18.05.2011
MUNICH. How green is my mobile phone? The answer to this question is available now from Telefónica Germany. The company is one of the first telecommunication providers to introduce a rating system in Germany that assesses the environmental and social compatibility of mobile phones. The system is called Eco Index. As a result, and effective immediately, customers can find information online about the sustainability aspects of their preferred mobile phone. Starting in autumn, that information will also be available in shops.
By means of a point system the customer can quickly learn about the environmental and social compatibility of the mobile phones offered on www.o2.de. The Eco Index takes into account the impact of mobile phones primarily with regard to the environment. For instance, the devices are checked to see if they contain substances and materials that are toxic or hazardous to one's health, if the packaging can be recycled and how sustainable the use of resources is during the production process. Can programmes be used for navigation or does the device have an integrated camera, thereby rendering the use of other hardware unnecessary? Such issues have a positive impact on the rating - as in the case of smartphones.
André Krause, CFO of Telefónica Germany, explains: "The special thing about the Eco Index is that even social aspects are taken into account, such as the working conditions under which the device was produced or whether or not materials from crisis regions were used. It's important to us that we enable our customers to have a sustainable lifestyle. As part of that, they should be able to rate as many of our mobile phones as possible in terms of their environmental and social compatibility."
Eco Index was developed by Telefónica in collaboration with Forum for the Future, a British NGO. It was launched in Great Britain last August. With the introduction of Eco Index in Germany, Telefónica is already evaluating more than 80 percent of the end devices that the company offers. Over the coming weeks, all devices offered by participating manufacturers should be subjected to a comparison.
Additional information about the how the Eco Index system works can be found at the following link: http://www.o2.de/goto/eco-index
Dialogue about sustainable consumption (in German): www.diskutiere.de
After the introduction of the Eco Index system, Telefónica is putting the following topic up for discussion: Is sustainable consumption and a sustainable lifestyle possible in the age of smartphones, apps and such? If so, how? An open online dialogue at www.diskutiere.de (in German) will kick off on 6 June 2011 under the title of "Why be green and fair - mobile phones should be smart, fast and chic! Isn't that the main thing?" All interested parties are invited to participate here in the discussion.
By means of a point system the customer can quickly learn about the environmental and social compatibility of the mobile phones offered on www.o2.de. The Eco Index takes into account the impact of mobile phones primarily with regard to the environment. For instance, the devices are checked to see if they contain substances and materials that are toxic or hazardous to one's health, if the packaging can be recycled and how sustainable the use of resources is during the production process. Can programmes be used for navigation or does the device have an integrated camera, thereby rendering the use of other hardware unnecessary? Such issues have a positive impact on the rating - as in the case of smartphones.
André Krause, CFO of Telefónica Germany, explains: "The special thing about the Eco Index is that even social aspects are taken into account, such as the working conditions under which the device was produced or whether or not materials from crisis regions were used. It's important to us that we enable our customers to have a sustainable lifestyle. As part of that, they should be able to rate as many of our mobile phones as possible in terms of their environmental and social compatibility."
Eco Index was developed by Telefónica in collaboration with Forum for the Future, a British NGO. It was launched in Great Britain last August. With the introduction of Eco Index in Germany, Telefónica is already evaluating more than 80 percent of the end devices that the company offers. Over the coming weeks, all devices offered by participating manufacturers should be subjected to a comparison.
Additional information about the how the Eco Index system works can be found at the following link: http://www.o2.de/goto/eco-index
Dialogue about sustainable consumption (in German): www.diskutiere.de
After the introduction of the Eco Index system, Telefónica is putting the following topic up for discussion: Is sustainable consumption and a sustainable lifestyle possible in the age of smartphones, apps and such? If so, how? An open online dialogue at www.diskutiere.de (in German) will kick off on 6 June 2011 under the title of "Why be green and fair - mobile phones should be smart, fast and chic! Isn't that the main thing?" All interested parties are invited to participate here in the discussion.
Telefónica Germany GmbH & Co. OHG gehört mit seinen Marken O2 und Alice zu Telefónica Europe und ist Teil des spanischen Telekommunikationskonzerns Telefónica S.A. Das Unternehmen bietet seinen Privat- wie Geschäftskunden in Deutschland Post- und Prepaid-Mobilfunkprodukte sowie innovative mobile Datendienste auf Basis der GPRS- und UMTS-Technologie an. Darüber hinaus stellt das Unternehmen als integrierter Kommunikationsanbieter auch DSL-Festnetztelefonie und Highspeed-Internet zur Verfügung. Laut Netztest 2010 der Fachzeitschrift connect (Ausgabe 12/10) ist das O2 Netz Spitzenreiter bei der Zuverlässigkeit von Datei-Downloads und geht auch in der Kategorie Telefonie als Sieger hervor. Im Gesamtergebnis belegt das Unternehmen den zweiten Platz. Telefónica Europe hat mehr als 57 Millionen Mobil- und Festnetzkunden in Großbritannien, Irland, der Tschechischen Republik, der Slowakei und Deutschland.
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