BTEX 2023: How Lenovo Is Building a Smarter Future for Customers and the Planet

Lenovo is aware of the climate crisis, and it's taking action, explained Bertoni. "At the beginning of this year, Lenovo announced that we are committed to becoming net zero by the year 2050. What does this mean? Well, Lenovo is in the first group of companies to receive net-zero validation from the Science-Based Targets initiative (SBTi). Lenovo is one of 139 companies globally to be part of this validation.

"SBTi is a partnership between the United Nations Global Compact, CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), World Resource Institute and the World Wide Fund for Nature. They are integral in making sure that companies are working to achieve climate initiatives around the world."

Bertoni also pointed out that this commitment is not new to Lenovo. "Lenovo has ingrained this into our every being for the past 14 years. We've been committed to looking at new ways to attack the climate crisis by reducing emissions and seeing how we can improve our products, manufacturing and overall solutions."

Since it is a long-term plan and many things could change down the road, Lenovo is taking a flexible approach, Bertoni explained. "Working with SBTi, we have created targets for 2030 and will continue to make them as we take steps to progress towards 2050. Now the thing about the climate crisis is this is an ongoing issue. We know that we're finding out more and more information every day. So, this is not a static target. The net-zero mission will be dynamic and will depend on the warming climate as well as the work being done by nations and companies worldwide."

Bertoni described a three-strategy action plan. "We have three primary strategies. The first one: reducing the environmental impact of our products. Second, increase sustainability in manufacturing through innovation. And lastly, decrease our emissions across operations and the value chain. All while working towards our commitment to social responsibility. We all know that environmental, social and governance (ESG) is not only about our environmental impact but about our society and governance as well.”

Lenovo is also taking into account the role their customers play in their plan, said Bertoni. "So, what do these solutions look like, and why does it matter to you as our customers? First off, our sustainability solutions empower you all to pursue your sustainability goals with smarter end-to-end solutions. Now, it's circular; we can start with our sustainability workshop, where you all have the chance to meet with Lenovo's sustainability experts, that will consult with you to find out the best ways to integrate CO2 offset or your plan to become net zero into your day-to-day."

Bertoni also mentioned how they believe in sharing their knowledge to favour the environment. "Our innovations are continuous, and we work with our competitors and the worldwide industry to share best practices. We all know that the climate crisis does not only affect Lenovo or its customers; it affects everyone. So when we find a best practice, or we come up with a new innovation, we make sure that it's shared for free across the industry."

Many of Lenovo's innovations are centred around packaging, explained Bertoni. "One of the ways that Lenovo is looking to improve on our sustainability efforts is through our packaging. We're minimizing waste. We're moving to a 100 percent compostable bamboo box. It's both protective of the laptop and sturdy enough to withstand ship, train, plane and transit.

“Another way that we are improving is we're taking the plastic out of all of it. We've replaced plastic handles with bamboo, bio-based products. And then lastly, we are removing that foam you can't recycle.

“A big question that we've received is, ‘How do I make sure that my system is not tampered with if we're removing the tape?’ Well, there is a sleeveless paper-based packaging around the system that, to get to the system, you would have to rip through to achieve it. So that way, you know when that system comes, it's coming completely untampered with."

"We're not just looking to include our bio-based solutions into our packaging, but into the systems themselves. We're looking at how we include it in the laptops that you use.” According to Bertoni, the Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i is the first carbon-neutral certified laptop. “We integrated bio-based products as well as reused recycled content, and we're going to continue to do that," said Bertoni, before elaborating on Lenovo's next milestone.

"By 2025, our fiscal year 2025 and 2026, 100 percent of the Lenovo products will contain post-consumer recycled content."

Bertoni explained they are making efforts to help customers be better informed about their environmental footprint: "Lenovo calculates the CO2 emissions for the entire lifecycle of our products. And we make sure that this is visible online. If you have an X1 Carbon Gen 9, you can go online right now and see what the product's carbon footprint would be for that device as well. We make it visible and transparent not only for ourselves but for you as well.

"Why do we measure the CO2 emissions? The CO2 emissions are so that we can figure out exactly how much we need to do to offset these emissions. With Lenovo's CO2 offset, we make it really easy for you as a customer to start to take steps to meet your sustainability goals. Lenovo will take care of the entire process, and our CO2 services are verified by a third party: ClimeCo."

"Most projects in the past have been based in other parts of the world. Lenovo has heard that challenge from our customers, and we've partnered with projects that are based right here in North America. There are a few down in Mexico, and as of a few months ago, we have a new project based in Florida that aims at reducing the nitrous oxide in the environment. When you want to make sure that your CO2 offsets are hidden close to home, we're able to do that," said Bertoni.

Lastly, Bertoni explained how asset disposal is also part of Lenovo's actions. "In the past, you might have heard of our asset recovery services as a fantastic way to get money back and dispose of all of your technology needs in a safe and compliant manner. Well, there's also the sustainability aspect to it as well. Not only is it secure, but Lenovo is committed to keeping assets away from the landfill. We only partner with certified and accredited IT asset disposition partners who are constantly audited by our expert environmental team. And it's a hassle-free process."

This is not only exclusive to Lenovo devices, said Bertoni. "We're not only going to be taking Lenovo devices, and we're not only going to be wiping them, but we're making sure that your devices don't end up in landfills and that you are helping to make sure that your e-waste is disposed of in a secure and responsible manner. We know this is a crisis going on worldwide, and we know it's top of mind for a lot of our customers and a lot of your customers. Lenovo is committed to continuing to look for ways to meet both our and your goals. We'll continue this work to try and reduce waste, better manage our carbon footprint and keep our resources circular, keeping those out of the landfill and into people's homes."