Sony Ericsson (News - Alert) has committed itself to delivering products that reduce the overall impact to the environment without compromising on style or features.The UK's first sustainable rating system for mobile phones, O2's Eco rating, awarded the Sony Ericsson Elm phone 4.3 out of 5 for its green credentials, and its Elm Phone (News - Alert) has been found to be the most sustainable handset in the market, according to The Daily Mail. The phone is part of Sony Ericsson's GreenHeart range of mobile phones and accessories.
For the purpose of the rating, six manufacturers were considered. 65 mobile phones were measured for environmental impact, how they help people lead more sustainable lives and ethical performance. Five of the top 10 mobile phones in the rating had been designed by Sony Ericsson. Nokia (News - Alert), HTC, LG, Samsung and Palm all competed alongside Sony Ericsson.
"Sony Ericsson is committed to delivering products with the best possible environmental performance in the industry," Mats Pellbäck Scharp, head of corporate sustainability at Sony Ericsson, said, adding that they were pleased that the Sony Ericsson Elm phone had passed the tests with flying colors.
Scharp further noted that they fully supported the new O2 (News - Alert) Eco rating system, as such initiatives make it easier for consumers to make informed green choices.
GreenHeart has ambitious plans to green its entire portfolio as it had previously indicated in 2009. Spearheading the company's commitment to contribute substantively to green innovation, GreenHeart’s ultimate aim is to benefit the environment, the consumers and the mobile operators.
Sony Ericsson has committed itself to reducing CO2 emissions by 20 percent and greenhouse emissions by 15 percent from its mobile phone's full product life-cycle by 2015. It has joined hands with like-minded organizations to persuade the European Parliament to ban the use of hazardous substances.
Sony Ericsson focuses on all three dimensions of sustainability: environmental, social and economical. Its contributions to society are in the form of conservation of resources, protecting the environment and improving people's lives and business. Established in October 2001, with global corporate functions located in London and operations in major markets around the world, Sony Ericsson's strategy is to become the industry leader in mobile Communication Entertainment, through new styles of interaction across the Internet and social media.
In a related news release, two mobiles made from old CD cases and water bottles have been launched by Sony Ericsson, in a move designed to boost the company's green credentials in the phone industry. The GreenHeart C901 and Naite have all the expected features including a camera, video streaming, Bluetooth, WAP as well as easy access to YouTube (News - Alert) and Google Maps.
Mini Swamy is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of her articles, please visit her columnist page.Edited by
Beecher Tuttle
