GEC at the Responsible Business 2024 Annual Conference
EVOLVING SUSTAINABLE ELECTRONICS: READYING THE SUPPLY CHAIN FOR NEXT GENERATION EPEAT CRITERIA
November 21, 2024, 9 am – 12 pm PST
The EPEAT ecolabel has been a vital signal in the technology market for nearly 20 years, aligning purchasers, electronics brands and other stakeholders on a shared definition of what it means for a product to be “sustainable”. This definition is evolving after years of multi-stakeholder efforts to revise the EPEAT criteria, creating a new benchmark to meet growing expectations in this area. Not only will the next generation of EPEAT criteria raise the bar for the global community, but it will also require significantly more interaction with supply chain partners.
Join the Global Electronics Council (GEC) at the Responsible Business 2024 Annual Conference for an interactive event on the important role of supply chain partners in sustainable product development, including final assembly and component manufacturer’s role in meeting these upcoming revisions to the EPEAT ecolabel standards.
Explore these criteria revisions and supplier specific requirements addressing four material areas, including:
- Responsible Supply Chain
- Climat
- Circularity
- Chemicals
In addition, we will dive into how Responsible Business Alliance (RBA) and Responsible Minerals Initiative (RMI) tools and resources can accelerate meeting these criteria. As a participant you will be able to gain insights into the resources, programs and advisory services designed to help your company and suppliers become “EPEAT Ready”. Don’t miss out on this 3-hour partner event – attendance is complementary, and refreshments will be available!
Featured speakers
Balan Shanmuganathan
Cassie Gruber
Christy Jung
Lead Program Manager, HP
Bob Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer, Global Electronics Council
Patricia Dillon
Vice President, Criteria and Category Development, Global Electronics Council
Kaushik Ramakrishnan
Vice President, Global Market Development and Strategy, Global Electronics Council
Event Agenda
November 21, 2024 • All times below are in local Pacific Standard Time
9:00 am – 10:00 am – The Next Phase of EPEAT: GEC’s Goals for Sustainable Impact and the Updated EPEAT Criteria
Join GEC leaders as they share how the EPEAT ecolabel is evolving to expand coverage of material sustainability topics and strengthen supply chain engagement through the implementation of the next generation of EPEAT Criteria. The session will cover a holistic overview of the newly revised criteria, spotlighting critical advancements in responsible supply chains, climate impact reduction, chemical safety, and circular product design. A fireside chat will follow, diving into how these evolving standards will shape the future of sustainable electronics and drive measurable change across the industry.
10:00 am – 11:00 am – Supply Chain Perspectives: A Deep Dive into EPEAT’s Revised Criteria
Explore the Updated EPEAT Criteria from a supplier’s point of view in this session. We’ll walk through the complexities of the updated criteria, offering practical insights on how these changes impact each stage of the supply chain. In our second fireside chat, an industry expert will delve into the challenges and opportunities these criteria bring to component manufacturing, helping attendees understand the full scope of EPEAT’s impact on suppliers.
11:00 am – 11:30 am – GEC Supplier Engagement: Resources and Programs to Accelerate Supply Chain Readiness
Get equipped with the tools and resources GEC offers to help suppliers meet the revised EPEAT Criteria. This session will provide an overview of upcoming resources, programs and advisory services to create an “EPEAT Ready” supply chain. Our final fireside chat will follow, offer candid insights on supplier engagement, highlighting ways to foster collaboration and drive meaningful results.
11:30 am – 12:00 pm – Round Tables with GEC
Designed as an open forum, this session offers attendees dedicated office hours and one-on-one meetings with GEC staff to address specific questions from previous sessions. Whether you need clarification on criteria, supplier resources, or guidance on the upcoming criteria changes, this open forum provides the personalized support you need to navigate the next generation EPEAT criteria with confidence.
