Advancing the Harmonization of Environmental Assessment Standards in the ICT Sector

This 19-minute talk by Chris Eckstein, Research Associate at Fraunhofer, explores how the ICT sector is addressing environmental challenges through standardized assessment frameworks. Learn how Product Category Rules (PCRs) provide clear frameworks for evaluating environmental impacts of technology products throughout their lifecycle using measurable criteria. Discover how Fraunhofer IZM is collaborating with hyperscalers to develop PCRs for datacenter equipment and personal computing devices, while the Open Compute Project facilitates open collaboration and information sharing across the industry. Understand how these collaborative efforts based on lifecycle assessment principles are creating comprehensive mechanisms to drive environmental improvements throughout the global ICT ecosystem, helping hardware and service providers meet climate goals despite increasing demands for computing power.