TCO Certified FAQ for IT purchasers
This FAQ answers common questions about TCO Certified, including how it works, what the criteria cover, and how it supports sustainable IT procurement.
The main difference is that TCO Certified requires independent verification, while self-declared sustainability labels are based on claims made by the IT brand without external review.
In TCO Certified, all criteria are mandatory and compliance is independently verified by approved verification organizations, both before and after certification. This includes product testing, document review, and audits of manufacturing conditions.
Self-declared labels, on the other hand, typically rely on information provided by the brand owner. Without independent verification, it can be difficult to assess whether claims are accurate, comparable, or consistently applied.
TCO Certified is developed according to the principles of ISO 14024 Type 1 ecolabels, which require transparency, relevant criteria, and independent verification.
Compliance with TCO Certified is independently verified by approved verification organizations, both before and after a certificate is issued.
Before certification, product models and supply chain conditions are reviewed to ensure that all criteria are met. Verification includes product testing, audits of manufacturing conditions and document review. All criteria are mandatory, and there are no exceptions.
After certification, compliance is continuously monitored throughout the certificate’s validity period. Products and factories are followed up with spot checks based on risk assessments, and a selection of products is re-tested each year.
If non-compliance is identified, corrective actions must be taken within a set timeframe. Failure to address issues can lead to consequences such as withdrawal of certificates or loss of the right to manufacture certified products.
- Independent verification before certification
- Mandatory criteria with no exceptions
- Continuous monitoring, including spot checks and re-testing
- Corrective actions and consequences in case of non-compliance
Testing and audits in TCO Certified are carried out by independent, accredited verification organizations.
These organizations are approved by TCO Development and specialize in areas such as IT products, environmental responsibility, and social sustainability. All test facilities are accredited according to ISO/IEC 17025, ensuring that assessments are carried out using reliable and internationally recognized methods.
Verification includes product testing, factory audits, and review of documentation. Products are tested to ensure they meet technical and environmental criteria, while factories are audited to assess working conditions and environmental performance.
Verification is conducted both before certification and throughout the certificate’s validity period. Independent experts also carry out follow-up activities such as spot checks and re-testing to ensure that compliance is maintained over time.
By using independent verification organizations, TCO Certified ensures that all assessments are impartial and based on evidence, not on claims made by IT brands.
- Independent verification organizations approved by TCO Development
- Accredited test facilities (ISO/IEC 17025)
- Product testing, factory audits, and corrective action plans
- Ongoing monitoring, including spot checks and re-testing
If a product, or the factory where it is manufactured, no longer complies with the criteria in TCO Certified, corrective actions must be taken within a set timeframe.
TCO Certified is not a one-time check. Products and their manufacturing facilities must meet the criteria throughout the certificate’s validity period. If non-compliance is identified through audits, product testing, or follow-up activities such as spot checks, the IT brand is responsible for investigating the issue and implementing corrective actions.
If the issue is not resolved within the specified timeframe, the certificate can be withdrawn. This means the product can no longer be marketed as certified according to TCO Certified.
In cases where non-compliance is linked to manufacturing, factories may also lose the right to manufacture certified products.
- Non-conformities must be corrected within set timeframes
- Independent follow-up ensures issues are addressed
- Certificates can be withdrawn if requirements are not met
- Factories may lose the right to manufacture certified products
TCO Certified covers four key sustainability areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain.
TCO Certified addresses the most critical environmental and social risks connected to IT products throughout the product life cycle. The criteria are designed to reduce climate impact, ensure safer substances, extend product lifespan and enable circular use, and improve working conditions and environmental performance in the supply chain.
Each area includes a comprehensive set of mandatory criteria, and compliance is independently verified to ensure that requirements are met in practice.
- Climate — reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the product life cycle.
- Substances — ensuring safer substance use in products and manufacturing.
- Circularity — extending product lifespans and supporting circular flows of products and materials.
- Supply chain — improving working conditions and reducing social and environmental risks.
TCO Certified is a global certification, with criteria that are the same worldwide and certificates that are valid across all markets.
This means that a product certified according to TCO Certified meets the same criteria regardless of where it is sold or used. There are no regional adaptations or different levels of certification.
