Philips scores 11 out of 19 at Rank a Brand: Compare how transparent, green and fair your favorite brands are

Philips Info

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11 out of 19
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Brand Owner: Royal Philips Electronics Inc.
Head Office: Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Sector: Electronics & ICT Hardware
Categories: Televisions, TV's, Computers, Notebooks, Audio, Video, (Mobile) Phones, Home Appliances
Free Tags: Monitor, PC audio, TV, Flat Screen, Telephone, Light, Lighting, Household, Vacuum Cleaner

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Last Updated: 26 March 2012
Last Verified: 26 March 2012

Philips Score Report

Questions about Climate Change/ Carbon Emissions

4 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?	Support for both goals is given (see section "Reducing our Carbon Footprint").	SOURCE
2. Has the brand (company) disclosed the annual carbon footprint of its 'own operations' and of the supply / production chain?	Emissions from Philips own operations (and at least part of) the production chain are provided, see pp. 48 and 76 of 'Full Annual Report 2010' (download).	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?	Philips wants to reduce its CO2-footprint by 25% by 2012 compared to 2007 (see section 'Renewable Energy').	SOURCE
4. Has the brand (company) already reduced or compensated its 'own operations' carbon footprint by at least 10% in the last 5 years?	Total CO2 emissions decreased in 2010 (compared to 2007) by 16,2 per cent (2,157 to 1,808 kilotons of CO2 eq) (see page 76 of 'Full Annual Report 2010').	SOURCE
5. Do all new products of the brand meet the latest Energy Star requirements (where applicable)?	All the TV models sold in the U.S., 90% of the TV models sold in Europe and 10% of the battery charger models meet the Energy Star requirements. Not all products meet the requirements. Also see 'Energy Efficient Battery Chargers' on right side of the page.	SOURCE

Questions about Environmental Policy

3 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?	In 2010, Philips introduced a number of PVC/BFR-free products. They state that the lessons learned from these products has allowed them to "create a detailed roadmap for new PVC /BFR-free consumer products for 2011 and clearly identify where PVC /BFR-free alternatives are not yet possible". See page 45 of the 'Full Annual Report 2010' (download).	SOURCE
2. Has the brand (company) already eliminated PVC and BFRs in all new products?	Philips had set a target to be PVC and BFR free by the 31st of December 2010, however, this has not been achieved yet. See also environmental policy question 1.	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?	Philips has stated that all phthalates and antimony/antimony compounds would be eliminated by 31 Dec 2010. No timeline could be found for the complete elimination of beryllium. No additional information was included in the 2010 CSR report.	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?	Philips had set a target date to eliminate these chemicals (see remark for previous question), however, they have not confirmed whether or not this was achieved.	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?	Philips supports Individual Producer Responsibility (IPR) (see 'our aim').	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?	Philips does not have its own recycling programmes, but provides a list of recycling services. These services do not cover a large part of the countries where Philips is sold.	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?	Philips in its 'EcoVision5' environmental action program states that it will "Double global collection, recycling amounts and recycled materials in products by 2015 compared to 2009". As Philips doesn't state how much recycled plastic is currently being used in its products it's therefore not possible to verify this question definitively.	SOURCE

Questions about Labour Conditions/ Fair Trade

4 out of 7


1. Does the brand (company) have a policy that excludes smelters of conflict minerals by only sourcing minerals from conflict free areas or by only sourcing minerals from conflict areas when human rights are respected and where contributing to conflict is avoided?	Philips has committed itself "not to purchase raw materials, subassemblies, or supplies which we know contain conflict minerals that directly or indirectly finance or benefit armed groups in the DRC or an adjoining country".	SOURCE
2. Does the brand (company) have a Code of Conduct (CoC) for both its own factories and those of its suppliers, which includes the following standards: No forced or slave labor, no child labor, no discrimination of any kind and a safe and hygienic workplace?	All standards are mentioned in Philips Code of Conduct (see page 4-6).	SOURCE
3. Does the brand’s (company’s) CoC include at least 3 of the following workers rights: 1. a formally registered employment relationship 2. a maximum working week of 48 hours with voluntary paid overtime of 12 hours maximum 3. a sufficient living wage 4. form and join labor unions and bargain collectively; and in those situations where these rights are restricted under law, to develop parallel means?	1. Not mentioned; 2. No, max working hours 60/week including overtime and except emergencies which can mean anything; 3. No, mention of minimum wage, not living wage; 4. No, freedom of association is mentioned, but nothing found about situations in which this right is restricted by law (see page 4).	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?	Philips does not provide a significant list of direct suppliers on its website.	SOURCE
5. Is the brand (company) a member of a multi stakeholder initiative (MSI), wherein independent NGO’s or labor unions are represented, that collectively aims to improve labor conditions and that carries out independent audits? Or does the brand (company) significantly purchase its supplies from factories certified by such MSI’s?	Philips is an implementation partner of the Dutch Sustainable Trade Initiative (IDH) Electronics program, which is an MSI that aims to improve the working conditions of factory laborers, and wherein NGO's are represented.	SOURCE
6. Does the brand (company) annually report on the results of its labor conditions policy?	Philips provides a clear overview of audits realized (at 273 supplier sites in total) and results of audits in terms of non-compliance.	SOURCE
7. Has the brand’s labor conditions policy resulted in a ‘compliance level’ of at least 30% of the purchase volume, or a ‘monitored level' of at least 80%?	Although Philips gives detailed reports on the auditing of factories, it is unclear what percentage of the total factories this represents.	SOURCE