Summary

The Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO) in Sweden has launched a series of initiatives in partnership with environmental organizations, consultants and companies to make environmental protection and sustainable development the responsibility of everybody involved in enterprises where computers and office equipment are used.

The "6E" is the latest and most all-encompassing in a series of projects by the TCO's Development Unit to eliminate unhealthy, poor or environmentally-incompatible equipment and practices from offices and other workplaces. Screen Checker, TCO '92 and TCO '95 computer labeling, and the Green Office are being promoted around the world and have already had considerable effect on the market.

The 6E is a practical model which appeals to workers as both producers and consumers to promote sustainable patterns of production and consumption. It combines good environmental practice with sound business economics, and provides an overall approach whereby companies and organizations can integrate considerations relating to ecology and the work environment into everyday decision-making. It establishes environmental standards for everything from purchasing of products and services, to the work process and environment. The "Six E's" symbolize high standards in ergonomics, economy, ecology, emissions, efficiency, and energy.

Just as with TCO's earlier initiatives, 6E is an example of positive action by unions, based on a "direct influence model"; i.e., instead of asking, lobbying, making demands or relying on authorities and legislation, the TCO is equipping its members and member units to exert direct influence on decision-makers and the market.

The Country and Regional Context

Sweden is a Scandinavian country of about 9 million people which provides a model of a progressive country which maintains favorable working conditions and a welfare state, at the same time as it stays abreast of developments in the world economy and maintains a strong export position. About 2/3 of Sweden's labor force is employed in service and administration, where they have benefited from labor standards legislation, training and placement schemes, and job creation schemes.

Although environmental and occupational health and safety continue to be administered in Sweden through separate regulatory frameworks, the two areas have become combined in most workplaces through joint committees which integrate issues affecting both environments.

The Participants

6E and earlier initiative such as Screen Checker, TCO'92 and TCO'95 are initiatives of the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees (TCO) working in partnership with public and private sector companies, consultants and environmental organizations. More specifically, they are products of the TCO Development Unit in Stockholm, Sweden, which operates as a technical support facility through which TCO provides members with tools and guidelines they can readily implement at work and in daily life.

The Unit has been able to exert a strong presence in the market and in working life by developing and promoting projects that contain a vision of the future. It has also established a durable relationship with a growing list of suppliers, external experts, and environmental organizations who are on the front line of adapting technology to humans and the environment.

TCO is an organization of 1.3 million members employed in a professional capacity in both the public and private sector, the majority of whom depend on technology for their work. The structure is based on a broad range of occupational groupings including: doctors, researchers and chemist's employees, financial sector employees, school teachers, civil servants, musicians, salaried employees, clerical and technical employees, theatrical employees, journalists, local government officers, customs and coast guard, police officers, forestry and agricultural employees, and supervisors.

The Union has played a leading role in social change and politics, in which it cooperates with the Swedish Trade Union Confederation (the LO). It has contributed to a strong union presence in the European Union, sharing an office with the LO in Brussels, Belgium. Internationally, it has been an active proponent of Agenda 21, and has worked for improved working conditions, equality and trade union rights through such international bodies as the TCO International Solidarity Foundation.

TCO's success in environmental projects is due to the manner in which it has enlisted participation from other organizations. For example, the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (Naturskyddsforeningen), the largest environmental organization in Sweden with almost 200,000 members, developed the ecological requirements for the environmental labeling of personal computers. It's "falcon" label signifying "Good Environmental Choice" is now on the TCO'95 label, reinforcing the link between the Union and the environmental movement.

NUTEK, the National Board for Industrial and Technical Development in Sweden has also contributed expertise to the development of TCO'95. A government body dedicated to energy efficiency, it has stimulated corporations and consumers to develop greater efficiency in such products as refrigerators, stoves and office equipment.

SEMKO AB, a world leader in the testing and certification of electrical products, strengthens TCO's international network of contacts. The company's service includes environmental certification, and it contributes technical competence in measurement techniques and post-certification checks to TCO-labeled equipment.

The Context for Change in Sweden

TCO's environmental focus has won broad support in the public and the marketplace, because the office is emerging as a common working environment, and the computer as a working tool on which people increasingly depend; e.g., over 80 per cent of all Swedes are affected by it. As the office and computer workstations become increasingly important, unions face demands to link economic progress and sustainable work environments on behalf of office workers, especially as this is an area in which outmoded models of production and consumption still persist.

