The EPEAT electronic products environmental rating system has announced the next step in its remarkable global growth. To meet expanding demand for EPEAT product registration, the organization will engage with a network of leading environmental and technical certification, testing and standards groups around the globe to qualify products to the IEEE 1680 family of ‘green electronics’ standards and identify products as EPEAT Bronze, Silver, or Gold. EPEAT is the most extensive and influential green IT product rating system, with a registry of more than 3,200 environmentally preferable electronic products and 45 participating manufacturers , from global giants to small integrators, across 41 EPEAT countries.

EPEAT has signed an MOU with a group of technical and environmental assessment organizations-listed with contact information below-to launch a global network of trust providers that will offer participating manufacturers choice while maintaining, even increasing, the high credibility and consistency of the EPEAT registry. As the collaborative framework is finalized, additional groups are expected to join the network.

“This system builds on the remarkable strengths of EPEAT-rating based on consensus-based public standards, tiered rankings that encourage competition and continuous improvement, declaration accompanied by ongoing independent verification, and easy access to a single registry of qualified products,” said Jeff Omelchuck, EPEAT’ s executive director, “Yet it also opens the system to multiple participants who will work with us to broaden and strengthen the registration services available to manufacturers worldwide.”

EPEAT’s novel approach to environmental assessment continues to show its merit, by engaging dozens of manufacturers of all sizes and different nationalities and thousands of enterprise, government and individual purchasers worldwide in developing and rewarding more sustainable product design and delivery.

The new network will broaden the support services available to manufacturers by language, regional base and verification methods, while the central collaboration between the groups on technical, interpretive and verification issues will maintain consistency and quality assurance across the EPEAT system and around the globe.

Participating Organizations include
  • Intertek (Global testing and certification organization)
  • Environment and Development Foundation (Environmental Certification/Labeling Organization, Taiwan)
  • China Electronic Standardization Institute (Standards and Certification body, China)
  • China Environmental United Certification Center (Certification and Ecolabeling body, China)
  • Industrial Technology Research Institute/Beautiful Life Education Foundation (Certification and testing organization, environmental foundation partnership, Taiwan)