Environment
Decarbonization
Paving the way for net-zero
In November 2022, the Science Based Targets initiative formally approved our targets to reduce scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions by 80% by 2030, and scope 3 emissions by 25% by the same year. In 2023, total emissions (scope 1, 2 and 3) are 20% lower when compared to our 2021 baseline. We are now in the process of submitting our Net Zero target to the Science Based Targets initiative for approval in 2024.
Circularity
Circularity is an integral part of our sustainability strategy. As a manufacturing company in the technology space, challenging the prevailing linear business model within our industry mitigates long-term environmental risks to our company and society as a whole.
Through our circularity efforts, we aim to:
- Address the issue of increasing e-waste from improper end-of-life treatment outside our control
- Reduce GN’s and our industries’ dependency on virgin materials, especially where those are increasingly scarce
- Avoid carbon emissions related to raw material sourcing and manufacturing by prolonging product lifetime
Pursuing circularity presents profound challenges to many parts of our business. It starts with design, which is the key enabler for circular use of products and components.
Beyond that, we focus on building the required logistics, offering circularity-linked services and entering the market for second-hand products.
Although we have a long way to go, in 2022, we made progress in several areas across our value chain.
Beyond developing solutions that help our users choose remote collaboration over carbon-emitting travel, this means we want to significantly reduce the negative climate impact of our activities and our dependence on virgin materials.
To fully address the environmental risks across our value chain, we focus on reducing our carbon footprint and dependence on virgin materials.
Designing for Sustainability
Sustainability is a key consideration in how we design, manufacture, and transport our products.
We consider sustainability in every life phase of our products, from their inception to their end-of-life (see graphic). In product development, we use non-negotiable hard requirements largely based on compliance, as well as areas where we seek to maximize the positive environmental impact by pushing the boundaries. Our approach is data-driven, using product-level life-cycle assessments (LCAs) of existing products to optimize for decarbonization in subsequent products. TCO Certification as a minimum standard for relevant products.
To ensure that we follow the highest standards in product sustainability, we have assessed the relevance of a wide variety of sustainability certifications. To ensure legitimacy, we applied two criteria when selecting certifications to strive for: full value chain coverage and based on a standard developed independently of GN. TCO Certified was the only certification that matches both criteria. In 2022, many of our Jabra Evolve2 and Jabra Engage products were certified by TCO Certified, adding to the products that were already certified before. In 2023, SteelSeries' Arctis Nova Pro Wireless became the first gaming headset in the world to become TCO Certified. We also continued to certify many of our Jabra products including four product lines from our Elite true wireless range, adding to the products that were already certified. As TCO Certified develops standards for additional product categories such as video, we will strive to get more products certified.
Sustainability in packaging
Product life-cycle assessments (LCAs)
We regularly conduct product LCAs to establish the carbon footprint of our products. The purpose of these LCAs is twofold. First, LCAs improve transparency about the carbon footprint of products, supporting our customers to improve their carbon accounting. Second, they reveal how we can best decarbonize products by identifying ‘climate hotspots’.
Our LCAs were conducted in accordance with the standard ISO 14044:2006 and ISO 14067:2018. Our input data is based on bills of material, manufacturing and distribution data, use phase energy data, and end-of-life data from our partners under the WEEE Directive. The assumed user is based in London, UK. Our LCAs are externally verified by Bureau Veritas. See a full overview of TCO Certified GN products (filter the search by Jabra or SteelSeries). In 2023, we will conduct further LCAs across our product portfolio, as well as regional alternatives to existing LCAs.
