The useful question is what changes for users, developers or buyers, and whether the announcement stays industry context or becomes something people can actually use.

Fairphone’s new Nature and Biodiversity Assessment examines how electronics manufacturing, particularly mineral extraction, contributes to water pollution, soil degradation, and biodiversity loss. The report identifies 11 global mining hotspots in countries including Brazil, Guinea, and Indonesia, where resource extraction for components like gold and cobalt poses severe ecological risks. Manufacturing processes, especially for printed circuit boards, displays, and batteries, were found to contribute significantly to water and soil contamination, with 75% of a smartphone’s environmental impact occurring before consumer use. The assessment uses the Science-Based Targets for Nature framework and lifecycle data to provide granular insights, aiming to address gaps in outdated or incomplete biodiversity reporting across the tech industry.

The report highlights that current sustainability efforts in tech often focus narrowly on emissions and renewable energy, overlooking broader ecological impacts. Fairphone argues that even technologies marketed as ‘green’ may harm nature if biodiversity loss is not properly measured and mitigated. By tracing 24 priority minerals through its supply chain, the company pinpointed critical pressure points in regions where mining operations disrupt fragile ecosystems. The findings underscore the need for companies to adopt comprehensive nature-related reporting frameworks like the EU’s CSRD and the TNFD to comply with emerging regulatory requirements.

Fairphone plans to use the assessment to reduce and remediate environmental damage in collaboration with indirect suppliers and industry partners. The company will publish its methodology and data in full, encouraging other tech firms to adopt similar approaches beyond climate-only strategies. The goal is to foster multi-stakeholder platforms with local communities to design sustainable solutions in high-risk mining regions. Fairphone emphasizes the importance of collective action, sharing insights, and supporting local nature impact assessments to drive systemic change across the electronics supply chain.

The assessment is part of Fairphone’s broader commitment to fairer working conditions and responsible sourcing in its supply chain. While the report focuses on environmental impacts, it also touches on social issues like child labor, which the company states is systemic in the electronics industry. Fairphone invites stakeholders to engage with its findings and methodology to collectively address nature-related risks and set actionable targets for improvement in the tech sector.