Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Introduction
The Global Electronics Council (GEC) is a non-profit that leverages large-scale purchasing power, bothpublic and private sector, as a demand driver for more sustainable technology. By deciding to buy
sustainable technology, institutional purchasers can “move the needle” toward a more sustainable
world. GEC also helps manufacturers understand the sustainability impacts of their technology, commit
to address those impacts, and act to change operational, supply chain, and procurement behaviors. GEC
is the manager of the ecolabel EPEAT™, which is used by more purchasers of electronics than any otherecolabel worldwide.
EPEAT is a comprehensive sustainability ecolabel that helps purchasers identify more sustainable
electronic products that have superior environmental and social performance. EPEAT establishes criteriathat address priority sustainability impacts throughout the life cycle of the product, based on anevaluation of scientific evidence and international best practices.
GEC is undertaking a multi-year initiative to update its EPEAT Criteria to align with priority sustainability
impacts of electronic products and their supply chains. GEC is doing this to ensure the criteria:•••Meet purchaser demands with an increased focus on climate change and supply chains,Address sustainability impacts consistently across product categories, andRespond to rapid changes in both technology and market trends.

The priority sustainability impact areas are Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Use of Resources (orCircularity), Reduction of Chemicals of Concern, and Corporate ESG Performance. When complete, these
updated criteria will be applied across all EPEAT product categories, starting with Computers andDisplays, Imaging Equipment, Mobile Phones, Servers, and Televisions.
Through extensive stakeholder consultation, GEC has finalized the implementation plan for the updated
criteria for the above five product categories. This implementation plan includes the timeframe forwhen EPEAT-registered products must meet the updated criteria and other critical activities needed for
an efficient and effective transition to the updated criteria.
This document contains the following information:•Background:o GEC Criteria Development Process
o Consultation on Updated Criteria Implementation Plan•

Final Implementation Plan:o Implementation Schedule for All Updated Criteriao Climate Change Mitigation Criteria and Early Adopter Statuso Other Critical Implementation Elements

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

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The information in this document applies to all existing Participating Manufacturers and GEC-approved
Conformity Assurance Bodies and may also be of interest to Purchasers and other EPEAT stakeholders
interested in the transition to the updated EPEAT Criteria.
Should you have any questions about this document, please email us as at EPEAT@GEC.org.

Background
GEC Criteria Development Process
Criteria are being revised through GEC’s Criteria Development Process, which includes expanded
stakeholder engagement and a streamlined process with multiple opportunities for engagement. Eachof the four priority sustainability impact areas (Climate Change Mitigation, Sustainable Use of Resources,Reduction of Chemicals of Concern, and Corporate ESG Performance) are a separate criteria
development project to enable maximum engagement of stakeholders and allow experts to engage inthe process on topics that align with their areas of expertise. The policies governing GEC’s Criteria
Development Process (P74) are publicly available and the graphic below illustrates the steps in theprocess.

Development of the updated criteria is still underway, with the final criteria, expected to be publishedby September 30, 2023. The most recent version of the criteria development schedule can be found on
the EPEAT Announcements Page.

Consultation on Updated Criteria Implementation Plan
GEC undertook extensive stakeholder consultation throughout 2022, including outreach to Participating
Manufacturers, GEC-approved Conformity Assurance Bodies, purchasers, and other EPEAT stakeholders.
From May to July 2022, GEC sought feedback and suggestions on the original proposed implementation
plan via individual calls with various stakeholders, as well as meetings with broader groups including theConformity Guidance Group and the Advisory Council. In August, GEC refined the original plan based on
the preliminary feedback that had been received, and re-engaged stakeholders to solicit comments on arevised implementation plan through the remainder of the year.
Key consultation activities undertaken by GEC in the development of this implementation plan arehighlighted in the graphic below.

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

Page 2

Considerations for Evaluating Plan Options
GEC identified basic overarching principles to guide the development of theimplementation plan, to ensure that all options were examined in a balancedmanner that also aligned with the EPEAT Program’s responsibilities andrequirements as a Type 1 ecolabel. To this end, GEC’s decisions were guided by acommitment to being fair, objective, and transparent in the development of theplan.
It was important to GEC that the implementation plan not provide preference toa single product category, product type, or Participating Manufacturer. Perhaps
just as importantly, GEC also ensured that the final plan could be implemented
consistently by all CABs and Participating Manufacturers.

