The New Frontier of UK Decarbonisation
For over a decade, the UK has made impressive strides in reducing carbon emissions. If you look at the headlines, much of this success has come from one major shift: cleaning up our energy supply. We have moved away from coal and embraced wind and solar power at a pace.
However, a recent analysis by the Climate Change Committee (CCC) suggests that the “easy” wins are largely behind us. Their 2024 Progress Report highlights a critical turning point in our national strategy. To meet our ambitious climate goals for the coming decades, we can no longer rely solely on greening the national grid.
The report confirms that more than three-quarters (75%) of the emissions reductions required to meet the UK’s future carbon budgets must come from sectors other than energy supply. This is a profound shift. It moves the responsibility from a few large utility companies to every business, organisation, and department across the country.
We are entering a new phase where the decisions we make about transport, buildings, and the technology we buy will determine whether we reach Net Zero.
Why the Focus is Shifting Beyond Energy
Historically, decarbonisation was centralised. It was managed by regulators and energy giants phasing out fossil fuel power stations. This approach delivered over 50% of the emissions reductions we have seen since 2008.
But the future looks different. To stay on track for our 2030 targets, the rate of emissions reduction in “non-energy” sectors needs to accelerate dramatically. The data indicates that we need to move from a historical reduction rate of 1.6% per year to nearly 4.6% per year.
This urgency means we must look at:
- Transport: moving to electric fleets.
- Buildings: retrofitting for better efficiency.
- Industry: changing how we manufacture goods.
- Supply Chains: addressing the hidden carbon in the products we buy.
Among these, the technology sector is often overlooked, yet it plays a pivotal role. While we might focus on heavy industry or aviation, the Information and Communications Technology (ICT) sector accounts for around 2%-4% of global emissions and it is growing fast.
As CEO, Mat Jordan, Procurri, points out in episode 1 of our Sustainable IT podcast “IT will account for anywhere between 2% and 4% of CO2 emissions. In some exaggerated areas, I’ve even seen it suggested it could peak into 20% by 2030… and the airline industry only accounts for 2%. That gives you an idea of the gravity that IT has around the CO2 generation.”
The Hidden Carbon in Your Office Technology
When we talk about sustainable technology, we often think about energy efficiency, as in how much electricity a laptop uses when it is plugged in. While this is important, it misses the biggest part of the problem.
For a typical laptop, 75% to 85% of its total carbon footprint is generated before you even turn it on. This is known as “embodied carbon.” It comes from mining raw materials, refining them, manufacturing components, and assembling the device.
Every time an organisation buys a brand-new laptop, they are effectively importing a significant carbon liability. Manufacturing a single new device means:
- 190,000 litres of water
- 1,200kg of Earth’s resources
- 331 kg of CO2 produced
This manufacturing process sits within “Scope 3” emissions which are the indirect emissions that occur in a company’s supply chain. For many organisations, Scope 3 accounts for up to 90% of their total carbon footprint. Therefore, simply buying energy-efficient devices isn’t enough; we need to stop the unnecessary manufacturing of new ones.
The Circular Solution: Remanufacturing
To meet the CCC’s mandate for non-energy decarbonisation, we need to change how we consume technology. The traditional “take-make-dispose” model creates vast amounts of electronic waste and drives unnecessary manufacturing.
The solution lies in the circular economy, specifically through remanufacturing. It is crucial to distinguish remanufacturing from simple refurbishment or recycling. Recycling should always be a last resort, as it destroys the product to recover raw materials. Refurbishment often involves just a quick clean and minor repairs.
Certified remanufacturing is different. It involves:
- Comprehensive Testing: The device is stripped down to individual components.
- Rebuilding: Worn parts are replaced, and the unit is rebuilt to an engineering standard.
- Cosmetic Restoration: The device is repainted and refinished so it looks and feels brand new.
By choosing a remanufactured laptop over a new one, an organisation can prevent approximately 316kg (700lb) of CO₂ emissions. This is an immediate, verifiable reduction in Scope 3 emissions that directly supports national climate goals.
