Greenpeace's green guidelines, released on the 27th of this month, claim that Nokia and Sony Ericsson manufacture many of the world's most environmentally friendly electronic products, while Nintendo and Toshiba are among the least environmentally friendly companies. In its quarterly report, Greenpeace assessed 18 major electronics manufacturers, evaluating their progress in environmental protection, including (1) reducing the use of harmful substances, (2) recycling electronic waste, and (3) improving energy efficiency. Greenpeace used the elimination of two toxic chemicals as indicators: polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and brominated flame retardants (BRFs), because these substances cannot dissipate in the environment and accumulate in the human body. Greenpeace researcher Iza Kruszewska presented the report in Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district, and said that Nintendo ranked last. She added that among the many major electronics manufacturers, Nintendo "is the only company that hasn't engaged in dialogue with Greenpeace." Kruska said Toshiba dropped from third place in the recent Guide to Greener Electronics rankings to 14th. She said the reason Toshiba was penalized was for "failing to keep its commitment to achieve zero PVC and BFRs for all consumer electronics by April 1st of this year." Nokia

According to the European Union's Rapid Alert System for Non-Food Consumer Products (RAPEX) notification for the 14th week of 2010, two defective toys manufactured and sold in mainland China were reported. The reasons for the recall included non-compliance with regulations regarding "plasticizer content," "cord length," and "small parts." Polish authorities ordered the recall and destruction of one mermaid doll manufactured in mainland China because its "phthalate plasticizer content" exceeded the limit, potentially disrupting or interfering with the balance and function of a child's endocrine system, posing a significant health risk. This violated REACH regulations, which prohibit the use of phthalates DEHP, DBP, and BBP in all toys, and DINP, DIDP, and DNOP in toys that can be placed in a child's mouth. Spain is recalling musical instrument toys made in mainland China because the pull cords are excessively long (over 220mm), posing a strangulation risk. Furthermore, the composite paper and adhesives on the toys, as well as the support points connecting to the xylophone's metal plates, can easily detach and be swallowed, posing a suffocation risk. These toys do not comply with the Toy Directive and European standard EN 71. The Standards and Metrology Bureau stated that toys are now subject to mandatory inspection, and any imported or domestically produced toys that do not meet inspection regulations are prohibited from being imported or released to the market.

In response to global climate change, industrialized nations signed the Kyoto Protocol in 1997, committing to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 5% by 2012. Since buildings are a significant source of greenhouse gases, the German government passed energy-saving regulations for buildings in 2002 to control greenhouse gas emissions. Over the years, green building in Germany has gradually transitioned from a niche industry to a mainstream sector. The reasons for this and its future development are analyzed as follows: The construction industry has a significant impact on the environment. In EU countries, buildings consume approximately 42% of total energy and produce 35% of total greenhouse gas emissions. Residential buildings, consuming 26% of total energy, offer more opportunities for renovation than commercial buildings. Green building technologies save resources. These technologies effectively reduce energy consumption for air conditioning and lighting, making green buildings 30% more energy-efficient than traditional buildings. Additionally, green buildings save water and reduce maintenance costs. Driving forces for green building include: reduced operating costs, increased resident demand, higher labor productivity, and enhanced reputation from adopting advanced green building technologies. Generally speaking, buildings certified with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) save 8-9% on operating costs compared to ordinary buildings. Over a building's lifecycle, these cost savings can be effectively used to support the initial costs of use.