More about the Global Electronics Council
GEC is working to accelerate systemic change to create a 100% sustainable electronics industry by 2050. This means net-zero emissions, zero waste, water neutrality and minimal adverse impact on the environment and human rights throughout the life cycle of products and services.
As stewards of the EPEAT ecolabel, we set the global standard for sustainable electronics. We empower electronics manufacturers and buyers to meet their sustainability goals through our world-leading accreditation, advocacy and leadership. We are reshaping the world’s relationship with technology and natural resources and enabling the transformation of electronics from an escalating environmental and social challenge into an empowering, sustainable solution.
More about the Responsible Business Alliance
The Responsible Business Alliance is the world’s largest industry coalition dedicated to responsible business conduct in global supply chains.
Founded in 2004 by a group of leading electronics companies, the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), formerly the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition (EICC), is a nonprofit comprised of electronics, retail, auto and toy companies committed to supporting the rights and well-being of workers and communities worldwide affected by global supply chains. RBA members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains. In addition to RBA members, thousands of companies that are Tier 1 suppliers to members are required to implement the RBA Code of Conduct. Visit https://www.responsiblebusiness.org/about/rba/ for more information.
Patricia Dillon
Vice President, Criteria and Category Development, Global Electronics Council
Patty supervise le processus de développement des critères, la stratégie et l'équipe du GEC pour les catégories de produits EPEAT nouvelles et existantes, ainsi que pour d'autres initiatives du GEC. Elle dirige l'initiative visant à transformer le processus de développement des critères du GEC en un processus plus efficace, plus souple et plus scientifique, qui fait appel à des parties prenantes et des experts divers et variés. Son équipe est responsable de la surveillance et du développement continus de nouvelles catégories de produits, de la préparation de la recherche sur l'état de la durabilité sur l'impact de l'électronique sur la durabilité et les stratégies pour atténuer les impacts, de la gestion des processus multipartites qui construisent et maintiennent les critères de durabilité pour la mise en œuvre sur le registre EPEAT, et du développement du calculateur des avantages environnementaux de l'électronique du GEC. Elle a rejoint GEC en 2016, apportant une profonde compréhension du développement de critères basés sur le consensus et une longue histoire avec EPEAT. Elle s'est impliquée dans les normes qui constituent la base d'EPEAT depuis sa création, d'abord en tant que partie prenante invitée à participer au développement de la norme initiale pour les ordinateurs, puis en occupant des postes de direction pour les normes relatives aux téléviseurs, aux serveurs et aux produits photovoltaïques.
Patty a plus de trente ans d'expérience en matière de recherche, de facilitation et de gestion de programmes dans le domaine de l'élaboration de normes, de la politique environnementale et de la stratégie d'entreprise. Avant de rejoindre GEC, Patty était consultante indépendante, gestionnaire de programme à temps partiel au Northeast Recycling Council, où elle a géré le State Electronics Challenge et le Toxics in Packaging Clearinghouse, et associée de recherche à l'université de Tufts. Patty est titulaire d'une maîtrise en génie civil avec une concentration en génie environnemental de l'université Tufts, et d'une licence en biologie de l'université Tufts.
Bob Mitchell
Chief Executive Officer, Global Electronics Council
En tant que directeur général du Global Electronics Council, Bob assure la direction et la supervision stratégique de l'organisation afin qu'elle puisse réaliser sa vision et sa mission. Il possède une solide expérience dans les domaines des affaires et des droits de l'homme, de la durabilité environnementale, de la gestion des organisations à but non lucratif et de la durabilité et des programmes d'entreprise.
En tant qu'ancien vice-président des droits de l'homme et de l'environnement à la Responsible Business Alliance (RBA), Bob a dirigé l'élaboration et la mise en œuvre de la stratégie pour les programmes de conduite responsable des entreprises dans un environnement multisectoriel et multipartite. À ce titre, il a été à l'origine de la création et du lancement d'initiatives importantes dans des domaines tels que la diligence raisonnable en matière de travail forcé, la décarbonisation des chaînes d'approvisionnement, la circularité et la résilience de la chaîne d'approvisionnement.