The global scope also makes TCO Certified a more effective tool for driving change. When purchasing organizations around the world use the same criteria, they create a unified demand for more sustainable IT products. This sends a clear and consistent signal to IT brands, increasing the impact and efficiency of sustainability requirements.
TCO Certified is used by purchasing organizations and IT brands around the world, making it a common framework for sustainable IT across global supply chains and markets.
- Global criteria — the same requirements apply worldwide
- Certificates valid in all markets
- No regional variations or different levels
- Used by buyers and IT brands worldwide
TCO Certified covers a wide range of environmental and social sustainability aspects throughout the IT product life cycle, but it does not include every possible impact related to IT products.
Scope of criteria
TCO Certified focuses on areas where criteria can be clearly defined, independently verified, and followed up over time. It does not cover impacts that cannot be measured or verified in a reliable way.
Criteria level
Criteria are designed to be ambitious but achievable, to drive continuous improvement in the IT industry. Requirements that are too difficult to meet would not lead to progress, as they would not be implemented in practice.
Continuous development
The scope of TCO Certified is continuously updated to address new sustainability challenges and technological developments. Each year, criteria are reviewed and updated, and every three years a new generation is launched.
Validity of certification
TCO Certified applies only while a product is certified. During this period, compliance is continuously monitored through independent verification. Once a certificate expires or is withdrawn, TCO Development is no longer involved in managing issues related to that product or its manufacturing.
User responsibility
TCO Certified supports more sustainable IT products and procurement, but it does not cover how products are used or managed within an organization. To achieve full impact, responsible use and IT management are also required.
- Focuses on areas that can be clearly defined and independently verified
- Criteria are designed to be ambitious but achievable
- Scope is continuously updated to address new challenges
- Applies only while a product is certified
- Does not cover how products are used or managed after purchase
No, not all IT products are eligible for certification according to TCO Certified.
TCO Certified currently covers displays, notebooks, tablets, smartphones, desktops, all-in-one PCs, headsets, imaging equipment, projectors, servers, network equipment and data storage products.
A general criteria document is also available and can potentially be applied to additional IT product categories. Before a product can be certified using this document, TCO Development evaluates the applicability of each criterion for the specific product type.
To be certified according to TCO Certified, a product must meet all criteria applicable to its category. Compliance is independently verified by accredited experts.
Thousands of certified product models from well-known IT brands are available worldwide.
All certified products are listed in Product Finder.
Yes, TCO Certified covers the entire product life cycle, from raw material extraction and manufacturing to product use, reuse, material recovery and end-of-life.
The criteria are designed to address sustainability risks at each stage. This includes comprehensive environmental and social requirements in four focus areas: climate, substances, circularity and supply chain.
Examples of how different life cycle stages are covered:
- Manufacturing and supply chain — criteria for working conditions, environmental and energy management systems, anti-bribery, responsibly sourced minerals, and reduced greenhouse gas emissions in production.
- Product design — requirements for energy efficiency, durability, repairability, safer substances, and battery longevity and replaceability.
- Product use — a minimum of five years of product support, including warranties and free security and functionality updates.
- Chemicals and materials — safer substances must be independently assessed and approved before use.
- End-of-life — criteria that support reuse, recycling, and responsible handling of products and packaging materials.
By addressing all major stages of the product life cycle, TCO Certified helps reduce environmental and social impacts and supports more sustainable IT solutions.
TCO Certified is developed and managed by TCO Development, an organization independent of both IT brands and buyers, with more than 30 years of experience in driving sustainable IT.
The criteria are set by TCO Development and are the same for all products within a given product category, regardless of which brand applies for certification. While input from industry experts and other stakeholders is part of the development process, in line with the principles of ISO 14024 (Type 1 ecolabels), IT brands do not decide the criteria.
Compliance is independently verified by approved verification organizations. These organizations test products, audit factories, and review documentation to ensure that all criteria are met. This means that certification is based on evidence, not on claims made by the IT brand.
All criteria are mandatory, and there are no exceptions. Products must meet every requirement to be certified according to TCO Certified.