On March 2, 2010, the Australian government issued a notice temporarily banning the use of di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) at a concentration exceeding 1% in certain toys, childcare products, and eating containers and tableware for 18 months from the date of the notice. The notice stated that toys, childcare products, feeding containers, and tableware intended for children aged 36 months or younger, and which are foreseeably likely to be sucked and/or chewed by children, are considered unsafe if they contain 2-ethylhexyl phthalate (DEHP) at a concentration exceeding 1%. Exemptions included: 1. Clothing and footwear; 2. Sports products; 3. Floating aids and toys that assist children in floating or swimming under supervision; and 4. Second-hand goods. "Childcare products" included, but were not limited to, pacifiers, teething rings, plastic rings in cribs, rattles, bibs, teething rings, and comfort products. "Dining utensils" include, but are not limited to, bottles for feeding, cups, bowls, plates, and cutlery for sucking. - Source: Economic Development Committee of the Chinese National Federation of Industries

Given the serious environmental damage caused by short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), the Netherlands requested the European Commission in June 2009 to reconsider Annex 17, Paragraph 42 of the REACH Regulation. The Commission, in its decision (2010/226/EU) published in the Official Journal of the European Union on April 22, 2010, announced its decision to give the Netherlands' request serious consideration. Annex 17, Paragraph 42 of the REACH Regulation stipulates that the concentration of pure or mixed substances used in the market, such as combinations of chemicals used in metal manufacturing and leather manufacturing, must not exceed 1%. In June 2009, Dutch officials also presented strong evidence that short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs) and their products, such as those used in plastic products, building materials, textiles, and coatings for everyday consumer goods, pose a threat and damage to the environment throughout their life cycle, and therefore requested the European Commission to review and revise the regulations to be more stringent. In addition to the REACH regulation, the Dutch government has stricter regulations on short-chain chlorinated paraffins (SCCPs), stipulating that SCCPs cannot be used in paints, plasticizers, coatings, sealants, and flame retardants for clothing. The European Commission agrees with the Netherlands' view on the environmental and health hazards of SCCPs and will impose stricter regulations on Annex 17, Paragraph 42 of the REACH regulation. Therefore, manufacturers using SCCPs should pay close attention to regulatory updates and provisions. - Reference Source

A research report released on November 11 by a research institution under India's Ministry of Environment and Forestry stated that India's annual greenhouse gas emissions increased from 1.23 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 1994 to 1.9 billion tons of CO2 equivalent in 2007, an average annual increase of 3.3%. The report indicated that India's power sector emitted the most greenhouse gases, increasing from 355 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 1994 to 719 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2007, an average annual increase of 5.6%. The agricultural sector followed closely, with emissions slightly decreasing, remaining at 344 million tons of CO2 equivalent in 2007. As of 2007, besides the power sector, other industries with significant average annual increases in greenhouse gas emissions in India included waste management, cement, and transportation, with average annual increases of 7.3%, 6%, and 4.5%, respectively. The report explained that while India's CO2 emissions per unit of GDP decreased by 30% from 1994 to 2007, per capita CO2 emissions increased from 1.4 tons to 1.7 tons. At the report's release conference, Indian Minister of State for Environment and Forestry, Jailam Ramesh, stated that the decline in CO2 emissions per unit of GDP was due to government efforts and the implementation of proactive measures, and that these efforts would be sustained. In late 2009, India announced plans to reduce CO2 emissions per unit of GDP by 20% to 25% from 2005 levels by 2020 as a measure to combat global warming. This report was prepared by the Indian Ministry of Environment and Forestry in 2009.

According to European Commission resolution 2010/169/EU published on March 23, 2010, the European Commission decided to revise the list of additives used in the manufacture of plastics for food contact. The European Commission defines "food contact materials" as materials and articles that come into contact with food, including packaging materials, tableware, dishes, processing machinery, containers, and even materials and articles that come into contact with human water. European Commission Directive 2002/72/EC relates to food contact materials and articles, and Annex III lists additives that may be used in the manufacture of plastic materials and articles. In 2004, the European Food Safety Authority approved an application from plastic packaging manufacturer Ciba to temporarily include the chemical substance "2,4,4′-trichloro-2′-hydroxydiphenyl ether" in the aforementioned annex. On April 21, 2009, Ciba notified the European Commission that it considered the chemical substance unsuitable for use as an additive in the manufacture of food contact plastics and therefore withdrew its application. Subsequently, the European Commission decided to remove the aforementioned chemical substance from the provisional list of additives in Annex III of Directive 2002/72/EC. The European Commission has allowed manufacturers to phase out products containing this chemical additive during a transition period. Plastic materials and articles manufactured using this chemical and placed on the market before November 1, 2010, can continue to be sold until November 1, 2011, but will still be subject to national legislation. Therefore, manufacturers must phase out products using "2,4,4′-trichloro-2" by November 2011.

