What Global Electronics Council does

Global Electronics Council (GEC) is a mission-driven nonprofit organization founded in 2006 and headquartered in Portland, Oregon. The organization manages the EPEAT ecolabel system, which is the leading Type 1 ecolabel for electronics globally, certified under ISO 14024 by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB). GEC operates a two-sided platform serving electronics manufacturers that register products and pay listing fees, and institutional purchasers (government agencies, corporations, educational institutions) that access the EPEAT registry free of charge to inform sustainable procurement decisions. As of recent reporting, GEC employs approximately 31 staff members.

The organization's core product is the EPEAT registry and ecolabel system, which evaluates electronics against environmental and social criteria across categories including computers, displays, mobile phones, servers, imaging equipment, networking equipment, photovoltaic modules/inverters, and large-format displays. The platform architecture comprises a public registry of qualified products, criteria documents for each category, and a conformity assurance system. In 2024, GEC launched EPEAT 2.0, adding 13 new mandatory criteria spanning climate stewardship, corporate due diligence, and circularity, supported by 13 Launch Partners. GEC also activated Ultra-Low Carbon Solar criteria in June 2024 and launched EPEAT Renew (covering refurbished electronics) in May 2026.

GEC operates as a 501(c) nonprofit. Revenue is generated primarily through manufacturer registration fees for products listed in the EPEAT registry, supplemented by grants, donations, and nonprofit funding. Cumulative impact metrics reported by the organization include 2.7 billion EPEAT-registered products purchased since 2006, $34 billion in cost savings, and 341 million metric tonnes of greenhouse gas reductions. In January 2026, GEC spun off its conformity assurance subsidiary (GEC CAB LLC) to Leiten LLC to create a more agile governance structure.

Name

Global Electronics Council

Legal name

Global Electronics Council

Website

https://globalelectronicscouncil.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Global Electronics Council is a 501(c) nonprofit that manages the EPEAT ecolabel, the leading Type 1 ecolabel for electronics, serving manufacturers paying registration fees and institutional purchasers using the registry for sustainable procurement decisions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Electronics Certification

NAICS

Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Risk, Controls & Governance (GRC) Platforms (FSAFAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Compliance Technology, GRC Platforms & Controls Automation Advisory (BPAHAFAO)

Keywords

• Sustainable electronics certification
• Electronics ecolabel program
• Sustainable procurement tools
• IT product sustainability
• Environmental product certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland, OR

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Manufacturer Registration Fees: Manufacturers pay fees to register products under the EPEAT ecolabel. This includes signing a contract with GEC and working with approved Conformity Assurance Bodies for third-party verification of product claims.
2. Nonprofit Funding and Donations: As a mission-driven nonprofit organization, GEC likely receives funding through grants, donations, and partnerships. No specific funding details provided in sources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Global Electronics Council (GEC) is a nonprofit that manages the EPEAT ecolabel, providing a free searchable registry for institutional purchasers to identify sustainable electronics. Manufacturers pay registration fees and contract with approved Conformity Assurance Bodies for third-party verification of product sustainability claims across categories including computers, displays, servers, imaging equipment, televisions, mobile phones, network equipment, and photovoltaic modules.

Product overview

Global Electronics Council manages the EPEAT ecolabel system, a comprehensive portfolio of sustainability-focused products and programs for the technology sector. The core offering is the EPEAT Registry, a searchable database of sustainable electronics products. The organization offers tiered product designations including EPEAT (base), EPEAT Climate+ (climate-focused), and EPEAT for Solar (solar-specific), along with EPEAT 2.0 as the updated criteria framework. Supporting tools include Benefits Calculators for measuring procurement impact. The program covers multiple product categories including computers, displays, servers, imaging equipment, televisions, mobile phones, network equipment, and photovoltaic modules and inverters.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• EPEAT: Leading Type 1 ecolabel covering products and services from the technology sector, managed by GEC. Offers purchasers access to sustainable IT products including computers, servers, imaging equipment, televisions, mobile phones, network equipment, and photovoltaic modules.
• EPEAT Climate+
• EPEAT Renew