There is also growing attention to "home work", a trend about which the labor movement, industrial relations experts and social critics have expressed grave concerns. The average home may be well-suited to many human functions; however, it can be one of the least human-friendly environments in which to do office work. The TCO has prepared a "Home Work Checker" to assist people who choose or are compelled to work at home develop a healthy, productive and sustainable working environment.

The TCO also recognizes that growing concern over working and natural environments means that "green" technologies and services will become significant generators of jobs and economic activity. 6E and other TCO projects have deliberately focused on this growing market, trading on the likelihood that companies which display planned environmental strategies will emerge with a powerful competitive advantage. This trend was noted in 1995 by the President of Nokia Display Products, a company certified under the TCO'92 label, when he said:

Eighteen months ago, we often received calls from electrical sensitized people who were looking for low-emission monitors. Now, we receive calls from first-time home computer buyers trying to find a monitor with the lowest level of electrical and magnetic field emission. And, many callers are mothers realizing that their kids will be sitting in front of the computer for hours each night.

In Sweden itself, concern about the quality of the office environment is buttressed by growing public attention to the natural environment; e.g., in the summer of 1995, Swedes would consult daily papers for the first time to find our how long they could stay in the sun, given the depletion of the ozone layer - an alarming indication of the environmental degradation which has occurred.

TCO is addressing global problems in cooperation with the environmental movement in Sweden. A TCO '95 standard, for example, is that manufacturers of office equipment must not use freons during production. They have also addressed greenhouse effects and global warming by supporting the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation in its labeling of railway services to bring down reliance on the private automobile. As well, they have joined scientists and environmentalists to study the effects of electrical and magnetic fields, as hypersensitivity to electricity is emerging as a serious social problem.

Tools for a Healthy and Sustainable Office Environment

In May 1995, three Swedish organizations concluded the first phase of a pilot designed to test and develop the 6E model, in which respect for nature and care for the company, goes hand-in-hand with a working environment in which staff can develop. The organizations included: the Stockholm office of HSJ/Lennart Bergstrom, an architect group; MultiQ, an information technology company in Malmo; and the Skovde municipal planning department, district heating office and nursery school.

The model is based is based on the premise that everyday decisions in organizations are the ones that must be influenced if change is to occur. Requirements for purchasing, for example, allows companies to influence vendors to take the environment into account when producing goods. The goals are included in the six "E's":

• Ergonomics refers to work environments and products that prevent harmful effects on the human factor;
• Economy means the optimizing of resources in the organization, its employees and the environment;
• Emissions refers to the need to minimize or eliminate emissions of harmful waste products;
• Efficiency means the full use of employees' creativity, imagination and knowledge, as well as the latest in environmentally-designed technology;
• Energy means that energy consumption will be minimized and that the principles of recycling and reclamation will be observed; and
• Ecology means that the natural environment will neither be disturbed or destroyed due to human intervention.

The pilot was also a novel approach to the way a union achieves its objectives. TCO developed environmental solutions; but, it also developed strategies whereby members and the public could influence the market to recognize them. By so doing, it developed a model for enforcement of standards that can be used anywhere.

Each pilot organization began by assembling a 6E Team to review all operations, from personnel development to production waste management. Teams received training in 6E, and were provided with the tools to support the efforts of organization, including guides for investment, purchasing, design and manufacture. Final results of the pilot will be assembled by the second half of 1996. in a complete 6E package of tools and a handbook.

At its broadest, the 6E project manifests a vision of a workplace in which environmental thinking is integrated into planning and everyday business operations. Companies which follow the 6E model qualify for their environmental label, important as a growing demand for environmentally-adapted production and products translates into a competitive advantage for companies displaying proof of planned environmental strategy.

The 6E label indicates that the company has met or exceeded current standards, and that it has done so, moreover, through staff involvement in the whole production chain from purchasing to recycling and re-use. It indicates that management and staff take responsibility for their work environment, before, during and after production. This includes the purchase of goods and services and the finished products; i.e., they are of high quality, can be recycled, and are produced in an energy-efficient manner within a healthy working environment.

