‘Conscious technology’ can help save the planet

SUSTAINABILITY TALK Jerry Kao (right), chief operating officer of Acer at the Future of PC panel discussion on the sidelines of COP28. —CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

DUBAI—As more and more companies commit to setting climate goals to mitigate climate change, this information and communications technology (ICT) company wants to walk the talk by utilizing “conscious technology” as a path toward sustainability.

During a panel discussion on the sidelines of the 28th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change here, Taiwan-based tech giant Acer says while climate change is the biggest challenge faced by humanity, it has more faith in the power of mankind to foster innovations that will create a positive impact on the planet.

“Ever since the company was established [in 1976], we evolved from a personal computer (PC) brand [into] a solution company [and an] ecosystem player. We believe we empower people to make their marks in life but not to make negative marks on the planet,” says Jason Chen, chair and CEO of Acer.

The company has joined the RE100 global initiative to source 100-percent renewable energy by 2035. It also pledged to achieve “net zero” greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. To turn this vision into a reality, Acer created the Climate Lab as the platform where climate-conscious solutions are generated to improve four lifestyle concepts, namely learning, working, moving and living alongside sustainability. This “lab” is powered by conscious technology that is designed “with consideration for the future—with humans at heart and the planet in mind.”

GREEN LINE Aspire Vero 16, computer that’s easily recyclable and made with 30-percent less carbon emission. —PHOTO BY VANESSA B. HIDALGO

Grassroots initiative

The concept of conscious technology began in 2017 when Project Humanity was launched. This grassroots initiative encouraged Acer employees to share their voice and to make positive changes for the environment.

Chen relates that over 70 percent of Acer’s workforce—made up of 7,700 employees in more than 40 countries—came up with more than 300 projects related to sustainability, such as energy, product design, packaging, production, logistics and recycling. The goal of Project Humanity, Chen says, is to bring Acer’s values into focus and to harness the power of every action to make a difference.

Acer went beyond its corporate walls and expanded Project Humanity into its supply chain. The Earthion platform further brings together its supply chain partners, including its employees, to tackle environmental challenges through innovative and integrated solutions.

Chen says that one concrete example of Earthion is Acer’s collaboration with its logistic suppliers to use renewable resources such as biofuel to ship their products. This move prevented the emission of 60 tons of carbon gas into the atmosphere. Chen says that 60 percent of its critical suppliers have now committed to RE100 or set science-based carbon reduction targets.

“I think the Project Humanity and the Earthion project[s] were extraordinarily powerful, not just with our own employee base [but also] with our whole ecosystem of suppliers and customers,” Chen adds.

Solar-powered power storage —PHOTO BY VANESSA B. HIDALGO

Rethinking core mission

According to Chen, Acer remains ultimately a computer company but with a different set of core mission. “We [use] conscious technology … that means we are making offers beyond multiple areas. We will push the boundaries of business to make sure that we do our part. Not just [for] computers but [also with] computer science and start to move into a lifestyle with solutions that are human-centric,” he says.

Acer launched the first computer made from recycled materials called Vero in 2021. This “green” line incorporates sustainability in every step, from manufacturing to packaging to end-of-life recycling. Each process has been examined and continuously fine-tuned to help contribute toward less emissions.

All Vero products utilize postconsumer recycled plastics and recyclable packaging. This adheres to the company’s goal to use 20 to 30 percent postconsumer recycled plastic in its computer and monitors by 2025, of which 17 percent was achieved in 2022. Its latest iteration is the Aspire Vero laptop line starting with the new Aspire Vero 16, which is made from a blend of more than 60 percent recycled plastic. The surface contains no paint or additives. Ocean-bound plastic was used on the surface of its touchpad. It may be green but it’s still mean, as Acer ensures that device remains durable yet affordable.

E-scooters by Acer —photo by VANESSA B. HIDALGO

Circular economy

Practicing circularity in the manufacturing of gadgets entails hard work but it can be done by extending the repairability of each device. But when a device reaches its end stage, Acer gives the user the option to return it. From there, an Acer-owned recycling facility in Europe will dismantle the device to recycle and reuse the serviceable parts.

Emmanuel Fromont, who heads the offices of Acer in Europe, Middle East and Africa, says that as part of applying conscious technology in learning, the tech company developed a curriculum for schools in Spain and Wisconsin in the United States, where e-learning courses are available to students, most especially to persons with disabilities, to repair their own PCs.

“Every year, 50 percent of the students graduate from [the course]. Some students can repair a PC within 48 hours. We teach future generations to take care of the product repair and that electronics can have a longer life,” he adds. Acer also encourages schools to reduce their carbon footprint by using refurbished laptops to enable conscious use.

Customers can also play an important role in prolonging the life of a digital device by availing of the on-demand subscription service to Acer’s vast product portfolio with subscription package upgrades, services and repairs that can be made available with the click of a button thereby, lessening the use of new resources.

Acer also made transportation accessible for more people with a network of mobility stations with charging hubs, nimble e-bikes and e-scooters to move them along with tools, such as data-informed urban planning and prediction of micromobility infrastructure within smart cities.

Acer’s technology also includes smart appliances, such as air and water purifiers. To make homes more climate-resilient, a hyper-compatible mobile app lets users manage their energy consumption more efficiently.

As part of its net-zero commitment, Acer is expanding into energy storage with the introduction of three new mobile power stations with accompanying foldable solar panels. The range of these mobile power generation and energy storage on-the-go, come in 600W, 1800W and 3000W models. The 3000W portable power station could energize an entire household for 24 hours.

Jerry Kao, COO of Acer, shares that investing in sustainable measures may not always be a lucrative prospect for all businesses because such initiatives come at a steep price. “We may earn less but we believe this is the right thing to do. And we also believe if everybody is doing the right thing, then in the end, it will reflect as a positive business result,” he says.