Life-cycle inventory analysis and results

Life-cycle inventory analysis

For the life-cycle inventory analysis (LCI), data obtained from specialist literature, journalistic reports and field research as well as information provided by corporations, industry alliances, NGOs and workers’ rights organizations was evaluated and cross-checked with individual corporations and stakeholders. Due to the special political conditions in the People’s Republic of China, a host of problems are associated with gathering data. Despite extensive research, the required data could not be obtained in its entirety. It was especially difficult to obtain data from remoter upstream production processes not immediately linked to the specific product, such as the manufacturing of single electronic components. In this area in particular, there are numerous indications of social problems.

Results

Hence the results relate only to manufacturing processes with comparatively direct links to the product, in supplier firms with comparatively superior social standards. But even here, a number of social problems were identified:

• Working conditions do not meet central European standards in almost any area; in particular, breaches of ILO core labour standards nos. 87 and 98 were noted (freedom of association and organization and the right to collective bargaining).
• There are a great number of short-term contracts with (female) migrant workers. The workforce consists almost exclusively of childless young women.
• As a rule, suppliers in the part of the value chain directly linked to the product keep remuneration in line with the statutory minimum wage. When it comes to payments for overtime, however, there are frequent cases of non-compliance with national and international regulations. In isolated cases, pay is also deducted illegally.
• In many cases, overtime loads exceed statutory limits. There are documented instances of individuals working over 100 hours of overtime per month.

Of course, notebook PC production also has positive effects for China, for the workforce and the regional population on the Chinese east coast, on which data were also collected (e.g. several hundred thousand jobs, contribution to poverty reduction).

The wage costs of labour-intensive manufacturing processes in China can be estimated at less than EUR 30 per notebook, accounting for just a few percent of final notebook selling prices.

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