Industry Voice: Why Lenovo 360 Circle could be the sustainable move channel tech firms need to make

Today, sustainability extends beyond compliance and regulation – it is an essential business imperative

With e-waste and packaging waste still growing rapidly worldwide, embracing sustainability has become a priority for every company in the technology space and beyond. At Lenovo, we consider sustainability a key driver for innovation to answer emerging industry trends, customer needs, and to deliver smarter technology for all. With IT leaders increasingly shouldering responsibility for many sustainability issues, channel partners must take a broad view of sustainability across the whole value chain, from logistics to services. The key is to first understand the issues, then partner with science-backed organisations to drive results, and take action to build a cleaner, data-driven future.

Responsible ecosystem

Today, sustainability extends beyond compliance and regulation – it is an essential business imperative. Companies are increasingly embedding responsible ecosystem management into their operations, implementing both direct and indirect sustainable procurement practices through ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) programs. This commitment is reflected in procurement and selection criteria, with ESG performance and impact measurement becoming central to decision-making. Many organisations expect their vendors to not only champion sustainability but also to actively collaborate in their journey toward sustainable growth.

For example, at the value chain level, Lenovo is fostering a responsible ecosystem, collaborating across the IT lifecycle with both internal and external stakeholders to drive the needed transformation and accelerate sustainable impacts. Moving from a supply chain to a value chain approach is crucial to successfully integrating the notion of a responsible ecosystem.

Taking a community-based approach

Taking control of sustainability requires a holistic view of the whole organisation and its technology, from the product warehouse to the devices in people’s hands. And organisations cannot travel this road alone. An effective sustainability strategy requires working with outside organisations to monitor and validate goals such as net-zero strategies. To succeed, organisations should also engage with the communities around them through educational initiatives: only by working together, can consumers, governments and businesses create a more sustainable world of tomorrow.

Lenovo 360 Circle

As mentioned, one key action a channel tech company could take to improve sustainability is to embrace a community-based approach, like the Lenovo 360 Circle. Lenovo 360 is a global framework which offers channel partners easier access to the full breadth of Lenovo portfolio, from devices, to infrastructure, to services and solutions – in a cohesive, easy-to-use platform. This community-based approach proved to be the most effective foundation, ensuring that sustainability efforts are actionable, collaborative, and aligned with broader industry goals.

Originally launched in December 2021, the programme includes incentive programmes and tools to make it easier for Lenovo channel partners to strengthen their position in the market. It brings people, programmes and tools together.

By joining a community, channel partners can collaborate to drive circular outcomes for customers, promoting responsible procurement and consumption while breaking down barriers to sustainability. This approach not only accelerates sustainability efforts within the channel ecosystem but also unlocks new business opportunities and strengthens corporate ESG commitments.

Need for collective action

The Lenovo 360 Circle initiative serves as an inspiring example of how large companies can effectively collaborate with their partners to tackle complex sustainability challenges through transparency, data-driven insights, and a mutually beneficial support system. By focusing on partnership and collective action, Lenovo is leading the way toward a more sustainable future, proving that collective action is key to real climate progress. The lessons learned through this initiative provide a valuable roadmap for other organisations seeking to create impactful change within their ecosystems.

With IT leaders increasingly shouldering responsibility for many sustainability issues, businesses need clarity and policies in place around every part of their organisation. A top-down view across the whole organisation and its use of technology is essential, from choosing vendors who offer nearby manufacturing and sustainable shipping and packaging, to asset recovery services to ensure devices never end up in skips at the end of their lives. By taking a broad view of sustainability across the whole value chain, from logistics to services, we can all build a cleaner, data-driven future.

This article is sponsored by Lenovo.