InterviewsSustainability

Sustainability Needs to be Looked From Every Aspect of the Supply Chain

Michele Montecchio, the General Manager for Acer Middle East, says Acer has been committed to long-term sustainability for over a decade

How does technology contribute to sustainability?
Technology can provide a positive impact on almost every sector or field – whether it’s automotive, farming or even sustainability. Given sustainability is a key focus globally, it’s only natural that businesses and companies would leverage technology in their R&D processes to help create products and solutions to enable greener operations and more environmentally friendly practices.

We’ve done this through Acer’s Vero line of eco-conscious devices, which incorporates eco-friendly and recycled materials, such as PCR plastic and ocean-bound plastic, all while providing incredible performance.

What sort of sustainability efforts does your company practice?
Acer has been committed to long-term sustainability for over a decade. We collaborate with our employees, business partners, and consumers through Project Humanity, the RE100 initiative, and the Earthion Platform which launched in 2021. The Earthion Platform encourages eco-friendly initiatives in the company’s supply chain ecosystem.

Under this platform, we’ve introduced a line of eco-conscious devices through our Vero series of laptops, monitors, and accessories. We also introduced this year the ‘Earth Mission’ app for Acer employees worldwide in which we aimed to establish positive green habits over a 21-day period by encouraging them to reduce, reuse and recycle. Our actions through this app resulted in 44 Tons of CO2 savings

Do we need to look at sustainability beyond the use of “green energy”?
Of course, we need to look at sustainability from every aspect of the supply chain. As an example, although our Acer Vero products use eco-friendly and recycled materials, we wanted to go further for the end user. Therefore when designing the products, we thought of how we could make them easier to disassemble for repairs, upgrades, or recycling.

For example, we use standard screws where consumers wouldn’t need a special tool to open their laptop, extending the lifespan of the device and the period in which a customer may need to replace their laptop. Aside from hardware and packaging, we’ve also worked on green software. Our Aspire Vero comes with VeroSense which focuses on energy efficiency. It contributes to the laptop running longer with four performance modes: Performance, Balanced, Eco, and Eco+.

How can companies reduce their carbon footprint? Are there local or regional initiatives that encourage companies to adopt best practices?
There are a lot of different things that companies can do to reduce their carbon footprint, whether it’s introducing recycling, using eco-friendly suppliers, or eliminating single-use plastic – it can be small or big initiatives.

There are also third-party entities like CSR Arabia that recognize companies across the region for their sustainability practices and initiatives. We’re proud to share that we won in the ‘Small Business Category’ at this year’s CSR Arabia Awards for making changes towards a more sustainable future.

What challenges do companies face today in their journey toward net zero and how can technology help solve those issues?
Companies might think that committing to a lower carbon footprint will impact their bottom line, especially with the current inflation across the globe. They also sometimes lack information on what sustainable practices really mean and what they look like, or how to implement them. It’s also a fine balance between making small changes, rather than one large change that will be easier for both companies and individuals to implement.

What factors can help companies advance toward their sustainability goals?
There are several factors, but to name a few: automated systems that can help monitor real-time data or even digitize purchase orders to reduce waste. Shared resources across a company can reduce power consumption while implementing smart and green products can go a long way toward a company’s sustainability goals.

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Chris Fernando

Chris N. Fernando is an experienced media professional with over two decades of journalistic experience. He is the Editor of Arabian Reseller magazine, the authoritative guide to the regional IT industry. Follow him on Twitter (@chris508) and Instagram (@chris2508).

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