Quality Without Compromise
One of the biggest barriers to adopting used technology has historically been concern over quality. Businesses cannot afford to have their teams working on slow, unreliable kit.
However, the industry has matured significantly. Circular Computing has perfected the Circular Remanufacturing Process, certified to the BSI Remanufacturing Kitemark and designed to exceed it. Our process has 360 stages and is a meticulous 5+ hour journey per laptop delivering unrivalled quality and consistency you can rely on. We remanufacture laptops that are:
- Equal to or better than new
- Unrivalled ‘like new’ cosmetic renewal
- RMA of less than 3% at scale
- Windows 11 ready for enterprise deployment
Real-world testing backs this up. Major organisations, including National Grid, have run data-driven comparisons using digital experience scoring tools. The results consistently show that high-quality remanufactured devices perform on par with new equivalents. This validates that sustainable choices do not require a trade-off in performance.
The Triple Win: Climate, Cost, and Quality
Adopting a circular IT strategy offers what we call a “triple win.” It creates value across three critical areas of business operation.
1. The Climate Win
As mentioned, avoiding the manufacture of new devices is one of the most effective ways to cut carbon. Scientific study finds remanufactured laptops produce only 6.34% of CO2 emissions in comparison to new. For a company refreshing 1,000 laptops, choosing remanufactured units could prevent over 300 tonnes of carbon emissions.
2. The Financial Win
Sustainability often comes with a premium price tag, but circular IT is different. Because it avoids the costs of raw material extraction and primary manufacturing, remanufactured technology is significantly more affordable. Organisations can typically reduce their laptop procurement costs by up to 40% compared to buying new. These savings can then be reinvested into other areas of the business or other sustainability initiatives.
3. The Quality Win
The awarding of the BSI Kitemark certifies that our Circular Remanufacturing Process produces products ‘equal to or better than new’ as required by the BS standard BS8887-220 and BS8887-211 – but our innovation doesn’t stop there. Our remanufactured laptops are the global standard bearer for non-new laptops. Uncompromising, consistent quality at scale. Each laptop is remanufactured to be truly ‘equal to or better than new.
Real-World Success Stories
The shift towards circular IT is not theoretical; it is already happening in major public and private sector organisations.
UK Government Leadership
The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) has successfully deployed certified remanufactured laptops. This wasn’t just a cost-saving exercise; it was a strategic move to align their procurement with their own environmental policies. They demonstrated that government departments can reduce waste and carbon without compromising on the digital tools their staff need.
International Precedents
In Ireland, the Office of Government Procurement established a framework specifically for second-life laptops. After rigorous testing, they concluded that these devices were technically excellent and offered significant environmental benefits. This has set a precedent for how nations can use public spending power to drive the circular economy.
Charity Sector Example
Together for Mental Wellbeing, a leading UK charity, adopted remanufactured laptops through Circular Computing to overcome procurement and sustainability challenges. This decision delivered practical benefits while achieving meaningful cost savings, streamlining IT operations, and ensuring consistent, high-quality equipment for staff.
A Roadmap for Sustainable Procurement
The message from the Climate Change Committee is clear: the next phase of decarbonisation requires action from everyone, not just energy companies. For business leaders and procurement teams, this presents a clear opportunity to lead.
To align with this new reality, organisations should consider the following steps:
- Rethink Refresh Cycles: Move away from arbitrary 3-year replacement cycles. Use data to understand when devices actually need replacing, extending their life where possible.
- Prioritise Remanufacturing: When buying hardware, make certified remanufactured devices the default choice, rather than the exception.
- Demand Certification: Ensure any “sustainable” technology you buy comes with independent quality verification to guarantee performance.
- Track Your Impact: Use the carbon avoidance data from these purchases to report on your Scope 3 emissions reductions. This helps with compliance under new regulations like the CSRD.
We are at a pivotal moment. The technology exists to dramatically reduce the environmental impact of our digital lives. By embracing circular models, we can meet the challenging targets set out by climate scientists while building more resilient, efficient, and cost-effective businesses. The mandate is there; it is now up to us to act on it.
