As part of its Sustainable Procurement activities, McGill University’s Procurement Services contributes to the ongoing development and improvement of sustainability criteria for EPEAT® (Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool), a leading international ecolabel used in the electronics sector. Over the past few years, McGill’s Program Manager for Sustainable Procurement, Dr. Stéphanie Leclerc, participated in technical committees alongside other stakeholders, including governments, NGOs, manufacturers, and environmental groups, to help shape these new standards.
The updated EPEAT criteria, set to take effect on November 1, 2025, cover several important areas, including climate, circularity, chemicals, and responsible supply chains. They focus on promoting decarbonization, energy efficiency, the reduction of hazardous substances, and sustainable practices like recycling, repairability, and responsible product end-of-life management.
Dr. Leclerc reflected on McGill’s involvement, saying, “By being part of this process, we’ve helped ensure that the criteria reflect the interests of institutional purchasers like us, who want to source electronics that meet higher sustainability standards. Being part of the process also provides a unique opportunity to understand some of the social and environmental risks in our supply chain for electronic products, and what leading brands and manufacturers can do to manage and prevent these risks.” Dr. Leclerc has been a member of the EPEAT advisory council for 8 years and was, more recently, participating on the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) technical committees overseeing the drafting and adoption of new sustainability criteria.
As an example: As part of the acquisition of equipment to enhance advanced computing capabilities in Quebec, the supplier awarded the contract for Advanced Research Computing Procurement ("Cluster 3") achieved a Silver ranking in the EPEAT sustainability assessment for certain CPU servers.
According to the Global Electronics Council which manages the EPEAT program, the use of the EPEAT ecolabel has led to over 341 million metric tons of CO2 equivalent reductions and $34 billion in lifetime product savings since its inception in 2006. This reinforces the potential for EPEAT to drive significant environmental and cost-saving benefits.
Paul Chamberland, McGill’s Chief Information Officer, expressed the importance of these new criteria, noting, “The updated EPEAT framework will help us make more informed decisions as we seek to track and manage environmental and social impacts in our supply chain.”
Acquiring EPEAT registered products is an important component of the AASHE Stars program for which McGill was awarded a Platinum ranking. As all universities participating in the AASHE Stars program need to demonstrate that they are acquiring the top rated EPEAT products, it is important for universities to take part in the processes driving these standards. This involvement is consistent with our institution’s commitment to prioritize responsible sourcing and demonstrating leadership in sustainable procurement and supporting greater sustainability in general.