For more than 30 years, TCO Certified has worked with the global IT industry and buyers worldwide to improve sustainability in the tech world. The criteria in TCO Certified are updated every third year to push sustainability where it matters most. Now, it's time for the next steps.

This webinar will discuss the steps needed to drive sustainability in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain. TCO is excited to share its Roadmap for Sustainable IT with an external audience for the first time, along with the criteria in the new generation of TCO Certified. Thousands of updates and changes have been made to drive circularity, reduce the climate impact of IT products, improve working conditions for over 100,000 people and replace thousands of harmful substances with safer alternatives. The first verified models that meet all criteria will also be made public.

Thousands of organisations worldwide include TCO Certified in the procurement process to support sustainable IT initiatives and efforts. By joining this digital launch event, you can learn more about our global system for IT sustainability with a proven track record and how you can join the global movement for sustainable IT.

To register, click here

Programme

• Re-thinking climate action (Niclas Rydell) - A new criteria set questions the status quo and drives emission reductions in both manufacturing and use. Learn how it helps you reduce your IT systems’ climate footprint.
• Improving chemical safety (Stephen Fuller) - Learn how we’ve managed to take control of the almost uncontrollable chemicals industry, and you can benefit as we take this further in 2025.
• Collaboration for circularity (Andreas Nobell) - To create circular material flows, we need to work together. Find out what you can do, and what to expect when you buy certified products.
• Supply chain sustainability (Stephen Fuller) - 30 years of systematic work have resulted in more responsible factories and lasting improvements. Learn how you can benefit as we move further up the supply chain.
• The importance of supporting the same system (Clare Hobby and Barton Finn) - Using TCO Certified means bundling your procurement power with thousands of other organizations worldwide. Learn what the new developments in the four areas mean in practice for purchasing organizations.
• The first certified products! - The new generation requires major adaptations by IT brands in product design and manufacturing processes, as well as new circular solutions. We will look at the first models that have been verified to meet all criteria.

Austrian public authorities and social economy entities are invited to take part in a training organised as part of the WeBuySocialEU capacity-building efforts. The training will take place in Graz on 5 December and will be delivered in German. The training is designed to help stakeholders not only gain much-needed expertise in socially responsible public procurement but also to establish participants as the go-to person within their organisation for advice and expertise in this increasingly important field. The training is specifically tailored to professional and particular contexts, thanks to in-depth research and interviews conducted by national experts in autumnn 2023.

The training will give participants a better understanding of the social economy in Austria, and of the shared goals and needs of public buyers and social economy actors. In addition, participants will learn about the benefits and challenges of involving social economy organisations in public tenders, how to implement social and sustainability criteria in public tenders, and how to improve collaboration between the social economy sector and public authorities engaging in Socially Responsible Public Procurement (SRPP).

The training takes place in the context of the European Commission's WeBuySocialEU initiative, which seeks to enhance social responsibility in public procurement by building capacity and awareness across the EU. At the end of the training public authorities should have more knowledge on how to design tendering procedures that are accessible to the social economy and include social aspects, while social economy enterprises will be able to better compete for public tenders that include social considerations.

The European Commission training workshop in Austria is organised by ICLEI Europe in cooperation with arbeit plus. More information about the initiative can be found here. To apply, click here.