- Criteria are developed and managed by TCO Development
- The same requirements apply to all IT brands
- Compliance is independently verified
- All criteria are mandatory, with no exceptions
IT brands can contribute input to the criteria development process, but they do not decide the criteria in TCO Certified.
The criteria are developed by TCO Development in an open and transparent process that includes a wide range of stakeholders, such as purchasers, researchers, NGOs, industry representatives, and other experts. Draft criteria are published for public review, and all interested parties are invited to provide feedback.
To ensure independence, the process is designed so that no single interest group can dominate decision-making. Final decisions are made by TCO Development, which evaluates all input and ensures that the criteria remain robust, balanced, and aligned with sustainability goals.
The development work is guided by the Roadmap for Sustainable IT, which outlines clear steps to drive progress in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain. The roadmap provides transparency on both current and future criteria, allowing IT brands, purchaser organizations, and other stakeholders to align with long-term goals.
This approach follows the principles of ISO 14024 (Type 1 ecolabels), which require transparency, stakeholder involvement, and protection against undue influence.
- Input from multiple stakeholders, including IT brands
- Open consultation with draft criteria publicly available
- No single stakeholder group can dominate decision-making
- Final decisions made by TCO Development
- Transparent roadmap guiding future criteria development
IT brands apply for certification and are responsible for ensuring that their products meet all criteria in TCO Certified.
This responsibility is defined by contract and includes both the product and the factories where it is manufactured. Non-compliance has real consequences — certificates can be withdrawn, and factories may lose the right to manufacture products certified according to TCO Certified.
To get a product certified, IT brands must use factories listed on TCO Certified Accepted Factory List. These factories are independently audited, with specialist auditors given full on-site access to carry out assessments in line with RBA-VAP or SA8000. Brands must also provide product samples and documentation, which are reviewed as part of the independent verification process.
IT brands can also contribute input during the criteria development process. However, they do not decide the criteria, which are developed and managed by TCO Development.
For IT brands, using TCO Certified means gaining access to a structured system for continuous improvement that helps organize and accelerate sustainability work. Clear criteria, independent verification, and regular follow-up provide a practical framework for identifying risks, prioritizing actions, and implementing improvements over time.
No, IT brands cannot buy a certification according to TCO Certified.
To be certified, a product must meet all criteria in TCO Certified, and compliance is independently verified by approved verification organizations. This includes product testing, factory audits, and review of documentation. Certification is only granted when all criteria are fulfilled.
IT brands pay a license fee when a product is approved, but this fee does not influence the outcome. It covers the administration of the certification system and ongoing verification and follow-up.
Compliance is also continuously monitored throughout the certificate’s validity period. If criteria are not met or non-conformities are not corrected within set timeframes, the certificate can be withdrawn.
- Certification is based on compliance, not payment
- All criteria are mandatory, with no exceptions
- Independent verification ensures objective assessment
- Continuous monitoring and real consequences for non-compliance
TCO Certified addresses greenwashing risks by requiring that all sustainability claims are independently verified and based on mandatory criteria.
All products certified according to TCO Certified must meet the full set of criteria for their category. Compliance is verified by approved independent organizations through product testing, factory audits, and documentation reviews. This ensures that claims are based on evidence, not self-declaration.
Verification is not a one-time check. Compliance is continuously monitored throughout the certificate’s validity period, with follow-up activities such as spot checks and re-testing. Any non-conformities must be corrected within set timeframes, and certificates can be withdrawn if criteria are not met.
The certification is developed in line with ISO 14024 (Type 1 ecolabels), which sets strict requirements for transparency, relevance, and independent verification. This framework is specifically designed to reduce the risk of misleading or unsubstantiated claims.
- Independent verification of all criteria
- Mandatory criteria — no selective compliance
- Continuous monitoring and follow-up
- Clear consequences for non-compliance
- Developed according to ISO 14024 principles
TCO Certified helps reduce environmental, social, and compliance risks connected to IT products and their supply chains.
The criteria address key risk areas, including climate impact, hazardous substances, limited circularity, and risks related to both working conditions and environmental impact in supply chains. By requiring that compliance with all criteria is independently verified, TCO Certified helps organizations avoid relying on unverified claims.
