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    Acer commits to the RE100 initiative – 100% Renewable Energy use by 2035

    The Acer Group has announced that is joined the RE100 initiative, sharing a pledge to achieve 100% renewable energy use by 2035. In addition, Acer declared its mission to help tackle environmental challenges with its “Earthion” platform that unites the strengths of its employees and supply chain partners and expands the circle of impact of its sustainability efforts.

    Acer joins more than 310 other companies in the RE100 group, including tech companies like Adobe, Airbnb, Apple, Sony, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, HP, Intel, Accenture, Steelcase, Autodesk, Atlassian. VMware, Salesforce, SAP, eBay, Etsy, Logitech, Lyft and more. You’ll also find some Aussie companies like Commonwealth Bank, Westpac, ANZ and Woolworths in the list.

    These strengths and efforts are exemplified by the Aspire Vero notebook, its first sustainability-focused product under the Earthion platform.

    “I am so touched to see Acer employees and partners come together, knowing that they have the ability to make decisions to protect our environment for future generations.

    We already have the commitment of AUO, Compal, Innolux and Quanta, and look forward to welcoming more partners to join the Acer Earthion mission to speed up the development of green designs and processes and support our goal of 100% renewable energy for a sustainable planet.”

    Tiffany Huang, Co-Chief Operating Officer, Acer Inc.

    Long-Term Commitment to Green Energy Use

    Acer has long been committed to enhancing energy efficiency. Since 2008, it adopted the CDP’s global disclosure system to manage the environmental impacts of its supply chain, and even expanded the system to two tiers of supplier engagement. In 2012, Acer began setting carbon reduction targets through energy management and green energy use, taking 2009 as the baseline year.

    Through constant efforts and drive, the Acer Group, including its global operations and subsidiaries, successfully achieved its 2020 target of reducing its carbon emissions by 60% worldwide.

    Setting a new commitment to source renewable energy for all of its energy use by 2035, Acer also announced that it has joined RE100, a global corporate renewable energy initiative that brings together hundreds of large and ambitious businesses committed to 100% renewable electricity. Green energy has been utilised by various Acer operations since as early as 2013, with some locations even installing solar panels to generate their own solar power. In 2020, the
    Acer Group achieved 44% renewable energy use.

    “I am delighted to welcome Acer to RE100. By committing to 100% renewable electricity by 2035, Acer joins over 300 of the world’s leading businesses committed to driving market change. This sends a powerful message that renewable electricity makes good business sense, and we encourage others to follow.”

    Sam Kimmins, Head of RE100, The Climate Group.

    Earthion – Combining Strengths Across the Supply Chain

    Acer decided to take its environmental commitments further with Earthion, a platform that combines the strengths of the company, its supply chain partners, consumers (channels), and their employees. “Earthion” is a blend of the words “Earth + Mission,” and is the name Acer has created to represent its mission to help tackle environmental challenges through innovative and integrated solutions. The driving force behind Earthion is each member’s belief that its mutual
    collaboration can effectively create a positive impact on the environment.

    Earthion’s primary topics of focus are:

    • Energy – using 100% renewable energy as a goal
    • Product Design – green innovations
    • Packaging Design – using less packaging and more recycled materials
    • Production – minimising impact on the environment
    • Logistics – leaving a smaller carbon footprint
    • Recycling – recycling, reusing and repurposing resources

    In 2020, all of Acer’s notebooks have adopted recycled paper for packaging, and these
    environmentally friendly designs have saved 8,750 kg of paper pulp and cut down on the usage
    of 20 million plastic bags. From Acer’s internal recycling activities, over 50 metric tons of
    batteries were recycled and remanufactured into new ones. More than 75% of Acer employees
    across 50 countries participated—driven by their hearts.

    With Earthion, this initiative has expanded again: Acer seeks to share this culture with its
    partners and suppliers, creating a single overarching platform and creating an even larger circle
    of impact.

    Today, the company has a clear goal of utilising clean energy and sustainable materials,
    culminating in a concerted effort with its suppliers and partners to build its Earthion platform,
    starting with the Aspire Vero, a sustainability-focused notebook.

    Acer Aspire Vero – a Sustainability-Focused Notebook

    The first product within the Earthion platform, Acer’s Aspire Vero, is a step towards reimagining
    what the computer manufacturing process looks like. Post-consumer recycled (PCR) plastic is
    used throughout the device’s chassis and keyboard caps.

    Eco-friendly packaging takes this a step further: the Aspire Vero ships in a box made from 80-85% recycled paper pulp, and plastic bagging for adapter protection is reduced by using paper sleeves instead. Furthermore, the laptop bag and the sheet between the keyboard and screen is made with 100% industrial recycled plastic.

    This emphasis on sustainability carries over to the design language, too. All graphics on the shipping box are printed with soy ink, and the notebook itself contains no paint on the chassis, reducing the impact on the environment. It is held together by easily accessible, standardised screws for a simpler disassembly process. The notebook stands out with unique yellow and volcano grey accents on its bumpers, and the text on the R and E keys have been inverted, calling out the 3 Re’s: reduce, reuse and recycle.

    Behind all of this is an attractive and impressive computer. The latest 11th Gen Intel Core processor with Intel Iris Xe graphics lets it power through daily productivity tasks and more, while up to 1 TB of M.2 SSD storage gives users plenty of space to store music, movies and files.

    This display features a lifting-hinge design that slightly elevates the notebook when opened, allowing for a more ergonomic typing experience, while AI noise suppression offers clarity during 4 video calls. The notebook also comes with Intel Wi-Fi 6 (Gig+), a USB Type-C port, two USB 3.2 ports and an HDMI 2.0 port for video-out.

    Jason Cartwright
    Jason Cartwrighthttps://techau.com.au/author/jason/
    Creator of techAU, Jason has spent the dozen+ years covering technology in Australia and around the world. Bringing a background in multimedia and passion for technology to the job, Cartwright delivers detailed product reviews, event coverage and industry news on a daily basis. Disclaimer: Tesla Shareholder from 20/01/2021

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