Greenpeace: Nintendo is the least green technology company

Friday 27th June 2008 - 15:00

Greenpeace slams veteran console manufacturer and Call of Duty: World at War screens

Nintendo, the family friendly veteran games company, has once again come bottom of the Greenpeace survey of the world's most eco-friendly electronics firms. The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics, published four times a year, ranks 18 electronics firms by how green their products and production processes and products are.

In a report by the BBC, Nintendo said it scored low because it had not provided data for the survey. "Greenpeace chose to conduct a survey and produce a report, which graded companies upon the voluntary submission of information," the firm said in a statement. Nintendo decided not to take part in the survey and were therefore 'ungraded' in the resulting report.

But Greenpeace countered the company's statement and insisted it had been graded. "There is no choice," Iza Kruszewska, toxics campaigner for Greenpeace, told BBC News.

Greenpeace had apparently repeatedly tried to contact Nintendo since early 2007 but the company chose not to engage. As a consequence the environmental group was forced to base its findings from data gleaned from Nintendo's website.

The Guide, now in its eighth edition ranks the top market leaders of the mobile phone, computer, TV and games console markets according to their policies and practices on toxic chemicals and recycling.

The question that many industry watchers are now asking is Why on earth would Nintendo not choose to co-operate? In the latest report Sony came out top with a paltry score of five out of ten. Microsoft fared little better than Nintendo - coming second last. Microsoft came second from bottom; a position that reflected its "low score on climate criteria".

A spokesperson for the firm said: "Microsoft is committed to environmental sustainability and has many programs and policies in place to lessen our footprint. In our consumer electronics business, we comply with and exceed all environmental guidelines and regulations. We are committed to making ongoing progress on environmental issues while maintaining product durability, safety and performance."