The tech industry's work on sustainability
Global and national sustainability goals
At the international level, there are a number of important decisions and agreements that form the basis for Sweden's and the tech industry's work on sustainability.
The four most important are:
- The Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda
- The Paris Agreement
- The EU's Green Deal
- Sweden's climate and environmental objectives
In addition to these, there are national initiatives of particular relevance, such as Fossil Free Sweden.
Sweden's ambition is to be a leader in the implementation of the 2030 Agenda. In the Sustainable Development Report's ranking of how far countries have come, Sweden has come first several times since the goals were adopted in 2015. But much work remains to be done in Sweden to achieve the goals.
The tech industry's work on sustainability
Every day, the tech industry contributes to a more sustainable society by increasing the sustainability of its own operations, developing a more sustainable production of goods and services to reduce our climate footprint in the supply chain, while the industry, through the development of smart products and services, also contributes to the entire society being able to transition to become more sustainable - both environmentally and socially.
Beyond strong corporate engagement, there is a clear - and growing - demand for sustainable tech. More and more customers are demanding some kind of accounting of the actual impact of their suppliers - whether it's environmental, social or economic sustainability.
More than half of the respondents in a survey of TechSverige members believe that customer demand for social and environmental sustainability has increased over the past five years.
Tech companies need to be able to meet this demand and respond to what their sustainability efforts look like to be competitive nationally and internationally.
THE SECTOR'S WORK, CHALLENGES AND CONTRIBUTIONS
Climate and environmental impacts
There is great potential to reduce the footprint of the tech sector, both globally and in Sweden, through increased circularity of collected IT products that are repaired, upgraded and reused. According to calculations by the Swedish Environmental Institute, reusing a laptop can lead to an average of 280 kg of carbon dioxide emissions avoided, compared to buying a new one. Reusing a computer monitor saves almost twice as much, averaging 520 kg of avoided carbon dioxide emissions. A full 95% of the savings come from avoiding the production of new products.
A circular and sustainable value chain
Globally, tech products currently have a low degree of circularity. For example, an average mobile phone in Sweden has a lifespan of around 3-4 years. The main challenge for the tech industry to increase circularity in the value chain is to extend the life of products and, not least, to adapt the product at the design stage for repair, upgrading and reuse. The amount of electronic waste and the recycling rate differ significantly between continents. In Europe, 43% of all e-waste is recycled, while in Africa the share is as low as 1%. It is estimated that as much as 8% of all e-waste is thrown in the trash in high-income countries. Compared to the rest of the world, Sweden is relatively good at recycling old computers, televisions and mobile phones.
Social sustainability
The tech industry has long been working to increase social sustainability in the sector and runs or is part of several initiatives linked to skills supply, diversity, gender equality and work environment issues. It is of fundamental importance that the industry attracts the best talent regardless of their gender, age and ethnicity. As an industry and employer organization, TechSverige wants to contribute to positive social development by being a role model in its own organization while supporting and encouraging our members to actively work for increased social sustainability throughout the industry.
Nine proposals for sustainable development
In this report, TechSverige has formulated nine national policy proposals that would make it easier for the tech industry to become more sustainable and to contribute further to Sweden's climate and environmental goals, and the goals of social sustainability. In addition to these, the Swedish government needs to pursue active work at both European and international levels to push for solutions and regulations that facilitate sustainable tech globally.