By: Michele Montecchio, General Manager at Acer Middle East

As pressure mounts for companies around the world to take urgent action on curbing emissions and delivering on long-term carbon reduction goals, technology has emerged as a key fast track to net zero. Tech brands, therefore, have one of the most critical roles to play in helping industries and consumers get to those ambitious targets – to benefit both the planet and their own business. 

Thankfully, Acer has already had a head-start in the sector, leading efforts to lower emissions and ultimately hit Net Zero by 2050 through an innovative, three-pronged strategy that focuses on its operations, products, and the value chain.

Operations: Taking the early initiative

The urgent need for lowering emissions is underscored by stark numbers from the industry. According to a report by the United Nations International Telecommunications Union (ITU), digital technology could help reduce the world’s carbon emissions by about 17 per cent. On a similar vein, a survey conducted by the Boston Consulting Group found that organisations that had adopted digital solutions for emissions measurement were 2.2 times as likely as their peers to measure their emissions comprehensively and 1.9 times as likely to reduce emissions in line with their ambitions. 

That’s why Acer has reaped the benefits of being an early mover when it comes to operations, implementing energy-efficient practices, green transportation and waste reduction within operations that have led to significant emission reductions. 

Since 2015, Acer has sourced more than 40% renewable electricity, achieved through building its own solar power generation sites and purchasing renewable energy certificates. Apart from owning the largest solar power plant in its home base in northern Taiwan, Acer has installed solar power generation equipment in the Netherlands, Germany, and Spain.  In the long term, the tech giant aspires to reach the phased goals of using 60% renewable electricity by 2025, and sourcing 100% renewable electricity by 2035.

Championing sustainable products & services

As one of the first movers in the industry in embracing sustainable materials, Acer not only designs and produces low-carbon products, but also works with its supply-chain partners to bring sustainable change across the industry. Its Aspire Vero line of sustainable devices is a case in point.

As the first sustainability-focused product from Acer featuring post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic and eco-friendly packaging, the Aspire Vero has swiftly become a popular choice for environment-conscious consumers. From optimizing resources to reducing e-waste, the Vero reimagines the sustainable laptop by including the supply chain, the energy and type of materials used in manufacturing, the packaging and delivery to the end user, its durability and life expectancy, as well as the end-of-life recycling potential.

As an energy efficient line-up designed for the net-zero age, the Vero stems from Acer’s holistic approach that looks at the whole lifecycle of a laptop when considering its environmental impact. From increased product longevity through high quality manufacturing, regular software updates, and extended warranties, to encouraging the circular economy by offering product trade-ins, refurbishing and reselling devices, and using carbon negative technologies, Acer has it all covered as a global tech leader. 

Integrating a low-carbon value chain

One of the most challenging tasks when it comes to curbing emissions for any brand is to gain control over its value chain. Acer has addressed this head on by working with suppliers and partners to take actions focusing on energy, product and packaging design, production, logistics, and recycling to reduce the proportion of plastic materials used throughout the value chain.

The best part is that Acer’s approach has always been strategic. It was in 2008 that Acer committed to improving energy efficiency, adopting CDP‘s global disclosure system to manage the environmental impacts of supply chain. As a part of its Earthion initiative that embodies Acer’s long-term commitment to the environment, the company started setting carbon reduction goals in 2012 through energy management and green energy use, taking 2009 as the base year.

Recently, Acer joined the RE100, a global initiative that brings together the world’s most influential companies committed to 100% renewable electricity. Such collaborations with industry peers, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and governments have led Acer to effectively address environmental challenges and usher in more sustainable practices across the value chain.

But Acer cannot rest on its achievements – and neither can the industry. Now is the time for increased collaboration, innovation, and entrepreneurial efforts to pave the way for a smoother journey to Net Zero. And Acer is committed to carrying everyone along as its walks down that path of a sustainable tech future.