The Clean Electronic Production Network (CEPN)’s Toward Zero Exposure (TZE) program is designed to be a journey supporting electronics companies in streamlining the effort to monitor, document, and communicate around process chemicals. The program includes six overarching commitments that companies make with their participations as well as reporting and verification requirements to document how these commitments are implemented.
Together, Founding Signatories Apple, Dell Technologies, HP Inc. and Fairphone have built upon a growing momentum to improve worker chemical safety within the electronics supply chain.
Collectively, our Signatory and program influence continues to grow:
- Signatories included nearly 1 million workers in employee engagement & participation initiatives such as Joint Chemical Safety Committees or grievance hotline awareness, a significant increase over last year.
- Over 1,000 facilities in the Signatories’ manufacturing supply chains have collected data on process chemical use with the Process Chemical Data Collection Tool (or equivalent), remaining consistent with last year’s impact.
- Over 800 facilities in the Signatories’ manufacturing supply chains are estimated to have already substituted the 1st Round of Priority Chemicals. Well over 100,000 employees work in production in those facilities.
- The number of distinct supplier companies that have been influenced to improve worker chemical safety by TZE Signatories also continues to exceed 200 companies.
- Signatory and program influence extends to facilities in at least 30 countries.
The 3rd Annual TZE Report also details the program's growth through new tools and resources and growing recognition among partners, peers, and industry leaders.
“We are humbled to be working with such impressive Signatories who have done so much to advance the impact of the Toward Zero Exposure program and help improve worker safety,” says Pamela Brody-Heine, senior director of CEPN. “We thank our Founding Signatories for paving the way and we look forward to welcoming companies who share TZE’s goals to join us in the effort to create a safer electronics supply chain.”
Read more in the 3rd Annual Toward Zero Exposure report and learn more about the Clean Electronics Production Network on the organization’s website.
The Clean Electronics Production Network—part of the Center for Sustainability Solutions at Green America—addresses complex workplace health and safety challenges in the electronics supply chain. The Network unites diverse stakeholders, including electronics industry brands and suppliers, labor and environmental advocates, governments, and other leading experts. In August 2021, CEPN members launched the Toward Zero Exposure program to integrate and accelerate the work being done by leaders in the electronics industry with the tools developed by the Network.