An overview of environmental product performance measurement in the Asian electronics industry

The reigning (academic) paradigm is that environmental performance measurement in companies (for example via LCA or environmental benchmarking practices) is done because of reduction of environmental impacts and the search for environmental improvement options. Based on a number of recent interviews with Asian electronics companies, the conjecture in this paper is that in fact environmental performance measurement of products is purely based on risk management. Compliance issues, potential competitiveness, legitimacy and imitative behavior are the main drivers behind ´design for environment´ processes. This at least partly explains the earlier identified gap between current design for environment practice and regular business processes. It is therefore suggested that risk management be identified as a means to better align these.