Lenovo pushes ESG momentum with smarter, sustainable tech solutions

• Photo from Lenovo

By TechWatch PH Staff

Lenovo is strengthening its sustainability playbook as it expands environmental, social, and governance (ESG) programs across product design, operations, and customer solutions, underscoring its long-term goal of achieving net-zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2050.

The company, which has been producing sustainability reports for more than a decade, is rolling out near-term 2030 targets validated under the Science Based Targets initiative’s Net-Zero Standard.

These include major cuts in Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions, led by a 50 percent reduction in direct and energy-related emissions from a FY 2018/19 baseline.

Lenovo is also tracking reductions in upstream transport, purchased goods and services, and the energy footprint of sold products.

Lenovo engineers continue to integrate sustainability into device development, including the company’s low-temperature solder technology that has helped avoid 10,000 tons of CO₂ emissions since 2017.

The company is also amplifying its circularity agenda, having used more than 100 million pounds of recycled plastic in products and packaging since 2005.

Through its Asset Recovery Services, Lenovo refurbishes and recycles end-of-life IT assets, reducing waste while helping organizations manage security and compliance risks.

The shift toward circular materials extends to packaging, where Lenovo has removed thousands of metric tons of packaging consumption since 2008.

Retail boxes for the ThinkPad X1 now use bamboo fiber to reduce packaging weight, while the company has cut more than 50 tons of plastic tape annually through redesigned ThinkPad packaging.

Lenovo is targeting 90 percent recycled plastic packaging for PC products by FY 2025/26, made possible through collaborations such as its partnership with Intel, which continues to integrate bamboo and sugarcane-based materials into device packaging.

Sustainability efforts also extend deep into Lenovo’s global supply chain. The company is working with DB Schenker, Lufthansa Cargo, Maersk, and other transport providers to use renewable energy and low-carbon logistics routes, with a target of removing one million tons of GHG emissions by FY 2025/26.

For customers, Lenovo is expanding its suite of Sustainability Solutions designed to lower the environmental footprint of IT deployments.

These include reduced-carbon transport, bulk packaging, CO₂ Offset Services verified by global climate standards, and TruScale as-a-Service models that minimize overprovisioning. In 2023 alone, the company diverted more than 31,000 metric tons of products for reuse and recycling.

“Smarter technology for all builds a more resilient way forward,” said Michael Ngan, President and General Manager of Lenovo Philippines. “As the world faces growing complexity and uncertainty, Lenovo is committed to innovation that not only drives progress but also ensures long-term value for people, communities, and the planet.”

Lenovo’s ESG push also took the spotlight during the 22nd National Conference of I.T. Interaction Philippines Inc. held on November 13–15, where David Sutton, Sustainability Solutions Lead at Lenovo Asia Pacific, detailed the company’s roadmap in a session titled “Lenovo’s Path to Sustainability: Innovation, Responsibility and Change.”

As organizations sharpen their sustainability targets, Lenovo aims to position smarter, more efficient technology as a catalyst for business resilience, operational efficiency, and long-term climate impact.