EPEAT announced on Wednesday that the organization will be reassessing how it rates ultrathin laptops like Apple’s MacBook Pro with Retina Display. Apple or its products weren’t specifically mentioned in the announcement, but it follows Apple having pulled it’s products from the EPEAT registry, only to reverse its decision after a public outcry over the action.
“We want to recognize all our stakeholders for the invigorating discussions of the past few weeks,” the company said in a statement posted to its homepage. “The worldwide interest in EPEAT is testimony to the importance of the work we are all engaged in to develop and recognize greener electronics.”
The group says it has launched a “surveillance investigation” to figure out what’s relevant when rating the devices. “We will execute these investigations as rapidly as we can,” EPEAT CEO Robert Frisbee wrote in the statement. “We will consider factual evidence and technical demonstrations from multiple sources including manufacturers, designers, recyclers and other technical experts.”
EPEAT’s decision to reassess their criteria is seen as an indication that they want to stay relevant as companies like Apple push their designs to new levels. Apple’s decision to rejoin the group is seen as an indication of the company’s desire to keep its product line “green”. (And continue to sell to organizations and governments who require equipment to be listed as environmentally friendly.)
