Mobile phone customers will soon be able to compare the green credentials of different devices, after O2 and Vodafone teamed up to create a system of cross-industry sustainability rankings.

 

The Eco Rating 2.0 scheme, launched yesterday in collaboration with Forum for the Future, will also be adopted by Orange from next year, meaning the scheme will take in three of the industry's major players.

 

Many mobile phone manufacturers currently provide some information on their products' energy use, component sourcing and carbon footprints, but until now consumers have been unable to compare environmental performance across different brands as manufacturers had tended to use different metrics and criteria.

 

Bill Eyres, head of sustainability at O2, said the new ranking system was a first step towards building an industry-wide sustainability standard.

 

"We know that our customers are becoming increasingly aware of the environmental impact of the technology they buy," he said. "We believe this kind of product transparency will ultimately help empower consumers to make more informed and greener choices."

 

Sally Uren, chief executive at Forum for the Future, said the move was simply "common sense" for an industry that is facing mounting calls to deliver improved green performance and transparency across its supply chain.

 

"Eco Rating 2.0 answers the demand from consumers for transparency on their purchases, in part driven by the strong personal connection people have to their mobile devices," she said. "A common understanding of the sustainability issues surrounding the manufacture, retail and use of mobile devices goes a long way in driving change - both in consumer awareness and in the future design and social impact of mobile devices."