Major Electronics Manufacturers Support RoHS Directive Amendment Draft - Adding Restrictions on BFRs and PVC No. 10/2010 Major consumer electronics manufacturers Dell, HP, Sony-Ericsson, and Acer recently issued a joint statement with three environmental organizations, calling for restrictions on the use of brominated flame retardants (BFRs) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) in electronic and electrical products in the revised EU RoHS Directive. The three environmental organizations joining the statement with these four electronics giants are the International Chemistry Secretariat (ChemSec), the European Environment Agency (EEB), and the Clean Products Action (CPA). They jointly urged the European Parliament's Environment Committee to vote on the draft amendment to the RoHS Directive, specifically on restrictions on BFRs and PVC. The vote will be held on June 3, 2010. Alexandra McPherson, a partner at the Clean Products Action (CPA), emphasized in her statement that these companies have already "made efforts" to prove that hazardous substances can be replaced, and what is needed now is a level playing field. Last week, the International Chemistry Secretariat (ChemSec) published a report demonstrating that products free of these hazardous substances are already widely available in the EU market. A joint statement from the four companies: Acer: "The elimination of environmentally sensitive substances (such as BFRs and PVC) has begun and is progressing smoothly at Acer. However, we cannot achieve this across the entire supply chain on our own."

According to a report in The Times on March 1st, a recent study published by the British government shows that so-called green biofuels are more polluting and harmful to the environment than fossil fuels. The report indicates that, under the Renewable Transport Fuels Regulations, the UK Department for Transport plans to sell 3.5% green fuels this year, with the proportion increasing annually to 13% by 2020. However, this will lead to the deforestation or burning of millions of hectares of forest, releasing large amounts of greenhouse gases. The study concludes that even the most advanced biofuel technologies fail to meet the European Commission's minimum sustainability standards, which require that each liter of biofuel burn should reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 35% compared to fossil fuels. The study also shows that palm oil will increase greenhouse gas emissions by 31% because it releases large amounts of greenhouse gases when forests and grasslands are converted into farmland. Similarly, rapeseed and soybeans do not meet this standard. E4tech, a consulting firm that investigated the impact of biofuels on forests and other undeveloped land, found that the Indonesian palm oil industry has become the third largest emitter of carbon dioxide, causing Indonesia to lose an area of ​​rainforest equivalent to that of Wales each year. Furthermore, the report also found that the entire European biofuel industry requires $5 billion in government subsidies annually, and this sector would be severely impacted if land use patterns changed. – Source: International Online, March 2010

On February 26, 2010, the European Union published Commission decision 2010/122/EU in the Official Journal, which granted an exemption for cadmium in LEDs. This exemption was granted because alternative technologies for cadmium in LEDs were not yet mature. Article 39 was added to the annex (i.e., the exemption) of the RoHS Directive in 2010/122/EU: "Cadmium in color-converting II-VI LEDs (< 10 μg Cd per mm² of light-emitting area) for use in solid-state illumination or display systems until 1 July 2014." For the full text, please refer to the original document. Source: 2010/122/EU

The European Union issued Commission Decision 2010/153/EU, extending the ban on dimethyl fumarate (DMF) (2009/251/EC) for another year, until March 15, 2011. EU member states were required to publish their implementation measures by March 15, 2010. Commission Decision 2009/251/EC, "Requiring Member States to Guarantee Not to Place or Sell Products Containing the Biocidal Agent Dimethyl Fumarate (DMF)," stated that DMF was found in furniture and footwear sold in several EU member states and was a major cause of harm to consumer health. According to clinical trials, DMF is a biocidal agent that prevents leather products from moldy in humid climates. DMF is typically contained in small pouches inside furniture or added to shoe boxes. DMF can evaporate and seep into products to prevent mold growth; however, it can also seep through clothing and onto the skin, causing contact dermatitis, itching, irritation, redness, and burns. In some cases, it can even cause breathing difficulties. European Commission Decision 2009/251/EC applies to all consumer products, and even products not intended for consumer use but likely to be used by consumers. According to the decision, from May 1, 2009, products containing DMF were prohibited from being placed on the market. Member States must ensure that products containing DMF are...

