24 June 2021
Updated 4 April 2022

Criteria Modules by Sustainability Impact
The Global Electronics Council (GEC) is undertaking a multi-year initiative to revise its EPEAT
criteria for its Type 1 ecolabel to align with priority sustainability impacts of electronic products
and their supply chains, including Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Use of Resources (orCircularity), Reduction of Chemicals of Concern, and Corporate ESG Performance. Whencomplete, these “modular” criteria will be applied across all EPEAT product categories, including
Computers and Displays, Mobile Phones, Imaging Equipment, Servers, Televisions and NetworkEquipment.
GEC seeks involvement from all interested and materially affected stakeholders, including
industry, government policy, purchasers, NGOs, and academics. Since EPEAT is used globally,
GEC welcomes participation from stakeholders around the world to ensure global relevance ofcriteria.

How Will the Criteria Be Developed?
Criteria will be developed using GEC’s new Dynamic Criteria Development Process, which aims
to expand stakeholder engagement through a streamlined process with multiple opportunities forengagement. Each of the four sustainability impact modules will be a separate criteria
development project to enable maximum engagement of stakeholders and allow experts toengage in the process on topics that align with their areas of expertise. The policies governing
GEC’s Criteria Development Process (P74) are publicly available.
The graphic below illustrates the steps in the criteria development process. Table 1 outlines themultiple options for stakeholder participation in each sustainability impact module, what isexpected of participants, and how to get involved. Stakeholders can choose how they would liketo participate, and in which sustainability impact modules. The anticipated timeline for eachsustainability impact module is also provided below.

Steps in GEC’s Criteria Development Process

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Table 1: Stakeholder Participation Options
Participation Option

What Is Expected?

How to Get Involved

Public Comment on theDraft State of
Sustainability
Research. The State of
Sustainability Research
is an analysis of available
science and data on thelife cycle impacts for the
topic, and strategies toreduce these impacts.
This research is thefoundation for criteria
development.

Interested stakeholders cansubmit public comments on any
aspects of the research, as wellas submit additional data forconsideration for inclusion in theresearch document. The publiccomment period is open for 30days.

Stakeholders are notified of the releaseof draft State of Sustainability Researchthrough the GEC newsletter and on theEPEAT Announcements webpage(https://epeat.net/announcements).

Expert Ad Hoc Groups.
Multi-stakeholder groupof individuals withexpertise on a specifictopic(s). Expert Ad HocGroups serve in anadvisory capacity toreview and draft criteria
to address thesustainability impacts.

Active participation in the reviewand drafting of criteria. Expert Ad
Hoc Groups are expected toconvene for 8–12 weeks byconference call, generally every
2 weeks. Calls are scheduled toaccommodate the different timezones of participants. Electronic
discussion and submission ofcomments is also used asneeded and to address timezone challenges.

Stakeholders are notified when Expert
Ad Hoc Groups are being formed
through the GEC newsletter and on theEPEAT Announcements webpage(https://epeat.net/announcements).

Technical Committee.
The TechnicalCommittee is thevoluntary consensus
body. The TechnicalCommittee debates themerits and effectivenessof proposed criteria toensure the criteria
address priority
sustainability impacts
identified in the State of
Sustainability Researchwith the goal of moving
the industry and its
supply chain to innovate

Each Technical Committee isexpected to convene for 7months. Technical Committee
meetings will occur monthly via
teleconference.

GEC is partnering with NSF
International, an organization withextensive expertise in managing
voluntary consensus processes, toconvene and manage the TechnicalCommittee.

Voting members are expected toreview documents in advance ofmeetings, provide comments on
criteria and actively engage indiscussion (either on calls or byelectronic means), andparticipate in the ballot process
to approve criteria and reconcile
stakeholder differences.

www.globalelectronicscouncil.org

Stakeholders can also request to be
added to the “interested stakeholder”
list to receive direct notification byemail. To receive direct email
notifications, send an email to
Criteria@GlobalElectronicsCouncil.org.

Stakeholders can also request to be
added to the “interested stakeholder”
list to receive direct notification byemail. To receive direct email
notifications, send an email to
Criteria@GlobalElectronicsCouncil.org.

Voting membership on the TechnicalCommittee is open to all interested
parties by submitting the TechnicalCommittee Application Form. To
participate as an Observer,
stakeholders should contact NSF at
GBaragar@nsf.org.

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and adopt best practices
that achieve credible,verifiable reductions insustainability impacts
and increasetransparency. The
Technical Committee ismade up of up to 21
voting members,
representing a balance of
stakeholder interests,
and observers.

Observer status allows
individuals to attend TechnicalCommittee meetings and receive
documents provided to theTechnical Committee.

Public Comment onDraft Criteria.
The full draft of criteria
for each sustainability
impact module areavailable for publiccomment.

Interested stakeholders cansubmit public comments on thedraft criteria. The publiccomment period is open for 60days.

