1. by Andreas Manhart & Rainer Grießhammer
Global Electronics Industry:
Structures – Social Impacts – Mechanisms for Improvements
by Andreas Manhart & Rainer Grießhammer
ERSCP 07, 21st of June 2007

2. → Various social trouble spots in the life cycle of ICT products
→ Growing consumer concerns

3. BMBF:
Case study computer
&
Methodology development to integrate social aspects into LCA

4. L i f e C y c l e o f C o m p u t e r s
The Computer‘s Life Cycle
→ Focusing on social aspects
L i f e C y c l e o f C o m p u t e r s
WSIS
EMPA
StEP
Greenpeace
World Bank
FIAN
FFI
CAFOD
SOMO
Corporate data
Hardware
Manufacturing
Resource
Extraction
Use
Disposal &
Recycling

5. The Notebook Industry: Brandname-Companies
Headquarter
Dell
USA
No own production
Hewlett-Packard
Lenovo (formerly IBM)
China (formerly USA)
Acer
Taiwan
Toshiba
Japan
Partly own production
Fujitsu-Siemens
Japan & Germany
Own production (high-end only)
NEC
Sony
Apple
Asus (= Asustek)
Own production

6. The Notebook Industry: Assembly-Companies
Company
Headquarter
Production Sites
Production volume 2006
Quanta
Taiwan
PR China
Compal
Wistron
PR China, Philippines
Inventec
Asustek
Mitac
Uniwill
FIC
Arima –
Twinhead ca
Clevo

7. The Notebook Industry: Supplier-Structure
PR China
Hong Kong
Sanger
Strongwill
Vina
Jingyou
Gold Peak
New Sun
Taiwan
GLW
Simplo
production
headquarter
company
Battery-block assembly: 7%
South-Korea, PR China
South-Korea
LG Chem
12%
Japan
MBI Panasonic
Samsung SDI
15%
Japan, PR China
Sony
28%
Sanyo
market-share
production sites
headquarter
company
Battery-cell manufacturing:

8. Developing Social Indicators
C. Society
C.1 Public commitments to sustainability issues
C.2 Prevention of unjustifiable risks
C.3 Employment creation
C.4 Vocational training
C.5 Anti-corruption efforts
C.6 Social & environmental minimum standards
for suppliers and co-operation partners
C.7 Non-interference in sensitive political issues
C.8 Contribution to the national economic
development
C.9 Prevention & mitigation of armed conflicts
C.10 Transparent business information
C.11 Protection of intellectual property rights
Employees
A.1 Safe & healthy working conditions
A.2 Freedom of association, right to
collective bargaining & workers‘
participation
A.3 Equality of opportunity and
treatment & fair interaction
A.4 Abolition of forced labour
A.5 Abolition of child labour
A.6 Adequate remuneration
A.7 Adequate working time
A.8 Employment security
A.9 Social security
A.10 Professional development
A.11 Job satisfaction
D. Users / Consumers …
B. Local Community
B.1 Safe & healthy living conditions
B.2 Respect of human rights
B.3 Respect of indigenous rights
B.4 Community engagement
B.5 Maintaining & improving social
and economic opportunities

9. → Labour rights activists → Internet-sources → Expert judgements → …
Quantitative & Qualitative Indicators
Quantitative and qualitative
information of various sources
→ Companies
→ Labour rights activists
→ Internet-sources
→ Expert judgements
→ …

10. Social Indicators (for Chinese Factories)
Workers:
Remuneration: 690 RMB (= 69 Euro) per month
Working hours: 196 hours / months officially, about 290 hours unofficially
Child labour: no major problem
Forced labour: no major problem
Freedom of association: not guaranteed
Social insurances: basic (legal obligations)
Housing: Dormitories (8 persons per room)
Discrimination: Young women preferred
Health & safety: Partly hazardous work in
component manufacturing
On product level:
Remuneration: 1.0 – 2.0 Euro per notebook (assembly only)
Working hours: 2.5 – 3.0 hours per notebook (assembly only)

11. Measures towards FAIR electronics:
IMPROVE the handling of critical production processes
(chemicals)
ALLOW independent reporting on working conditions
(e.g. SA 8000)
ESTABLISH durable and trustful business relations between
brandname-companies, suppliers and sub-suppliers
(→ investments in social and environmental standards should not lead to disadvantages)
ENCOURAGE workers to organise and participate
TRAIN workers and management in labour rights issues
(→ national labour law, international standards (ILO))
COMMUNICATE with the consumers
(→ positive marketing of fair and sustainable products)

12. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION !
Contact:
Dr. Rainer Grießhammer
+49 (0)761 –
Andreas Manhart
+49 (0)761 –