This reduces the risk of non-compliance with regulations, as well as exposure to greenwashing and bluewashing. It also helps organizations avoid supply chain disruptions, reputational damage, and unexpected costs linked to unsustainable practices.
- Social and environmental risks in all parts of the product lifecycle
- Compliance risks related to ESG and regulatory requirements
- Reputational risks linked to greenwashing and bluewashing
- Operational risks, including supply chain disruptions
Yes, TCO Certified can support organizations in meeting ESG and regulatory requirements by providing independently verified criteria and data covering key sustainability areas.
The criteria are aligned with internationally recognized standards and frameworks and address environmental and social responsibility throughout the product life cycle. This helps organizations manage risks related to climate impact, hazardous substances, circularity, and supply chain conditions.
Each product certified according to TCO Certified comes with independently verified data that can be used for sustainability reporting, impact tracking, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
By including TCO Certified in procurement, organizations can simplify due diligence processes and strengthen their ability to meet ESG goals and legal obligations.
- Supports ESG reporting with independently verified data
- Helps address regulatory requirements and due diligence obligations
- Covers key risk areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain
- Reduces risk through independent verification and structured criteria
TCO Certified supports sustainable procurement by providing a comprehensive, globally applicable certification with independently verified criteria and product data.
It helps organizations identify products that meet robust environmental and social criteria without needing to carry out their own assessments. All products certified according to TCO Certified are verified to meet the full set of criteria, regardless of where they are sold, reducing the risk of greenwashing and bluewashing, and simplifying decision-making.
Each certified product model comes with independently verified data that can be used to track sustainability performance and support reporting in key areas such as climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain.
By including TCO Certified in procurement, organizations combine their purchasing power with others worldwide, sending a clear signal to the IT industry and helping to drive more sustainable practices at scale.
- Simplifies procurement with globally consistent criteria
- Reduces risk through independent verification
- Provides reliable data for reporting and decision-making
- Supports regulatory compliance and sustainability goals
- Enables collective impact by aligning demand across organizations
TCO Certified can be used in two main ways in procurement: as a requirement in technical specifications, or as part of a broader sustainable IT strategy.
The easy way — include TCO Certified in specifications
The simplest approach is to require products certified according to TCO Certified in your procurement documents. This ensures that all selected products meet a comprehensive set of environmental and social criteria, without the need for your own assessments. As proof of compliance, you should state that products are listed in Product Finder at delivery and throughout the contract period.
The comprehensive way — make TCO Certified part of your strategy
A more strategic approach is to integrate TCO Certified into your organization’s sustainable IT strategy. This includes preparing the organization, engaging stakeholders, and using procurement as a tool to drive sustainability goals. By doing so, you can track impacts and report on sustainability performance in areas such as climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain.
Using TCO Certified in procurement also helps influence the market. By clearly specifying your requirements and engaging suppliers early, you encourage IT brands to apply for certification and take new steps toward more sustainable practices.
You can find all products certified according to TCO Certified in Product Finder, an online tool where you can search, filter, and compare certified product models across categories.
Each listed product comes with independently verified data and information about how it meets the criteria in TCO Certified, helping you make informed purchasing decisions.
If the product models you are looking for are not yet certified, you can still influence availability. By clearly communicating your requirements to suppliers, you encourage IT brands to apply for certification.
To enable this, inform your suppliers at least six months before your request for proposal that you intend to specify TCO Certified. This gives brands time to complete the testing, assessments, and audits required for products to be certified according to TCO Certified.
- Search and compare certified products in Product Finder
- Access independently verified product data
- Request TCO Certified to influence future product availability
- Inform suppliers early to allow time for certification
TCO Certified includes comprehensive criteria covering four key sustainability areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain.
The criteria address environmental and social risks throughout the product life cycle, from raw material extraction to end-of-life. They are designed to reduce climate impact, ensure safer substances, support longer product lives and circular flows of products and materials, and improve working conditions further up the supply chain.
All criteria are mandatory, and products must meet all criteria in their category to be certified according to TCO Certified. Compliance is independently verified both before and throughout the life of the certificate to ensure that the criteria are met over time.
Examples of what the criteria cover:
- Climate — reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the product life cycle.
