Fairphone and Honest Mobile launch industry first sustainable smartphone with a carbon negative mobile network

Fairphone, the Dutch social enterprise building a market for ethical smartphones, and Honest Mobile, the UK’s only B Corp certified mobile network, announce the launch of the first ever carbon negative and sustainable mobile proposition. The B Corps are joining forces to offer UK smartphone users with an industry first: a sustainable smartphone with the world’s first carbon negative mobile network. “We want to show the industry – and consumers – that it’s possible to do things differently in the smartphone industry. Our partnership with Honest Mobile is proving to the electronics industry that making people and planet an integral part of doing business is a viable option. We’re excited to join forces with an organisation that wants to help us amplify our goal of reducing the CO2 emissions of smartphones”, explained Leon, Boshuizen, Commercial Director at Fairphone.

Producing a new smartphone accounts for between 85% to 95% of a device’s total CO2 emissions for two years. To off-set these emissions, Fairphone encourages its customers to use their smartphone for as long as possible because the longer a device is used, the lower its environmental footprint. In fact, Fairphone’s life cycle assessment for the Fairphone 3, researched in collaboration with the Fraunhofer IZM Berlin, found that using a phone for five to seven years can reduce CO2 emissions by around 30-40%. Fairphone’s modular design allows users to keep their phone longer by making the device repairable and upgradeable, so they can easily replace components including batteries, screens and speakers. Too often in consumer electronics, users resort to buying a new device because the battery has deteriorated, the screen is scratched or there is a minor fault – this model is detrimental to the environment.

Honest Mobile is the first UK mobile network to become carbon neutral and now the first in the UK to become carbon negative. The tech industry is responsible for around 3.7% of greenhouse gas emissions, about the same amount as one of the worst climate offenders – the airline industry. HonestMobile is able to achieve carbon negative status by planting trees. They calculate their emissions each month and then offset double the CO2 through sustainable reforestation projects. Users can track how many trees they’ve planted in the Honest Mobile App. “We couldn’t be more excited to announce our partnership with Fairphone, proving that there’s a different way to approach mobile. Together, we’re making it easy for consumers to switch to more sustainable handsets with Green Data helping to change mobile, for good“, said Andy Aitken, CEO and Co-founder at Honest Mobile.