Overarching
Principles:
Credibility
Consistency
Objectivity
Transparency
Leadership

GEC relied on these basic principles to guide its decision-making process andbalance a variety of competing interests in developing this implementation plan
in a credible, and objective way.

Final Implementation PlanImplementation Schedule for All Updated Criteria
All key dates in the transition to the updated EPEAT Criteria are identified in the table and graphic
below. In recognition of the strong desire from all EPEAT stakeholders to have certainty and clarity on
the path forward, the transition schedule presented in this document is now final and will not be
adjusted moving forward.

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

Page 3

The final criteria are expected to be published in September 2023, and Participating Manufacturers will
be able to access the back-end of the Registry for all criteria roughly 12 months from this time, in
September 2024. Between September 2023 and September 2024, CABs and Participating Manufacturers
will work together on necessary conformity assurance activities, including Documentation Review for
the updated criteria.
The public EPEAT Registry will then launch on April 1, 2025, when products meeting the updated criteria
from all sustainability impact areas will become visible. New products can be registered against the oldcriteria until April 1, 2025, however all active products must meet the updated criteria by December 31,2025. After this date, products registered against the old criteria will be archived.
Cognizant of purchaser’s strong desire to begin procuring products that meet the updated criteria assoon as possible, and aware of the reality of long product development cycles, GEC believes thisschedule strikes a fair balance and will ensure a successful transition to the updated EPEAT Criteria.
Final Schedule for Transition to All Updated Criteria
September 30, 2023

(1) Estimated publication date of final criteria

September 30, 2024*(2) Manufacturers can access new back-end of Registry.

April 1, 2025*(3) Public launch where products meeting updated criteria from all
impact areas available on EPEAT Registry
Date up to which new products can be registered against oldcriteria

December 31, 2025*(4) Products meeting old criteria will be archived after this date.

(Note that each set of criteria will be publicly available upon its
individual publication date)*Indicates firm date that will not change

Climate Change Mitigation Criteria and Early Adopter Status
The Climate Change Early Adopter Status will provide Participating Manufacturers an opportunity toproactively address purchaser and policy maker demands for products that help drive climate change
impact reductions in the interim—instead of waiting until the transition to the updated criteria is fullycompleted in 2025. The Early Adopter Status will allow EPEAT to meet these stakeholder demands for
EPEAT-registered products that further reduce climate change impacts, and also provide recognition tobrands that are first movers. To this end, EPEAT-registry users will be able to search and filter for

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023© 2023 Global Electronics CouncilPage 4

products that have achieved Early Adopter Status to ensure these products are easy for purchasers toidentify.
Key Details About Early Adopter Status:
•••••
••

To achieve Early Adopter Status, a product must demonstrate conformance with all required
Climate Change Mitigation Criteria and be verified by a Conformity Assurance Body as having
done so.
Early Adopter Status can be achieved only by individual products (and not on a per
manufacturer basis).
Participating Manufacturers are not required to obtain Early Adopter status.
Early Adopter Status will not affect a product’s tier level of bronze, silver, or gold.
Products can obtain the Early Adopter Status between July 1, 2023 and March 30, 2025.
Products that have achieved Early Adopter Status will appear in the EPEAT Registry as early as
September 30, 2023.
Products keep the Early Adopter Status until they are no longer active in the Registry.

