Greenpeace dumps on Microsoft, Nintendo

GREENPEACE has slammed console makers Microsoft and Nintendo for their poor environmental credential in the latest edition of its quarterly Guide to Greener Electronics.

The latest Guide to Greener Electronics includes the environmental scoring of consol manufacturers for the first time.

Nintendo earned the dubious distinction of becoming the first company to score 0/10 while Microsoft did little better with a score of 2.7/10.

Heading the ranking, Sony Ericsson took over the number one spot from Nokia while Samsung and Sony surged ahead to occupy second and third positions. Nokia and Motorola had a penalty point deducted after a Greenpeace investigation found their claims of global takeback were not being matched by reality.

The Guide to Greener Electronics focuses on toxic chemicals and takeback policy because of the rapid growth in quantities of toxic e-waste being dumped in developing countries like China and India.

While Nintendo's Wii console appears to be more energy efficient compared to the Microsoft Xbox and Sony Playstation, energy use is not yet covered in the ranking.

Companies making the most progress with new products without the worst toxic chemicals are now ranking higher than companies who have only committed to remove them in the future. Toshiba has laptops free of toxic chemicals like vinyl plastic (PVC) and has reduced the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs).

Apple's score improves slightly due to new iMacs reducing the use of PVC and BFRs. All new mobiles from Sony Ericsson and Nokia have been free of PVC since the end of 2006.

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Rudd pushes Green export opportunities

GREEN and clean technologies present excellent export opportunities for Australian innovators, according to Kevin Rudd.

The Labor government would make supporting the development of clean technologies for export markets a priority, Mr Rudd told the National Press Club in Canberra.

As part of that plan, Labor will spend $15 million on a Energy Export Strategy, and $20 million setting up a Clean Energy Innovation Centre.

“Responding to climate change and global warming is not just an environmental imperative; it is an important economic opportunity,” Mr Rudd said.

“Both carbon trading and renewable energy technology provide opportunities for the export of goods and services,” he said.

Australia would become a clean energy hub for the Asia-Pacific, Mr Rudd said, making clean energy central to Australia’s economic and environmental future.

“Labor will harness clean energy research, innovation and enterprise, so that Australia can build a low carbon economy and export climate change solutions to the world,” he said.

The Clean Energy Export Strategy will provide critical capacity in Austrade to promote Australian clean energy exports of products, technologies and services. Austrade liaison officers will work with individual clean energy firms to match their strengths with opportunities in clean energy growth markets such as China, India, Japan and the United States.

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