IBM scores 4 out of 18 at Rank a Brand: Compare how transparent, green and fair your favorite brands are

IBM Info

Rank a Brand score:

4 out of 18
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Brand Owner: International Business Machines Int.
Head Office: Armonk, NY, USA
Sector: Electronics & ICT Hardware
Categories: Computers, Notebooks
Free Tags: Laptop, Thinkpad, Notebook, Screen, PC, Server, Services

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Last Updated: 1 July 2011
Last Verified: 1 July 2011

IBM Score Report

Questions about Climate Change/ Carbon Emissions

1 out of 5


1. Does the brand (company) clearly support global mandatory cuts of carbon emissions of at least 50% by 2050 or 30% by industrialized countries by 2020?	IBM gives no indication as to whether it supports mandatory cuts of carbon emission on its website.	SOURCE
2. Has the brand (company) disclosed the annual carbon footprint of its 'own operations' and of the supply / production chain?	IBM reports its CO2 emissions annually (see p. 36).	SOURCE
3. Has the brand (company) set a target to reduce its ‘own operations’ carbon footprint by at least 20% within the next 5 years?	IBM says it plans to reduce its CO2 emissions by 12% by 2012, using 2005 as a baseyear. Seems to be from scope 1 and 2. This target is not high enough (see page 43).	SOURCE
4. Has the brand (company) already reduced or compensated its 'own operations' carbon footprint by at least 10% in the last 5 years?	Using 2005 as the base year there has been reductions made through the years but it is unclear whether these reductions are absolute or energy weighted.	SOURCE
5. Do all new products of the brand meet the latest Energy Star requirements (where applicable)?	IBM's goal is to let all monitors meet the Energy Star criteria and has published a detailed report about its products that are Energy Star qualified, but it is unclear whether all IBM products are Energy Star qualified.	SOURCE

Questions about Environmental Policy

0 out of 7


1. Has the brand (company) eliminated PVC and BFRs in all new products? If not, does the brand give a timeline for achieving this by 2012?	PVCs and BFRs (except two BFR types) not on 'prohibited list'. No timeline for achieving this is provided (see p. 13).	SOURCE
2. Has the brand (company) already eliminated PVC and BFRs in all new products?	IBM mentions PVC and TBBPA in its 2010 report but does not clearly whether it has eliminated PVC and BFRs in all its new products.	SOURCE
3. Has the brand (company) already eliminated at least 2 of the 3 groups of suspect chemicals (beryllium, antimony and phthalates) in all of its new products? If not, does it give a timeline for achieving this by 2012?	No mention is made of the elimination of the suspect chemicals mentioned.	SOURCE
4. Has the brand (company) already eliminated at least 2 of the 3 groups of suspect chemicals (beryllium, antimony and phthalates)in all of its new products?	This can not be established for certain from IBM's website as there is no mention made of these suspect chemicals.	SOURCE
5. Does the brand (company) support the principle of Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR), meaning that brands are responsibility for the entire lifecycle of their own products, including take back and recycling?	IBM's website does not give information on whether or not it supports the principle of IPR. IBM however does offer a number of recycling programs for its products to its clients.	SOURCE
6. Does the brand (company) provide free and easy take back and recycling services for its discarded products in many of the countries where its products are sold?	IBM offers a number of recycling programs to its clients but there is no way to determine whether these services are easily accessible and whether they are offered widely.	SOURCE
7. Does the brand (company) source at least 5% of its plastics from recycled plastic streams and does it give a clear timeline to increase this percentage to at least 25% by 2025?	11.5% of IBM’s total weight of plastic purchases in 2010 was recycled plastic (see product stewardship, goals and performance). There is however no time line given to increase this to at least 25% by 2025.	SOURCE

Questions about Labour Conditions/ Fair Trade

3 out of 6


1. Does the brand (company) have a supplier Code of Conduct (CoC) which includes the following standards: No forced or slave labour, no child labour, no discrimination of any kind and a safe and hygienic workplace?	All standards are mentioned (see pages 4, 5, 8 & 11).	SOURCE
2. Does this CoC include at least two of the following workers rights: 1. to have a formally registered employment relationship 2. to have a maximum working week of 48 hours with voluntary paid overtime of 12 hours maximum 3. to have a sufficient living wage?	1. Not mentioned; 2. No, maximum working week is 60 hours (including overtime), 'except under extraordinary business circumstances', which can mean anything; 3. No, mentioning of minimum and legal wage, not living wage (see page 6&7).	SOURCE
3. Does this CoC include the right for workers to form and join trade unions and bargain collectively; and in those situations where these rights are restricted under law, the right to facilitate parallel means of independent and free association and bargaining?	Freedom of association is mentioned, but nothing found about situations in which this right is restricted by law (see page 10).	SOURCE
4. Does the brand (company) have a published list of direct suppliers that have collectively contributed to more than 90% of the purchase volume?	IBM does not publish its list of suppliers on its website.	SOURCE
5. Is the brand (company) a member of a collective initiative that aims to improve labour conditions, or does the brand (company) purchase its supplies from accredited factories with improved labour conditions?	IBM is a founding member of the EICC.	SOURCE
6. Does the brand (company) annually report on the results of its labour conditions policy?	IBM provides an overview of their audits from 2004-2010 (see p.11).	SOURCE