Acer
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Computer hardware and electronics
Founded in 1976, today they are the world's #4 PC maker, behind Lenovo, HP and Dell. In 2007 Acer bought Gateway for US$710 million.
Acer Inc | TWN | website |
Company Assessment
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Acer Inc | ||||
In 2012 the Enough Project published the Conflict Minerals Company Rankings, which ranked the world's largest electronics companies on their efforts toward using and investing in conflict-free minerals in their products. This company received a 'Green' ranking, signifying it has "taken proactive steps to trace and audit their supply chains, pushed for some aspects of legislation, exercised leadership in industry-wide efforts, started to help Congo develop a clean trade. But they can still dig deeper in their supply chains and outreach."
[Source 2012][More on Human Rights]
In 2018, the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) asked companies to provide data about their efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate climate change risk. Responding companies are scored across four key areas: disclosure; awareness; management; and leadership. This company received a CDP Climate Change Score of B.
[Source 2018][More on Climate Change]
B+ grade in the Baptist World Aid Australia's Behind the Barcode 'Ethical Electronics Guide 2016', which grades companies on their efforts to mitigate the risks of forced labour, child labour and worker exploitation throughout their supply chains. Assessment criteria fall into four main categories: policies, traceability & transparency, monitoring & training and worker rights.
[Source 2016][More on Workers Rights]
Milieudefensie and Friends of the Earth have assessed how open manufacturers of smartphones, tablets, laptops and game consoles are about the use of materials, water, land surface area and greenhouse gas emissions. Assessment also covered whether manufacturers are honest about the use of tin from Indonesia and whether they are prepared to address the abuses in the tin mines on Bangka in Indonesia, such as by participating in the IDH project (Sustainable Trade Initiative). This company received a 'green' rating, indicating they provide ample information on the use of raw materials and is helping to improve the situation in the tin mines on Bangka Belitung.
[Source 2015][More on Human Rights]
In 2017 engineers from ifixit.com disassembled and analysed a range of smartphones, tablets and laptops, awarding each a repairability score between one and ten. Ten is the easiest to repair. A device with a perfect score will be relatively inexpensive to repair because it is easy to disassemble and has a service manual available. Points are docked based on the difficulty of opening the device, the types of fasteners found inside, and the complexity involved in replacing major components. Points are awarded for upgradability, use of non-proprietary tools for servicing, and component modularity. Products by this company scored 8 points.
[Source 2017][More on Product Safety]
This company received a SAM Rank of 77/100 in the Computers & Peripherals and Office Electronics category of the 2018 SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment. The index is based on an analysis of corporate economic, environmental and social performance, assessing issues such as corporate governance, risk management, environmental reporting, climate strategy, human rights and labour practices.
[Source 2018][More on Sustainability Reporting] |
Greenpeace's 2017 report 'Clicking Clean' looks at the energy footprints of large data centre operators and popular websites and applications, and calls on these companies to power their data centres on renewable energy. Companies are graded (A,B,C,D,F) on their commitment to and procurement of renewable energy, as well as energy efficiency, transparency and advocacy. This company's final grade was D.
[Source 2017][More on Climate Change]
This company received a grade of D+ in the Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (Oct 2017), which assesses companies from the electronics industry across three impact areas: energy use, resource consumption, and chemical elimination. Of the 17 companies ranked, this company came seventh.
[Source 2017][More on Climate Change]
This 2016 investigative report by China Labour Watch reveals poor work conditions for Chinese workers making products for this company. Labour rights violations include excessive overtime, forced labour, low wages, inadequate training and working 3 months without a single day off.
[Source 2016][More on Workers Rights]
Brands owned by this company are on RankaBrand's Greenwashing Alert list. These are companies that report in some way on sustainability, but the information they provide is either of marginal or no relevance and is not explicit about sustainability performance.
[Source 2014][More on Irresponsible Marketing]
This company scores Ethical Consumer's worst rating for the likely use of tax avoidance strategies, and has at least two high risk subsidiaries in tax havens.