Il est un vétéran de Hewlett Packard et de Hewlett Packard Enterprise, avec plus d'une décennie et demie de travail dans le domaine du développement durable. Avant de travailler à la RBA, il était directeur de la responsabilité sociale et environnementale mondiale chez Hewlett Packard Enterprise, dirigeant une équipe de professionnels dans les domaines des droits de l'homme, de la gestion environnementale des produits, de la responsabilité de la chaîne d'approvisionnement et des minerais de conflit, entre autres. Bob a également siégé au conseil d'administration de la RBA et au conseil consultatif de Social Accountability International (SAI). Il est titulaire d'un MBA de l'université d'Arizona et d'une licence de l'université de Virginie.
Kaushik Ramakrishnan
Vice President, Global Market Development and Strategy, Global Electronics Council
En tant que directeur principal de la croissance stratégique, Kaushik Ramakrishnan dirige l'impact à long terme et la stratégie de croissance de GEC. En tant que membre de l'équipe dirigeante, il travaille en étroite collaboration avec le PDG et les dirigeants de GEC pour imaginer, incuber et concrétiser des opportunités de forte croissance au niveau mondial afin de réaliser la mission et la vision de l'organisation.
Kaushik a plus de 20 ans d'expérience dans le secteur privé, les start-ups et les organisations à but non lucratif sur quatre continents. Professionnel du développement durable, il a beaucoup travaillé sur les stratégies de développement durable des entreprises, les chaînes d'approvisionnement durables et le financement de la lutte contre le changement climatique. Avant de rejoindre GEC, Kaushik a occupé des postes de direction chez Sustainalytics, Rainforest Alliance, IDH - the Sustainable Trade Initiative, Ericsson, Infosys et Pula Advisors.
Kaushik est titulaire d'un MBA de l'Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, et d'une licence en sciences informatiques de la Visvesvaraya Technological University. Il vit actuellement à Gand, en Belgique.
Balan Shanmuganathan
Senior Engineering Director of Sustainability, Seagate Technology
Balan Shanmuganathan is the Senior Engineering Director of Sustainability at Seagate Technology. He has over 30 years of experience in Environmental Health & Safety and Sustainability. In his current role at Seagate, Balan has responsibility for the company’s overall Sustainability program. In the last 5 years he has been working on Seagate’s circularity efforts engaging with customers, recyclers, supply chain partners and certification bodies to advance Seagate’s circularity efforts.
Cassie Gruber
Director of Sustainability Business Solutions, Jabil
Working closely with customers and segments globally, Cassie Gruber cultivates Jabil’s circular economy strategies. An accomplished leader in the electronic recycling and sustainability industry, Cassie joined Jabil in 2018 to grow green innovative technologies as a subject matter expert on the circular economy. She supports Jabil’s customers across industries in their recycling and circular economy goals and initiatives, through the entire reverse supply chain where products and materials are reused and recycled.
After studying art and philosophy for a decade, Cassie’s career path dramatically shifted when she became a partner of a small e-waste company in Buffalo, New York. Cassie then spent two decades in the electronics recycling industry with a focus on environmental sustainability and compliance. With her vast experience and dedication to sustainability, Cassie has helped Jabil evolve toward a data-driven, circular value supply chain.
Christy Jung
Lead Program Manager, HP
Christy Jung is a Lead Program Manager at HP, specializing in Product Compliance and Sustainability. With a strong background in driving eco-label strategies, sustainability initiatives, and regulatory compliance, she leads a cross-regional team focused on advancing sustainable product development and drives decarbonization solutions with suppliers. She represents HP as a Voting Member on the EPEAT Technical Committee for the Sustainable Use of Resources Module. Christy holds a B.S. in Supply Chain Management from Arizona State University and is pursuing M.S. in Energy Policy and Climate from Johns Hopkins University.
