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Thursday 19 OcTOber 2017 TECHNOLOGY
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Greenpeace faults many tech giants for environment impact

By YOUKYUNG LEE Samsung Electronics and
AP Technology Writer other companies men-
SEOUL, South Korea (AP) — tioned in the report did not
The environmental group immediately respond to
Greenpeace issued a re- emails seeking comment.
port on Tuesday giving Chinese smartphone mak-
technology titans including ers Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo
Samsung Electronics, Ama- and Vivo have gained
zon and Huawei low marks a significant share of the
for their environmental im- market in the last few years.
pact. They scored below aver-
Many of the biggest tech- age in all categories and
nology companies failed lacked transparency and
to deliver on commit- commitment in renewable
ments to reduce emissions energy, the report said.
of greenhouse gases and Amazon was the only U.S.
are still reluctant to commit company that received
fully to renewable energy, the lowest mark, an F, in its
according to Greenpeace overall environmental per-
USA’s Guide to Greener formance, along with the
Electronics. The report, Chinese phone makers.
which assessed 17 top Greenpeace said Amazon
global tech companies in Insung Lee, program campaigner of Greenpeace, speaks during a press conference at Green- was among the least trans-
three areas, also faulted peace office in Seoul, South Korea, Tuesday, Oct. 17, 2017. parent companies and did
many of them for failing to Associated Press not report the greenhouse
use more recycled mate- tablet computers. tech companies’ manu- 1 percent of its manufac- gas footprint of its own op-
rials in their products and Since 2011, Greenpeace facturing processes are not turing process, compared erations.
slow progress in phasing has urged global tech as environmentally friendly with Apple, which relied Among the 17 companies,
out use of toxic materials. companies to transition as their innovative images on renewable energy for Amsterdam-based Fair-
“Tech companies claim to to renewable energy, might suggest. 96 percent of its operation. phone and Apple were
be at the forefront of in- prompting some of them While the energy consump- Samsung, the world’s larg- said to be doing better in
novation, but their supply to switch to environmen- tion in the tech industry est maker of smartphones various areas.
chains are stuck in the In- tally friendly power sources rose rapidly to fuel the sup- and key component sup- Greenpeace urged the
dustrial Age,” Gary Cook, for their data centers. The ply chains and the manu- pliers of many of the tech companies to use more re-
a campaigner at Green- group is urging the indus- facturing of these products companies featured in newable energy, switching
peace USA, said in a state- try to tackle energy issues as well as the data centers the report, saw its green- energy sources that power
ment. in manufacturing and sup- where social media, cloud house gas emissions rise 24 their supply chains. It also
The report details the hid- ply chains, design longer- computing and other ap- percent in 2016 from two urged the tech compa-
den cost behind what may lasting products to reduce plications run, so have the years ago. It also received nies to remove hazardous
be the most sought-after electronics waste and urg- greenhouse gas emissions. low marks on its efforts to chemicals and other ma-
and celebrated consumer ing an overall rethink of its Samsung Electronics re- reduce and disclose haz- terials from their products
products in the 21st centu- “take-make-waste” busi- ceived a grade of D in its ardous chemicals at work- and workplaces and de-
ry: mobile computing de- ness model. use of renewable energy, places and to design long- sign longer-lasting devices
vices like smartphones and The report highlighted that which accounted for just lasting products. to help reduce waste. q
Shell opens its first electric

vehicle charging points

is growing in the U.K. It’s ered cars. pizza, said David Elmes of
growing very fast,” said Since the Paris climate deal Warwick Business School.
Jane Lindsay-Green, future was agreed on in late 2015, “The step further is whether
fuels manager of Shell U.K., governments are commit- they start to see themselves
adding that statistics show ting to tougher action on as an energy services com-
an increase in electric ve- emissions and sharehold- pany, optimizing the mul-
hicle registrations. “We ers are pushing for more tiple sources and uses of
recognize that electric ve- long-term plans.Shell says energy in homes, offices,
hicles are part of the future the U.K. is the first country factories, communities,
A new TX Cab London taxi is plugged into a charging station of transport in the country in which its recharging ser- etc.,” he said, adding that
during a media opportunity at a Shell petrol station on Holloway and we want to make sure vice will be available. The the NewMotion acquisi-
road, in London, Wednesday Oct. 18, 2017, 2017. that we offer our customers company is working with tion would fit into this area.
Associated Press choice and that they have London transport authori- “Shell haven’t been as
By DANICA KIRKA, Three charging stations the option to recharge on ties as the city seeks to re- clear on their ambitions in
Associated Press are in London, Surrey and one of our forecourts if they move gasoline- and diesel- that area as, say, Total but
LONDON (AP) — Shell Derby, with seven more ex- want to.”The CEO for Royal powered vehicles from its you can imagine it’s an op-
opened its first electric ve- pected by the end of the Dutch, Ben van Beurden streets by 2050.One of the tion they are considering.”
hicle recharging points at year. It comes only days has said the company is world’s largest energy re- NewMotion operates more
three gas stations in Britain after Shell agreed to buy planning for the day when tailers for petrol and lubri- than 30,000 private charg-
on Wednesday, part of the electric vehicle charging demand for oil starts fading cants, it is not surprising that ing points for homes and
oil giant’s efforts to respond firm NewMotion. as major economies move Shell would add electric businesses in the Nether-
to a global push toward ze- “We recognize that the away from oil and increas- charging to other services, lands, Germany, France
ro-emission vehicles. electric vehicle market ingly turn to electric-pow- such as selling coffee or and the U.K.q