Products and services

• EPEAT Registry Searchable online database listing electronics that meet EPEAT sustainability criteria across computers, displays, servers, imaging equipment, televisions, mobile phones, network equipment, and photovoltaic modules. Free for institutional procurement professionals worldwide.
• EPEAT 2.0 Updated ecolabel criteria framework for electronics and technology products addressing Climate, Chemicals, Circularity, and Responsible Supply Chains requirements for both products and the manufacturers that make them.
• EPEAT Climate+

Quantifiable outcome

• 2.7 billion EPEAT products purchased since 2006
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EPEAT Advisory Council MemberscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory Council includes representatives from Treasury Board of Canada, Janus Henderson Investors, Atea, Samsung, First Solar, State of California DGS, World Bank Group, ECOS, NASA. Provides feedback, advice, and insights on sustainable procurement, technical advancements, and policy requirements. Members serve three-year terms.
• Leiten LLC (formerly GEC CAB LLC)coreTechnology or IntegrationFormer GEC CAB LLC separated from GEC beginning January 2026. Provides third-party conformity assurance services for EPEAT verification. Maintains ISO/IEC 17020 accreditation. Particularly helpful for companies joining EPEAT and small/medium enterprises.
• Approved Conformity Assurance Bodies (CABs)coreTechnology or IntegrationThird-party testing and certification organizations that work with manufacturers to verify product conformance against EPEAT criteria. Must meet ISO/IEC 17020 or ISO/IEC 17065 standards. Managed by GEC staff to ensure quality and performance.
• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPA developed calculators for EPEAT imaging equipment and television product categories. GEC maintains EPA-developed Benefits Calculators alongside its own calculators for computers, displays, mobile phones, and servers.
• United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP recognizes Type 1 ecolabels like EPEAT as the most reliable environmental labels in the marketplace, providing global validation of the ecolabel approach.
• ANAB (American National Standards Institute)coreOthersConducts audits of GEC and provides formal recognition for meeting ISO 14024 requirements for Type 1 ecolabels.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Blue Angel (Umweltbundesamt): German government-operated Type 1 ecolabel covering product categories including electronics/computers. Comparable to EPEAT in criteria framework but operates primarily in European markets and German-language procurement.
• BIFMA (Business and Institutional Furniture Manufacturers Association): Industry association managing furniture sustainability standards (level certification) with third-party verification. Adjacent comparable model to EPEAT but focused on furniture rather than electronics, serving overlapping institutional purchasers.
• EU Ecolabel: European Commission-managed voluntary environmental excellence label covering electronics categories. Comparable Type 1 ecolabel with third-party verification, but operates primarily in EU jurisdiction with policy-driven product focus.

Direct peers

• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC): International nonprofit operating a sustainability certification system with chain-of-custody verification, third-party certification bodies, and brand-paid licensing. Highly comparable governance and business model, though in forestry rather than electronics.
• Green Seal: Mission-driven nonprofit operating a Type 1 ecolabel across multiple product categories with manufacturer fees and third-party verification. Directly comparable operational model to GEC/EPEAT though broader in product scope.
• SCS Global Services: Independent third-party certifier providing sustainability and environmental certification services including for electronics, with ISO-accredited verification. Functions partly as a CAB for EPEAT but also operates competing certification programs.
• Cradle to Cradle Products Innovation Institute: Manages the Cradle to Cradle Certified product standard across multiple categories including electronics, using a multi-attribute certification model with third-party assessors. Closely comparable nonprofit certification model and revenue structure.
• TCO Development: Operates the TCO Certified global sustainability certification for IT products, directly competing with EPEAT for the same electronics product categories and institutional procurement customers. Both are Type 1 ecolabels with manufacturer-paid registration and third-party verification models.

Broad incumbents

• Energy Star (U.S. EPA): U.S. government-operated energy efficiency labeling program for electronics and appliances. Complementary rather than directly competing with EPEAT, but overlaps significantly in institutional procurement specifications for electronic products.
• UL Solutions: Global safety and sustainability certification conglomerate offering environmental claims validation, including electronics-specific programs. Operates a wider portfolio beyond IT but competes for the same institutional purchaser and manufacturer certification spend.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/GEC_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC9Dbg6EYr5Kn-DtZdW3g9QQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/global-electronics-council

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Global Electronics Council