6E companies invest in and involve a skilled workforce, and are rewarded with high productivity and efficient use of time and resources. Employees are strengthened, feel a sense of ownership and take pride in the knowledge that their products are responsible and of the highest quality. They also benefit from communication that provides them with everything they need to know about the company, its purchases, its operations, and its products.

TCO has tested the ecological principles of 6E in its own training facility at Bergendal, including all operations, from the conference area and hotel to the restaurant. The pilot has yielded positive financial results, including a large increase in bookings. The key in this case was re-use and recycling; following a review by staff, the use of consumables was practically eliminated. Furniture is now being repaired instead of discarded, and more locally-produced food is being served to reduce unnecessary transport and packaging. As well, energy consumption, and electrical costs have fallen dramatically.

An Environmentally Compatible Office project was launched in partnership with the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and NUTEK's Department of Energy Efficiency, to produce a design for an energy-efficient and ergonomically-optimized office, covering all aspects of the office: office equipment, furnishings, fittings, and consumables. Criteria for assessing the ecology, energy and work environment features of offices were drawn up with experts from Previa-Rikshalsen, the Environment Commission and the Swedish Furniture Institute.

Greening of the computer

TCO's environmental principles are perhaps most clearly seen in projects devoted to making the computer more environmentally-friendly. Adapting this technology to human beings, was part of the broader effort to promote a working environment in which employees' judgment, skill and creativity are fully utilized. Information and guidance are provided as a first step, as employees are taught to work with each other, their workplace health and safety committee and their union to find answers to problems they have been identified.

Work on Screen Checker began in 1986 in recognition of the growing use of computers. As human factors were not originally taken into consideration in development of computer screens, they were typically causing eye strain and skin problems. Extensive research revealed other health hazards, as well, such as linkages between low-frequency magnetic fields and pregnancy complications.

Employees who suspect that their screens are unsuitable can use Screen Checker, which is readily acquired and easily employed. A kit provides data to assess screen and keyboard features and to relate them to other factors in the working environment; e.g., work organization and program design. With additional information from suppliers, the user can make an informed choice when purchasing a terminal.

The concept which initially focused on the screen and keyboard, has now been expanded to the testing and certification of the whole computer, as the TCO launched ambitious projects to promote environmental labeling of personal computers. TCO'92 and TCO'95 were named after the years they came on the market. TCO'92 included only computer displays and their characteristics including electrical and magnetic fields, energy efficiency, and electrical and fire safety. TCO'95, enveloped the complete personal computer; i.e., display, system unit, and keyboard; its ergonomic qualities, emissions (electrical, magnetic, noise and heat), energy efficiency and ecology (for both production process and product).

TCO's scheme differs from its precursors (e.g., the German 'Blue Angel' and the Nordic 'Swan' labels) in that it provides a "global" environmental labeling scheme; i.e. one that includes users and working conditions as environmental issues. In some cases, standards were borrowed (e.g., the US Energy Star programme for energy efficiency), and in others, higher standards developed (e.g., applicable ISO standards for linearity, display luminance, uniformity and contrast). There is also latitude to allow updated appendices.

Concrete Results

6E pilots are now being evaluated. Complete reports and a 6E package will be available from TCO in late 1996. As already noted, this model was only another stage in a long-term strategy by the TCO to eliminate unsustainable workplaces and equipment. Screen Checker, one of the first technical packages produced by the TCO to make the office more environmentally-friendly, has won worldwide acceptance and has been translated into nine languages.

Proof that TCO's certification and labeling have won acceptance in the workplace and the market is evident in the growing competitive advantage associated with the TCO '92 computer label In an American market that has proven slower than the European, Nokia Products reported an increase in 1995 sales of TCO certified monitors from two to five percent of sales; about 70 per cent of the 21-inch monitor sales consisted of TCO-certified monitors. Similar indications that acceptance of computer labeling is growing are provided by ViewSonic, a United States manufacturer with TCO Certification for its monitors.

Nokia reports that, in Germany, 85 per cent of the 17-inch monitors they sell are TCO compliant, and that in most cases, this is now a requirement for government purchasing. According to President of Nokia Display Products, Mahyar Motraghi, "Having monitors certified by the TCO has helped us get in the door for large government and corporate contracts; particularly when a company wants to buy from one source globally and wants to choose the safest possible option." Nokia has received several awards for its monitors and has seen its sales increase by three and one-half times in the last year.