A draft climate report released by the U.S. State Department on the 19th argues that global warming is primarily caused by human activity, and the United States needs to take sustained action to address climate change. The draft states, "Global warming is a clear fact and is fundamentally caused by human activity… Global temperatures have been rising steadily over the past 50 years, with greenhouse gas emissions from human activities being the primary driver." The draft argues that the impacts of global climate change are already evident: rising air and ocean temperatures, glacial retreat, permafrost melting, instability in the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets, and rising sea levels. The draft indicates that if the reduction measures stipulated in the American Clean Energy and Security Act passed by the House of Representatives last June are implemented, annual U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will decrease to 2 billion tons (CO2 equivalent) by mid-century; if no action is taken, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions will rise to 8 billion tons. U.S. greenhouse gas emissions in 2008 were approximately 6.96 billion tons. This draft report will be open for public comment in the United States until May 6th. The final version will form the fifth U.S. Climate Action Report and will be submitted to the Secretariat of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The United States previously submitted four climate action reports to the agency in 1994, 1997, 2002, and 2007. – Reference source: Xinhua News Agency, April 20, 2010

The Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy of the U.S. Department of Energy recently proposed amendments to the energy testing procedures for chargers and external power supplies. These amendments include: (1) adding a power consumption test function for charger start-up mode to comply with energy efficiency standards established under the Energy Autonomy and Security Act of 2007; (2) revising some existing standby and shutdown charger testing procedures to shorten measurement time; (3) revising existing procedures for single-voltage external power supplies to provide testing for manufacturers of power supplies with special specifications; and (4) adding new procedures to provide testing for multi-voltage power supplies. The Department of Energy will hold a public hearing on May 7 to discuss these proposed amendments, therefore all documents must be collected by April 30. Before April 20, the Department of Energy will also solicit separate inquiries regarding energy consumption testing requirements for residential furnaces and boilers, as well as requests to add standby and shutdown functions. The Department of Energy held a discussion meeting on this issue on August 18, 2009, and is currently requesting that energy consumption information be included in the Annual Fuel Utilization Efficiency (AFU) report. – Source: Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) website, April 16, 2010 – Translated by Plastics Industry Technology Development Centre –

Since the end of 2009, many manufacturers of mobile phones, landline phones, and printers have been closely monitoring the website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. The "Key Management Catalogue for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products (First Batch)" (hereinafter referred to as the "Catalogue") was announced on November 9th of last year. The focus is on the differences between the officially released Catalogue and the draft for comments, and what impact the official release of the Catalogue will have on these three product industries. The draft for comments on the "Catalogue (First Batch)" was released on October 9th, 2009, and public opinions were solicited on the official website of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. Thus, the "Management Measures for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products," often referred to as the "Chinese version of RoHS," officially took its second substantial step after more than two years of implementation. The "Management Measures for Pollution Control of Electronic Information Products," the "Chinese version of RoHS," came into effect on March 1st, 2007. According to this regulation, electronic information products entering the Chinese market must make a "self-declaration" according to the methods provided in the "Requirements for Pollution Control Labeling of Electronic Information Products." This is the first step in China's pollution control of electronic information products. The second step is to gradually include products that are "technologically mature and economically feasible" in the "Catalogue," strictly limiting the use of toxic and hazardous substances in these products. Products included in this catalogue must also pass 3C certification before entering the market. The first batch of the "Catalogue" open for public comment includes mobile user terminals and telephone sets (including fixed-line telephone terminals).