India gets EPEAT Rating System for Electronics

The Green Electronics Council has announced expansion of the EPEAT environmental rating system to India, where purchasers spent $9.5 billion on computing hardware alone in 2013. Manufacturers have already begun the process of qualifying PCs and Displays, Imaging Equipment and Televisions for India. Information on products registered in the country will be publicly accessible in the second quarter of 2014.

It has been reported that India will be the 43rd country in which EPEAT registration and verification services are available to help purchasers select products that reduce their environmental impact.

“The ICT sector in India is very concerned with the environmental impacts of product design, manufacturing and end of life recovery. Participation in EPEAT’s globally recognized environmental rating programme will support Indian manufacturers’ ability to reap market rewards in both internal and external markets based on their products’ environmental performance. It shall provide a globally accepted, transparent and effective method to ensure greener electronics,” said Anwar Shirpurwala, Executive Director, Manufacturers’ Association of Information Technology (MAIT).

By 2016, the total amount spent on information and communications technology (ICT) in India is predicted to grow to $14.3 billion. The availability of EPEAT registration will enable business purchasers to easily identify and select environmentally preferable electronics and increase the net benefit of these activities