The e-Legacy Awards are a defiant response to reports about the 'wasteful, power-hungry' electronics industry. Says editor Caroline Hayes, “I see so many positive things that electronics companies do, that I wanted a vehicle to show this and to demonstrate how we can create a lasting legacy for future generations.” The awards' categories were unusual in that they asked readers to vote on projects and initiatives that contribute to education, the environment, health and safety.
The sponsors selected the finalists in each category but, explains Hayes, “Electronic Product Design's readers voted in their thousands (for the winners) for these awards”, adding, “The volume of entries and the quality received, means that all the e-Legacy finalists should be rightly proud of the projects that brought them to the Awards lunch.”
In winning the award, Ericsson was judged to have been the best company in meeting the e-Legacy Investment in the environment award brief, which states:
“Projects or buildings that are environmentally-responsible are eligible for this award. Large or small-scale projects that demonstrate a commitment to an environmental program, promoting a responsible approach to developing the electronics industry are invited. Such programs can be well-established, demonstrating foresight while building a business, or new initiatives in response to recent legislation or directives or local conditions. Local, national or international schemes that promote environmental responsibility to customers, employees and/or the surrounding community are encouraged.”
Today, Ericsson and its division Power Modules remains at the forefront of low-energy technology developments and continues to focus on two key objectives—developing products that are energy-efficient throughout the entire life-cycle and refining a methodology for measuring system-level energy consumption. To analyze the environmental impact of any product or service, the company employs Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) and has possibly the most advanced data system in the industry. Because CO2 emissions directly relate to fossil energy use, LCA uses this metric to evaluate energy use, stage-by-stage, in generic telecom/datacom systems.
Le Fèvre says: “This is the second award that we have won recently that is focused on the environment. We are very pleased to accept this award. Once again, it is clear industry recognition of Ericsson’s leadership in environmental performance.”
Elaine Weidman, Director Corporate Responsibility at Ericsson, says: “Ericsson’s life-cycle approach to understanding the environmental impact of our products and solutions is one of the cornerstones of our commitment to sustainable business, and it helps us to prioritize the most important areas for improvement activities. We are proud to be recognized for this effort with regards to Power Modules.”
Notes to editors:
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