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
- 气候
- 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
鲍勃-米切尔
Chief Executive Officer, Global Electronics Council
帕特里夏-狄龙
Vice President, Criteria and Category Development, Global Electronics Council
考希克-拉马克里希南
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.
帕特里夏-狄龙
Vice President, Criteria and Category Development, Global Electronics Council
Patty负责监督GEC新的和现有的EPEAT产品类别的标准制定过程、战略和团队，以及GEC的其他倡议。她领导将GEC的标准制定过程转变为一个更有效、更敏捷、更科学的过程，让广泛和不同的利益相关者和专家参与进来。她的团队负责对新产品类别进行持续的监督和开发，准备对电子产品的可持续性影响和减少影响的策略进行可持续性研究，管理多方利益相关者的进程，建立和维护可持续性标准，以便在EPEAT注册表上实施，并开发GEC的电子产品环境效益计算器。她于2016年加入GEC，带来了对基于共识的标准制定的深刻理解和在EPEAT的长期工作经历。自EPEAT成立以来，她一直参与构成EPEAT基础的标准，首先是作为利益相关者被邀请参与最初的计算机标准的制定，随后是在电视、服务器和光伏标准的领导岗位上。
Patty在标准制定、环境政策和商业战略方面有超过30年的研究、促进和项目管理经验，在电子、塑料和包装方面有大量工作。在加入GEC之前，Patty是一名独立顾问，在东北回收委员会担任兼职项目经理，管理国家电子挑战和包装中的有毒物质信息交换中心，并在塔夫茨大学担任研究助理。帕蒂拥有塔夫茨大学的土木工程硕士学位，主修环境工程，并拥有塔夫茨大学的生物学学士学位。
鲍勃-米切尔
Chief Executive Officer, Global Electronics Council
作为全球电子理事会的首席执行官，鲍勃负责领导和战略监督该组织，以实现其愿景和使命。他在商业与人权、环境可持续发展、非营利组织管理以及企业可持续发展与计划方面拥有深厚的背景。
作为负责任企业联盟 (Responsible Business Alliance, RBA) 负责人权与环境事务的前副总裁，鲍勃领导了多行业、多利益相关方环境下负责任商业行为计划的战略制定与实施。在担任该职务期间，他推动了强迫劳动尽职调查、供应链去碳化、循环性和供应链复原力等领域重要工作的启动和实施。
他是惠普公司和惠普企业的资深员工，在可持续发展领域工作了十多年。在加入 RBA 之前，他曾担任惠普企业全球社会与环境责任总监，领导一个专业团队处理人权、产品环境管理、供应链责任和冲突矿产等问题。鲍勃还曾担任 RBA 董事会成员和社会责任国际（SAI）顾问委员会成员。他拥有亚利桑那大学工商管理硕士学位和弗吉尼亚大学学士学位。
考希克-拉马克里希南
Vice President, Global Market Development and Strategy, Global Electronics Council
作为战略增长高级总监，Kaushik Ramakrishnan 负责推动 GEC 的长期影响和增长战略。作为高级领导团队的成员，他与首席执行官和 GEC 领导层密切合作，在全球范围内构思、孵化和实现高增长机会，以实现组织的使命和愿景。
考什克在四大洲的私营部门、初创企业和非营利组织拥有 20 多年的工作经验。他是一名可持续发展专家，在企业可持续发展战略、可持续供应链和气候融资方面有广泛的工作经验。在加入 GEC 之前，Kaushik 曾在 Sustainalytics、雨林联盟、IDH - 可持续贸易倡议组织、爱立信、Infosys 和 Pula Advisors 担任领导职务。
考希克拥有海德拉巴印度商学院工商管理硕士学位和维斯瓦拉亚技术大学计算机科学工程学士学位。他目前居住在比利时根特。
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.
