Caring for the environment is one of the most pressing issues that we need to deal with today, and many watchdog organizations are doing their best to promote products and services that are environment-friendly. Many of these watchdog organizations also keep an eye out for companies that are either doing their part in reducing their impact on the environment or could not care less.

Greenpeace is one such organization that has shown vigilance over the years in safeguarding the environment. The organization is even known for taking extreme measures for doing what it does. Greenpeace also assesses many companies on how environment-friendly they are and publish their findings on their website.

Among the electronics companies leading the industry, which of them have been lauded by Greenpeace? Here are the five most environment-friendly electronics companies of 2008, according to the findings of Greenpeace.

Number 5: Fujitsu Siemens

Fujitsu Siemens Computers lands fifth on the Greenpeace list of the most environment-friendly electronics companies in 2008. The company got its high marks from these factors:

• Committing to use entirely renewable energy by 2020 and to eliminate polyvinyl chlorides (PVCs) and brominated flame retardants (BRFs) from their products completely by 2010
• Publicly supporting the need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions on a global scale
• Gaining an Energy Star 4 rating for 57% of their products
• Producing halogen-free plastics and circuitry

However, Fujitsu Siemens Computers has yet to score highly on its take-back and recycling programs, having a recycling rate of only 22.5%.

Number 4: Samsung

Fourth on the Greenpeace list of environment-friendly electronics companies is Samsung. Samsung got its points for:

• Producing LCD panels that are completely free of PVC
• Manufacturing mobile phones that are partly free of BRFs
• Manufacturing memory chips and semiconductors that are completely free of halogen
• Gaining high scores for its recycling and take-back programs: 137% for TV sets, 12% for computers, and 9% for mobile phones

Number 3: Toshiba

Toshiba, the third most environment-friendly electronics company in the world by Greenpeace standards, gained its ranking through the following:

• Scoring an Energy Star 4 for 93% of the computers it has manufactured
• Calling for increased global cuts on greenhouse gas emissions, particularly for industrialized countries
• Disclosing its own levels of greenhouse gas emissions and committing to reduce them
• Committing to find alternatives to phthalates, antimony and beryllium used in their products by 2012
• Producing laptops that are free from PVC and BFR

Number 2: Sony Ericsson

Why is Sony Ericsson number two in the Greenpeace list of environment-friendly electronics companies? The reasons are as follows:

• Sony Ericsson has put up an environmental warranty on all its products, meaning that it will take these products back for recycling.
• Its products are already completely PVC free.
• It has forbidden the use of beryllium, phthalates and antimony in all its products.
• It has freely disclosed its greenhouse gas emission levels and has committed to reduce them.

Number 1: Nokia

By the reckoning of Greenpeace, Nokia is the most environment-friendly electronics company in the world as of 2008. Nokia gained its points for:

• Providing a take-back program that is fully comprehensive, covering 134 countries
• Producing electronic products that are free of PVC
• Committing to remove BFR and antimony from their products by the end of 2009
• Exceeding Energy Star standards by almost 90% for all their products

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