Telefónica implements Eco Rating, a labelling system that identifies the most sustainable mobile phones, in all its markets by extending it to its operations in Latin America where the operator is present: Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru, and Uruguay, with the exception of Venezuela, as it does not market devices there.
The operator had already implemented it in Spain, Germany, the UK and Brazil. This announcement paves the way for Eco Rating to become a global standardised labelling system, providing consumers around the world with consistent and transparent information on the environmental impact of their mobile phones and enabling them to incorporate it into purchasing decisions.
Eco Rating already evaluates more than 200 mobile phone models from 16 manufacturers, doubling the number of qualified devices at its launch in May 2021.
Telefónica’s commitment to the environment is a fundamental pillar of its actions, and it has had a Climate Change Office for more than 16 years and has been on the CDP A List for eight years. The company focuses all its actions on reducing its environmental impact by decoupling its growth from the emissions generated, reducing the consumption of natural resources and becoming a zero waste company by recycling 98% of its waste.
With this initiative, in addition to promoting the circular economy and responsible consumption, Telefónica encourages innovation and the implementation of more environmentally friendly actions throughout the life cycle of handsets, especially among its suppliers.
Eco Rating was launched in May 2021 jointly by Deutsche Telekom, Orange, Telefónica (under its O2, Movistar and vivo brands), Telia Company and Vodafone to provide consistent and accurate information to consumers on the environmental impact of mobile phones and smartphones in relation to their production, use and transport.
The Eco Rating methodology
Based on information provided by handset manufacturers, each handset is comprehensively assessed and assigned an overall Eco Rating score out of a maximum of 100 to indicate the environmental performance of the device over its entire lifecycle.