Product Lines Certified Through TCO ’92

Ever-wider recognition of TCO certification is evidenced by the large number of trade shows and conventions which request their displays. It has also received growing attention from trade journals; e.g., in Spring 1995, TCO programs were featured in both PC Week and MacWorld, where it was included as one of several evaluation criteria in a number of monitor purchasing guide articles. In 1995 as well, VDT News and CTD News which specialize in computer health and safety, published accounts of TCO'95.

TCO'95 certification was first won by the Norwegian computer manufacturer, Tandberg Data. A monitor from Nokia has also been certified, and applications from two Japanese and one Taiwanese supplier, as well as the German manufacturer, Siemens Nixdorf, are now being processed. Manufacturers claim that the TCO '95 certification requires a commitment to change which is as extensive as that required by the ISO 9000 series.

The Green Office has likewise won acclaim from high profile Swedish companies which piloted the concept:

• Lars-Olle Larson, Environmental Manager for the Swedish Post Office says that his office will now offer a wider range of environmentally-compatible office products. According to him, overall environmental load, as indicated by a life cycle analysis, is lower, and short term-benefits are apparent in lower energy use and generation of revenue from waste paper.
• Anders Jarnemar, Sales Manager for Telia Corporation found staff opinion favorable towards the "green" offices. It is important, according to him, that suppliers clearly know the requirements for green, energy-efficient offices to make purchasing easier.
• Lars B. Johnson, Environment Director for Swedish State Railways noted that green offices allow normal user requirements at the same time as they implement environmental standards in such aspects as choice of materials, energy and resource conservation.

Agenda 21 Objectives and Lessons

6E and associated developments by the TCO in Sweden promote change towards more sustainable forms of economic development by integrating concern for both the working and the natural environments into the production and consumption process. They link environmental action and profitability by producing direct benefits for those who take part in the "greening" of the workplace.

These projects see the stimulus of prices and other market signals as crucial to the changing of patterns of consumption and production, as explained in Chapter 4 (Changing Consumption Patterns). They promote new concepts of wealth and prosperity that create a new interest in worker, consumers, and enterprises for environmentally-sound products. Environmental labeling is utilized as one strategy for evaluating and informing potential buyers and users of the environmental content of products.

The challenge provided in Chapter 8 is to move decision-makers towards approaches that integrate environmental issues into policy-making. This requires changes in information gathering, management techniques and planning. 6E directs individuals to act consciously on their environmental responsibilities and projects such as Screen Checker provide guidance in this effort.

The TCO approach is based on the belief that change requires the commitment and genuine involvement of all groups, as provided in Section III (Strengthening the Role of Major Groups). Workers, managers, purchasing agents and others must know the effect of products and activities, and about environmentally-sound alternatives in order to participate in sustainable development decisions. Much of 6E is an educational process, answering a need for more worker education and training in both occupational health and safety and skills for sustainable livelihoods as contemplated in Chapter 36 (Education, Training and Sustainable Development).

Non-governmental organizations play a key role with their well-developed expertise in the development of TCO projects, as provided in Chapter 27 (Partnership with NGOs). As well, partnerships formed by TCO recognize that many problems and solutions have their roots in local authorities as explained in Chapter 28. They also illustrates the crucial role of Scientists and Technology, as discussed in Chapter 31.

TCO projects provide clear proof of the way that unions strengthen the position of workers seeking positive change, as explained in Chapter 29 (Workers and Trade Unions). They link working and natural environments by providing for the clean-up of an environment in which millions of workers spend a majority of their working lives - the office. Trade union members are amongst those most affected by changes implemented in the name of sustainable development, and therefore have a stake in achieving the goal of full and meaningful employment in a safe, clean and healthy environment.

TCO projects also recognize the important role that responsible entrepreneurship must play, as contemplated in Chapter 30 (Business and Industry). They have added significantly to the body of information for the management of sustainable development as provided in Chapter 39 (Information for Decision-Making).

The TCO Development Unit is publicizing its 6E program and other projects to employees and employers around the world, It invites them to contact their office for more information. As well, the Development Unit is building a network of participating and interested people, companies and authorities to facilitate an exchange of ideas, knowledge and methods consistent with the sustainable development principles of the 6E model.

For further information contact

The TCO Development Unit
S-114 94 Stockholm, Sweden
fax: 46-8-782-9207