included in the Guide have an opportunity to show more leadership in reducing their climate impact.”

The startling realisations, though, come in the form of the bottom placed company – Research In Motion (RIM), the makers of BlackBerry smartphones.

RIM, which recently came under scrutiny after users received widespread network failures, were scored 1.6 out of 10, failing on the fact it doesn’t receive external verification for emissions disclosure data, has no a clean electricity plan or a target to increase its use of renewable energy.

Nokia, the previous occupants of the top spot, slipped down two places to third, with Dell nipping into second place – an improvement of eight spots for the American computer giants.

At the bottom, Toshiba and LG Electronics occupy joint 13th after scoring 2.8 out of 10, with Acer (2.9 out of 10) just above them in 12th.

Dowdall said that although the reports were encouraging, all 15 companies included in the Guide were still a way off becoming totally ‘green’.

“After many of the world’s leading electronics companies rose to the challenge of phasing out the worst hazardous substances, we are now challenging them to improve their sourcing of minerals and better managing the energy use throughout the supply chain.”

To view the Guide in full, click here.

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