Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM
Networking for sustainability:
International conference takes up forthcoming resolutions of the European Parliament on ecodesign
Can consumers in the EU rely on electronic products meeting high environmental standards in the future? According to a regulation on the ecodesign of sustainable products, which will be voted on this Thursday in the European Parliament, this will soon no longer be a dream of the future. Sustainability specialists from Intel, Google, Apple and Microsoft will be discussing these and other committed climate targets beyond the EU with over 300 expected participants at the "Electronics Goes Green 2024" conference in Berlin from June 18 to 20.
Today's Earth Day is intended to strengthen appreciation for the environment and encourage people to rethink their consumer behavior. In line with this, the European Parliament will be voting on a future "Regulation establishing a framework for the setting of ecodesign requirements for sustainable products" in its plenary session this Thursday. Back in December, the two legislators, the European Parliament and the Council of the EU, reached a provisional agreement on the new rules for more sustainable products in the EU.[1] Sustainability experts from the Fraunhofer Institute for Reliability and Microintegration IZM are therefore not the only ones to expect a positive outcome to the vote on the long-needed common basis for product requirements and life cycle assessments throughout the EU. In the manufacture of electronics, the focus on material efficiency, durability and reparability of products is therefore growing. The regulation also aims to improve the CO2 and environmental footprint of a wide range of products. This makes it necessary to standardize life cycle assessments for all companies.
The researchers at Fraunhofer IZM have been working in the field of reliability and sustainability of electronics for over 30 years and have developed life cycle assessments and sustainability concepts for many well-known companies in the electronics industry. With the Electronics Goes Green conference, they set a trend barometer in the field of green electronics every four years. In June 2024, they will also discuss the new EU regulation on more sustainable product requirements and its implications and challenges for global players in the electronics industry. For example, a keynote speech by Todd Brady, Chief Sustainability Officer at Intel, has already been announced, in which he will present the US semiconductor manufacturer's sustainability strategy. The implementation of the Digital Product Passport, a key innovation of the upcoming Ecodesign Regulation, will also be addressed in several presentations at the conference and will be a topic of discussion.
For the computer product area, Electronics Goes Green 2024 will provide a forum for discussing the standards required for more sustainable products in the long term. For example, the above-mentioned EU regulation should also lead to a prescribed minimum proportion of recyclates - i.e. plastic materials obtained from the recycling of plastic waste - in the manufacture of computers. The limits and possibilities of recycling, particularly with regard to the use of plastics, will also be addressed from a technological perspective in several presentations at the conference.
From silicon to sustainability
The slogan of this year's Electronics Goes Green conference shows that the current focus of economic and political discussions is no longer on the question of "if", but rather on the question of "how" and "when" electronics companies must become sustainable.
Dr. Nils F. Nissen, Technical Chair and Head of the Environmental & Reliability Engineering department at Fraunhofer IZM, is certain: "It is now important for all of us to work together to steer electronics towards sustainability, away from materials such as silicon to practical applications such as general guidelines and standards." He addresses topics such as resource efficiency and material scarcity, the interaction between national and international players and sustainability standards that work in the long term for the entire industry. It is not only important that large chip manufacturers continue to locate in Germany, but that Germany remains competitive and a leader in sustainable production.
Electronics Goes Green, which is being organized by Fraunhofer IZM for the seventh time and is the world's largest symposium on sustainability in the electronics industry, offers over 100 presentations from the world of politics, such as from the European Commission, but also from business and science. Every four years, around 300 participants take stock of the field of green electronics and develop innovative solutions for combining the environment and electronics. Workshops and tutorials will also be offered, providing space for discussion and cooperation. The workshops, which deal with life cycle assessment standards and circular economy strategies, will take place on Monday afternoon at the conference hotel H4 Hotel Berlin Alexanderplatz.
What trends, visions for the future and common standards will be set this year? Register at www.electronicsgoesgreen.org and network on the interesting and inspiring topics at the conference or the planned tours of companies in the Berlin area.
All information about the program: electronicsgoesgreen.org
[1] Sustainable products to become the new norm in the EU - European Commission (europa.eu)
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