Stakeholders are notified of the releaseof the draft for public comment throughthe GEC newsletter and on the EPEAT
Announcements webpage(https://epeat.net/announcements).
Stakeholders can also request to beadded to the “interested stakeholder”
list to receive direct notification byemail. To receive direct email
notifications, send an email toCriteria@GlobalElectronicsCouncil.org

What Topics Will Be Covered in Each Sustainability Impact Module?
Climate ChangeMitigation✓ Reducing embodied
carbon throughmanufacturing
energy efficiency
and renewableelectricity sourcing✓ Product energy
efficiency✓ Reduction of highglobal warming
potential chemicals
in manufacturing✓ Carbon footprint
analysis, reduction
and transparency

Sustainable Use ofResources(Circularity)✓ Recycled content inproduct andpackaging✓ Design for repair,reuse and recycling✓ Product longevity
and repairability✓ Responsible end-oflife management✓ Water use efficiency
and transparency

Corporate ESG
Performance

Reduction in
Chemicals✓ Social performanceand auditing of labor,human rights andworker health andsafety in the supplychain✓ Responsible mineralsourcing✓ Corporate reporting✓ Social justice andequity✓ Reduction inhazardous
substances in theproduct✓ Chemical substanceinventory andtransparency✓ Alternatives
assessment toidentify safer
substances✓ Manufacturing
process chemicals

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What is the Timeline for the Developing Criteria for the Sustainability Impact
Modules?
Sustainability
Impact Module

Schedule• April 7 – May 7, 2021

Climate ChangeMitigation• Public comment on State of
Sustainability Research• Expert Ad Hoc Groups• Technical Committee• Public comment on draft criteria

Sustainable Use of
Resources(Circularity)• Public comment on State of
Sustainability Research• Expert Ad Hoc Groups• Technical Committee• Public comment on draft criteria• September 13 – October 13,2021• December 2021 – April 2022
• April – November 2022
• April – May 2022

Reduction ofChemicals• Public comment on State of
Sustainability Research• Expert Ad Hoc Groups• Technical Committee• Public comment on draft criteria• November 10 – January 7,2022• March – May 2022
• June – December 2022
• June – July 2022
• March 14 – May 14, 2022

Corporate ESGPerformance• Public comment on State of
Sustainability Research• Expert Ad Hoc Groups• Technical Committee• Public comment on draft criteria• Public comment on State of
Sustainability Research• Expert Ad Hoc Groups• Technical Committee• Public comment on draft criteria• May – June/June – July 2022

Product-Specific
Criteria1(Product Energy
Efficiency &Consumables for
Imaging Equipment)
1Stakeholder Engagement• June – August 2021
• October 2021 – June 2022
• October 6 – December 6, 2021

• Late June – September 2022
• September – April 2023
• September – October 2022

• July – October 2022
• October 2022 – March 2023
• October – November 2022/
November – December 2022

State of Sustainability Research will determine whether GEC will proceed with criteria development.

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What is the Timeline for Implementing Sustainability Impact Modules in EPEAT?
GEC plans to implement the sustainability impact criteria modules in 2 phases.
Phase 1: Simultaneous rollout of 4 sustainability impact criteria modules in mid-2023 across EPEAT
product categories launched prior to 2020, including Computers and Displays, Imaging Equipment,Mobile Phones, Servers, and Televisions. As shown in the timeline below, GEC will provide a 12month transition period following the launch of the new EPEAT Registry based on the sustainability
impact criteria modules. During the transition period, the old criteria and the new sustainability impact
criteria will be available for product conformance to EPEAT.
Phase 1
Criteria Publications for Each Category
EPEAT Registry Build and Training
Launch Public Registry
12-month Transition from Old to New
New Criteria Transition Complete

Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr
2022 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2023 2024 2024 2024 2024

May2024

June
2024

July2024

Aug2024

1-Sep

31-AugPhase 2: For EPEAT product categories launched in or after 2020, modular criteria will be applied in2024, following a similar timeline as Phase 1. Phase 2 includes Network Equipment and may include,
where applicable, Photovoltaic Modules and Inverters.

About GECThe Global Electronics Council (GEC) is a non-profit that leverages large-scale purchasing power,both public and private sector, as a demand driver for more sustainable technology. By deciding tobuy sustainable technology, institutional purchasers can “move the needle” toward a moresustainable world. GEC also helps manufacturers understand the sustainability impacts of theirtechnology, commit to address those impacts, and act to change operational, supply chain, andprocurement behaviors. GEC is the manager of the ecolabel EPEAT®, used by more purchasers ofelectronics than any other ecolabel worldwide.
EPEAT is a comprehensive voluntary sustainability ecolabel that helps purchasers identify moresustainable electronic products that have superior environmental and social performance. EPEAT
establishes criteria that address priority sustainability impacts throughout the life cycle of theproduct, based on an evaluation of scientific evidence and international best practices.

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Contact Information
Ms. Erica Logan
Senior Manager, Technology Assessment & Resource Development
ELogan@GlobalElectronicCouncil.org
Ms. Patricia Dillon
Senior Director, Category and Criteria Development
PDillon@GlobalElectronicsCouncil.org

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