Climate Change Early Adopter Status: Key Dates
May 16, 2023

(1)

May 16, 2023

(2) Training & resources available; manufacturers can begin officiallyworking with CABs

July 1, 2023

(3) Manufacturers can access new back-end of Registry for Climate
Change Mitigation criteria

September 30, 2023

(4) Early Adopter Status appears in the EPEAT Registry

March 30, 2025

Last day products can achieve Early Adopter StatusApril 1, 2025

(5) Public launch where products meeting updated criteria from all
impact areas will be available on the EPEAT Registry

Global Electronics Council

Publication date of Climate Change Mitigation criteria

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

Page 5Other Critical Implementation Elements
In addition to the schedule, there are many other activities that are just as important for a successfultransition from a conformity assurance standpoint. Consistency, transparency, objectivity, and efficiency
are key principles driving all transition elements.
Supporting Resources
The EPEAT Program will develop conformity resources for each criterion, approximately within twomonths of publication of the criteria for each sustainability impact module. The actual schedule may
differ based on number/complexity of criteria. Resources will be available on the back-end of the EPEATRegistry.
Training
An on-demand training for CAB Auditors and Participating Manufacturers will be available
approximately two and a half months after publication of the criteria for each module. CAB Auditors
must pass training and exams for each module to be qualified to perform Documentation Review andContinuous Monitoring activities.
Documentation Review
Auditors must complete the Auditor training and achieve 75% or higher on the corresponding exam tocomplete Documentation Review. CABs can help Participating Manufacturers with questions as soon as
criteria are published, before completing training.
Continuous Monitoring
The EPEAT Program has developed the following Continuous Monitoring plan to balance the needs of all
stakeholders.
202320242025
Product testing Round (Level 2) to Product testing Round (Level 2) to Product testing Round (Level 2) toexisting criteria. Round will
existing criteria. Round will
updated criteria. Round will
launch in Q1.
launch in Q1.
launch later in 2025.
Round(s) assessing publiclyRound(s) assessing publiclyRound(s) assessing publicly
available information (Level 0) to available information (Level 0) to available information (Level 0) toexisting criteria
existing criteria
updated criteriaThe EPEAT Program will follow up on inconclusive Level 0 investigations to ensure information isavailable. If publicly available information cannot be found, Level 1 investigations will be initiated.

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

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Questions Arising During Documentation Review
The EPEAT Program will develop and publish a Question-and-Answer document available to Participating
Manufacturers and CABs that is updated at the same time each week to identify newly answeredquestions that have arisen during the transition process.
The EPEAT Program will continue to hold monthly CAB Calibration Meetings with all CABs to review
questions that arise during conformity assurance activities.
The EPEAT Program has also scheduled monthly Conformity Guidance Group meetings for theremainder of 2023. The Conformity Guidance Group (CGG) is open to all stakeholders including
Participating Manufacturers, GEC-approved CABs, and purchasers. The CGG is not a standing committee
and there are no standing members. Participants may register for each meeting using the links below.
Currently, each meeting is scheduled in one timeslot to bring all attendees together, however,additional timeslots may be added to a monthly meeting depending on the topic(s) to be discussed.
•••••••••••

February 16, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/11pm China
March 16, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
April 13, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
May 11, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
June 15, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
July 13, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
August 17, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
September 14, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
October 12, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/10pm China
November 16, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/11pm China
December 14, 2023: 7am Pacific/10am Eastern/4pm Germany/11pm China

Manufacturers Using More than One CAB
Participating Manufacturers may choose to use different CABs for different categories, and productregistration and product listings on the EPEAT Registry will remain by product category. Except for
consumables, product energy efficiency, and some criteria with small differences in language and/orrequirements for different product types, criteria will be identical across the Computers and Displays,Imaging Equipment, Mobile Phones, Servers, and Televisions product categories. Corporation level
criteria are criteria where evidence is required to cover all of these product categories which themanufacturer has EPEAT-registered products.
If a Participating Manufacturer uses different CABs for different product categories, they may choose
one of the following options:1) Participating Manufacturer selects a single CAB which will complete Documentation Review ofall corporation level criteria. All Continuous Monitoring investigations for the corporation level
criteria will be implemented by this CAB.

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

Page 72) Participating Manufacturer has both CABs complete Documentation Review of the corporationlevel criteria. Continuous Monitoring investigations will be implemented on a product categorybasis by the CAB for the product category.

Global Electronics Council

Final Implementation Plan for Updated EPEAT Criteria
Published January 24, 2023 | Revised May 16, 2023
© 2023 Global Electronics Council

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