I TRADE TALK I
I TRADE TALK I ADVERTORIAL Euronics Managing Director unveils pioneering Green Product Passport at IFA Berlin 2023 What if consumers could decipher which products are more sustainable in the blink of an eye? Euronics, a global network of retailers representing 35 countries, aims to achieve just that by developing a Green Product Passport. Managing Director John Olsen tells us more about the company's green initiatives in an exclusive interview with IFA International. How do you want to incite consumers to buy and use more sustainable products? We can only sell products that are sustainable, but we need to be better at detecting what products are truly green, or greener than others. So far, "being John Olsen, Euronics Managing Director green" is sold on energy consumption with energy labelling, but we have to go further. We know there is movement at an EU level on digital product passports. At Euronics, we say we make a Green Product Passport that is about recyclability and repairability, and touches upon moving towards a circular economy. We are rolling this out across categories, starting with TV. What can you tell us about Euronics' strategy to reduce CO2 end-to-end in retail operations? We focus very much on the "E" side of environmental, social, and governance (ESG), because Euronics has 35 member countries, and we consider the "social" and "governmental" parts beginning more on a local level. Furthermore, we have defined a strategy with four pillars: decarbonise operations, stay compliant following EU regulations, move towards a circular economy, and have a sustainable product portfolio. What are your action steps towards a circular economy? We have a 2030 target and we want to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2050. What are consumers prioritising right now? What is very positive is that we are seeing that younger consumers especially, and consumers with more economic potential, are more willing to buy into more expensive products that are more durable and sustainable hub 27 / Stand 101 Visit Treedom at IFA and redeem your free tree!* IFA and Treedom have started the IFA forest with 5,000 trees! “Together, let’s green the planet!” Sustainability Village Hall 2.2 Stand: 409 *first-come, first-served. Once you have redeemed your tree, you’ll receive a photograph and geolocation of where your tree is in the world, as well as updates on the project and the impact it’s having on the environment and local community. IFA INTERNATIONAL • SATURDAY 2 ND & SUNDAY 3 RD SEPTEMBER 2023 17