- Substances — ensuring safer substance use in products and manufacturing.
- Circularity — extending product lifespans and supporting circular flows of products and materials.
- Supply chain — improving working conditions and reducing social and environmental risks.
The criteria in TCO Certified are developed by TCO Development in a structured process based on scientific evidence and stakeholder dialog.
The development process includes input from experts, researchers, industry representatives, and other stakeholders to ensure that the criteria are relevant, effective, and practical to implement. To stay ahead of legislation and adapt to technical developments, a new set of criteria is developed every three years. When relevant, the criteria are aligned with international standards and frameworks such as ILO core conventions and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
- Based on scientific knowledge and real-world conditions
- Developed in dialogue with multiple stakeholders
- Aligned with international standards and regulations
- Regularly updated to drive continuous improvement
The criteria in TCO Certified are updated every three years, with a new generation of the certification launched to address emerging sustainability challenges and technological developments.
Each new generation includes new and updated criteria designed to take the next step in environmental and social responsibility. Verification methods are also adjusted, to ensure that compliance with the new criteria set can be verified. The development process is extensive and includes analysis of sustainability risks and possible solutions, stakeholder dialogue, and several iterations of the criteria documents before the final criteria are published.
This structured update cycle ensures that TCO Certified remains relevant and continues to push the IT industry toward more sustainable practices.
- New generations are launched every three years
- Criteria are updated to address new risks and industry developments
- Continuous monitoring ensures relevance over time
Yes, TCO Certified includes comprehensive criteria to reduce the climate impact of IT products throughout the product life cycle.
IT products contribute to greenhouse gas emissions at every stage, with most emissions occurring during manufacturing. To address this, TCO Certified includes criteria that go beyond product energy efficiency and focus on reducing emissions across the full value chain.
The criteria promote longer product lifespan, improved energy efficiency, and increased use of renewable energy in manufacturing. IT brands are incentivized to implement emission-reduction activities that go beyond industry standards.
- Addresses greenhouse gas emissions across the entire product life cycle
- Focuses on manufacturing, where most emissions occur
- Promotes longer lifespan to lower annual emissions
- Supports the transition to renewable energy in production
Yes, TCO Certified includes comprehensive criteria designed to support circular IT solutions and extend the lifespan of IT products.
The criteria promote a circular approach by requiring durable product design, the ability to repair and upgrade products, and access to spare parts and service information. IT brands must support products for at least five years, including warranties and free security and functionality updates, helping to keep products in use longer.
Additional criteria support circular systems, including secure data removal, unique product identifiers, and more responsible end-of-life management.
- Minimum five years of product support, including updates and warranties
- Promotes longer product lifespan through durability and repairability
- Supports reuse, refurbishment, and recycling
- Independently verified repairability index for mobile devices
TCO Certified manages hazardous substances by taking a proactive approach, where chemicals are treated as a risk until they have been independently assessed and approved as safer alternatives.
Substances are evaluated by independent toxicologists, and only those verified as safer can be used in certified products and manufacturing. Approved substances are listed on the publicly available TCO Certified Accepted Substance List, which is continuously updated as new scientific data becomes available.
In addition, the most hazardous substances have been banned from certified products and their packaging for more than 25 years, including heavy metals and certain flame retardants.
The criteria also extend to manufacturing processes, where chemicals such as cleaners and solvents must be approved as safer. Workers must be protected through risk training, monitoring, and access to protective equipment.
- Substances are treated as hazardous until proven safer
- Independent assessment by toxicologists
- Criteria cover both products and manufacturing processes
TCO Certified improves supply chain conditions by combining comprehensive environmental and social criteria, independent verification, and a structured system for continuous improvement.
The criteria address key risks, including working hours, health and safety, worker exposure to hazardous substances, and environmental impacts. To ensure progress, factories are regularly audited. All criteria are mandatory, and non-conformities must be corrected within set timeframes.
Factories that manufacture certified products are risk-categorized and listed on TCO Certified Accepted Factory List. High-risk factories are audited more often. IT brands can view the list and choose to locate production at a lower-risk factory, creating a business incentive for factory owners to prioritize sustainability.
