INTELLIGENT BRANDS // Green Technology
Lenovo ushers in green revolution by offsetting carbon emissions
In just nine months , Lenovo customers have offset the equivalent emissions of 1.7 million km of airline flights using new CO 2
Offset Services initiative .
Lenovo has revealed how customers are ushering in a green revolution in commerce by opting to offset the carbon emissions of new Think branded products at the point of purchase as part of the company ’ s new CO 2 Offset Services initiative . Lenovo first launched the programme as a pilot in the Nordics in February 2020 . Building on this successful pilot , the company plans to rollout the programme in 2021 for all of Europe , Middle East and Africa as well as Asia Pacific and North America .
It ’ s believed to be one of the first initiatives of its kind in the IT industry . It makes understanding the ecological impact of every individual product and its lifetime usage simple and transparent . Business customers are then able to contribute to specific ecological projects and offset an equivalent amount of emissions .
Customers are able to choose from a range of United Nations-approved initiatives spanning continents and hemispheres and receive a certificate confirming the offset emissions for each serial number – as well as an official certifying badge for each product . So far , more than 26,000 metric tonnes of carbon dioxide , the equivalent emissions of 1.7 million miles of airline flight , or 1,789 European flights , have been offset .
The initiative is continuing its global rollout to Lenovo customers across Europe , Middle East and Africa , Asia Pacific and North America . Customers seeking more sustainable IT options can simply add the offset service as they spec out their purchase .
Lenovo CO 2 Offset Services seeks to meet customers ’ growing desire for ecotransparency in all their purchases and is one of the first in the world to tie dedicated offsets to individual products , to help better understand individual carbon footprints .
The service works by factoring in emissions produced from the manufacture and shipping of each individual product , as well as those for up to an estimated typical five years of usage . This amount is then offset through one of many partner initiatives , including projects overseen by the United Nations and ClimeCo , one of the largest producers of US voluntary carbon credits under the Climate Action Reserve .
“ What ’ s unusual is our micro , rather than macro approach here ,” said Thilo Bayerlander , Director Lenovo EMEA Services Sales . “ We ’ ve 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 PCF ( Product Carbon Footprint ) at the point of purchase .
“ This is actually one of the first times that you can draw a clear line from your individual purchase to the number of metric tonnes then offset .
“ We believe we are the first company in the IT industry to make offsetting tangible for our customers in a way that links cause and effect directly .” p
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