Swiss computer peripherals and software manufacturer Logitech International plans to start adding a Carbon Transparency label to its consumer electronics products this year. The company says this new label will quantify the product’s carbon footprint using third-party certification.
The company reported spending years developing a lifecycle analysis capability that reflects a product’s carbon footprint — from raw materials through manufacturing, distribution, consumer use, and end of life. A number at the top of the label indicates the product’s full lifecycle carbon footprint in kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent.
Logitech said that the company is working with third parties that include Natural Capital Partners, iPoint Group, and an independent verifier to verify and validate product-level carbon footprints to DEKRA certification standards. The manufacturer added that, besides voluntarily communicating product carbon footprint info, they will offer online access to the methodology and protocol applied, meeting carbon footprint quantification and communications or labeling standards outlined by ISO 14067 and ISO 14026.
Logitech CEO Bracken Darrell compared labeling carbon to labeling calories, emphasizing the importance of understanding consumption. Darrell also invited other companies to provide full transparency on their products.
“We believe the best way to get companies to drop their carbon consumption is to make it a competitive marketplace around transparency, where consumers can see how much carbon is going into the things they buy,” he told Fast Company.
The consumer electronics company expects that the first Carbon Transparency labels will appear on gaming products later in 2020. After that, the labels should roll out across Logitech’s full product portfolio.