Criteria include:
- Worker well-being and compensation
- Anti-bribery
- Supply chain transparency
- Responsibly sourced minerals
- Environmental and energy management systems
- Coverage of the ILO core conventions and the UN Conventions on the Rights of the Child
The future development of TCO Certified is guided by the Roadmap for Sustainable IT, which outlines a long-term strategy for driving sustainability in the IT industry.
The roadmap provides clear, step-by-step plans in four key areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain. It is designed to address current challenges while setting direction for future criteria, helping both IT brands and purchasers prepare for what comes next.
A new generation of TCO Certified is launched every three years, with updated criteria and verification methods. These updates introduce new requirements, raise ambition levels, and ensure that the certification continues to reflect the latest sustainability challenges and technological developments.
The long-term ambition is to drive systemic change in the IT industry. This includes reducing greenhouse gas emissions across the product life cycle, ensuring safer substances, enabling circular use of products and materials, and improving working conditions and environmental performance in global supply chains.
By making future requirements visible in advance, the roadmap helps organizations plan ahead, align with upcoming criteria, and take the next steps toward more sustainable IT solutions.
- Long-term roadmap guiding future criteria and priorities
- New generations launched every three years
- Increasing ambition across climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain
- Clear direction to help organizations prepare for future requirements
TCO Certified is a global sustainability certification for IT products that covers environmental and social responsibility throughout the product life cycle.
The certification includes a comprehensive set of criteria in four focus areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain. Compliance is independently verified by approved verification organizations, both before and after a certificate is issued. TCO Certified is available for a wide range of office IT product categories, including displays, notebooks, and smartphones.
TCO Certified is a tool for sustainable IT procurement. It helps purchasing organizations identify and source product models responsibly. It meets the requirements of ISO 14024 Ecolabel Type 1 and is recognized by the Global Ecolabelling Network. Thousands of certified products from well-known IT brands are available worldwide.
- Global criteria — the same requirements apply worldwide
- Mandatory criteria — all certified product models must meet all criteria
- Independent verification — compliance is always independently verified
TCO Certified was established in 1992 when TCO Development introduced the world’s first global certification for IT products.
The first generation of TCO Certified focused on ergonomic and energy-efficient computer displays, and required that all displays had an energy-saving sleep mode. Since then, TCO Certified has evolved into a sustainability certification that helps IT buyers source IT products responsibly.
A new generation launches every three years. Gradually, new sustainability areas and additional product categories have been added. TCO Certified is now available for a wide range of office IT product categories, and its criteria cover social and environmental sustainability in four focus areas: climate, substances, circularity, and supply chain.
A sustainability certification is needed for IT products because the industry is associated with complex environmental and social risks that are difficult for individual purchasers to manage on their own.
Key challenges include climate impact, hazardous substances, linear methods for manufacturing and use, as well as environmental and social risks throughout the IT product supply chain. These issues often occur across global and multi-tiered supply chains, making it difficult to assess and verify sustainability performance without a structured framework.
TCO Certified was developed to address these challenges by providing comprehensive criteria and independent verification. It helps organizations reduce sustainability risks and use their purchasing power to drive improvements in how IT products are designed, manufactured, and managed throughout the product life cycle.
Learn more about the sustainability issues:
A wide range of IT products can be certified according to TCO Certified. Thousands of certified products from well-known IT brands are available worldwide.
Product categories include displays, notebooks, smartphones, tablets, desktops, all-in-one PCs, projectors, headsets, imaging equipment, servers, and data storage products. Criteria are mandatory — certified product models and their manufacturing facilities must meet the full set of criteria for their category.
All certified products are listed in Product Finder.
TCO Certified is developed and managed by TCO Development, an organization with over 30 years of experience in driving sustainable development in the IT industry.
TCO Development works globally with a mission to ensure that IT products have a more sustainable life cycle. The organization develops the criteria and verification methods, and launches a new generation of TCO Certified every three years. The criteria levels are the same for all markets and certificates are valid globally.
TCO Development is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, and has an international team working across multiple regions. The organization is owned by TCO, the Swedish Confederation of Professional Employees.
- Developed and managed by TCO Development
- More than 30 years of experience in sustainable IT
- Global organization with international reach