[Source 2018][More on Finance]
Rank a Brand searches the websites of brands for the answers to carefully targeted questions. From this they calculate sustainability scores based on the themes of environment, climate, labor issues, and transparency. Brands owned by this company received a 'D'.
[Source 2016][More on Sustainability Reporting] |
The Electronics TakeBack Coalition's Recycling Report Card evaluates takeback and recycling programs for computer, TV, printer and game console companies. The report card focuses on the programs available to consumers in the US, and relies on publicly available information, as of Sept 2010. This company received a grade of D for its recycling efforts in the USA.
[Source 2010][More on Habitats]
The Poisonous Pearl is a 2016 report by Good Electronics which focuses on the experiences of (former) workers in the electronics industry in China who are victims of chemical poisoning. The health of all the workers in the report was damaged by exposure to hazardous chemicals such as benzene and n-hexane. All were working in large or small factories in the Pearl River Delta-region of China, an area well known as being a global hub for the production of consumer electronics (ICT). This company is supplied by factories in the region.
[Source 2016][More on Workers Rights]
As listed on the We Mean Business website, this company has committed to the following climate action initiatives: responsible corporate engagement in climate policy.
[Source 2017][More on Climate Change]
This company is a participant in the Public-Private Alliance for Responsible Minerals Trade (PPA), a multi-sector and multi-stakeholder initiative to support supply chain solutions to conflict minerals challenges in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Great Lakes Region (GLR) of Central Africa. The PPA provides funding and coordination support to organizations working within the region to develop verifiable conflict-free supply chains; align chain-of-custody programs and practices; encourage responsible sourcing from the region; promote transparency; and bolster in-region civil society and governmental capacity.
[Source 2019][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]
This company is a member of the Responsible Business Alliance (formerly the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition), a non-profit coalition of electronics companies which supports the rights and wellbeing of workers and communities worldwide affected by the global electronics supply chain. RBA members commit and are held accountable to a common Code of Conduct and utilize a range of RBA training and assessment tools to support continuous improvement in the social, environmental and ethical responsibility of their supply chains.
[Source 2017][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]
This company is a member of the Responsible Minerals Initiative (formerly the Conflict-Free Sourcing Initiative), which helps companies address conflict minerals issues in their supply chains. The RMI provides information on conflict-free smelters and refiners, common tools to gather sourcing information, and forums for exchanging best practices on addressing conflict minerals. Membership is open to companies that use or transact in tantalum, tin, tungsten or gold (3TG). Founded in 2008 by members of the Electronic Industry Citizenship Coalition and the Global e-Sustainability Initiative.
[Source 2019][More on Multi-Stakeholder Initiatives]
This company has sustainability claims on its website including the areas of environment, supply chain and community support.
[Source 2014][More on Sustainability Reporting]
This 2016 scorecard by SOMO compares electronics companies on their policies and efforts regarding responsible mining and the elimination of child labour, with special attention to the mining of gold. This company is above industry standard on 4 out of 7 criteria.
[Source 2016][More on Human Rights]
California, the UK and Australia have all enacted legislation requiring companies operating within their borders to disclose their efforts to eradicate modern slavery from their operations and supply chains. Follow the link to see this company's disclosure statement.
[Source 2016][More on Human Rights]
Greenpeace's 2014 report, Green Gadgets, compares companies on their efforts to eliminate hazardous chemicals from their electronics products. This company is still working towards completing its phase out of PVC and BFRs, based on a credible commitment; it is showing progress by bringing products free of these substances onto the market.
[Source 2014][More on Product Safety] |
Company Details
Company Structure | Public company |
Revenue | US$12 billion in 2013 |
# Employees | 7,292 in 2014 |
Subsidiaries | Acer Computer Australia Pty Ltd |
Contact Details
Address | New Taipei, Taiwan |
Website | www.acer.com |
Products / Brands
Acer Australia
Acer Desktop Computers Acer Laptops Acer Tablets Acer Smartphones |