How CDW and Partners Are Cutting IT Emissions to Meet Canada’s Net-Zero Targets

Canada’s most recent national inventory shows that emissions in 2024 were only about 10.3 percent below 2005 levels. This leaves about 227 million tonnes of reductions still required by 2030.

In IT terms, enabling fewer emissions starts with smart IT procurement. By making more conscious decisions about which kind of devices to buy and how they’re managed, organizations can ensure less carbon is released into the environment.

The majority of a device’s lifetime emissions come from manufacturing, materials extraction and supply chains rather than day‑to‑day use. This is because a significant portion of IT’s carbon footprint is locked in at purchase.

Choosing devices built with recycled materials, lower‑carbon components and transparent environmental reporting can significantly reduce device emissions before a system is even powered on.

Beyond the device itself, procurement decisions influence how long technology stays in service, how efficiently it operates and how responsibly it is retired. If devices stay operational for longer, organizations can prevent net new carbon emissions.   

Lifecycle management strategies such as extending refresh cycles, enabling repairability and redeployment can help reduce both procurement‑driven emissions and e‑waste.

As ESG awareness increases, investors, customers, boards and regulators are asking for clearer visibility into how environmental impacts are measured. And as sustainability reporting frameworks mature, organizations may face pressures to explain procurement choices with credible emissions data. Here, the Scope 2 (indirect emissions from purchased energy) and Scope 3 (all other indirect emissions) categories are most relevant as they are harder to track and mitigate.

Canadian organizations can do their part in meeting the 2030 national target without making any massive operational changes. The following IT strategies, ranging from longer device lifecycles to sustainability tracking, go a long way to support the mission.

Extending device lifecycles strategically means moving beyond fixed refresh cycles. Instead of  automatically replacing devices after three years, organizations must manage devices based on performance, usage and condition, rather than age alone.

Since a large portion of a device’s carbon footprint is generated during manufacturing, keeping hardware in productive use for longer can help reduce emissions tied to new procurement.

The result is less e‑waste generated, lower total cost of ownership and measurable reductions in Scope 3 IT emissions.

Our partners at Apple feature innovations that keep devices running for longer, maintain performance and improve carbon neutrality.

If you’re keeping devices in service longer, you’ll want them to maintain speed and performance as software evolves. Apple Silicon gives Macs and iPads the performance headroom to handle evolving software demands for years without slowing down.

Apple devices are already built with 100 percent recycled aluminum enclosures and 100 percent recycled rare earth elements. Keeping them in active service for four to five years (instead of two to three-year cycles) can help increase the environmental return on that investment.

Apple offers long OS update support (more than five years) to ensure your fleet remains protected and compatible long after the initial purchase. When you finally do refresh, Apple hardware’s durability and high residual value mean devices can easily be traded in, refurbished and deployed for a second lifecycle, keeping e-waste out of landfills.

HP places strong emphasis on extending device lifecycles, which can be effective in reducing IT‑related emissions. Through its IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services, HP collected used devices and successfully refurbished over 85 percent of them in 2024, avoiding e‑waste and the emissions associated with manufacturing new hardware.

HP’s Certified Refurbished PCs also have less impact on the environment. For example, a refurbished HP EliteBook 840 G7 is estimated to have a 72 percent lower carbon footprint compared to a new equivalent device. These refurbished systems are tested, restored using genuine HP parts and backed by HP warranty.

Employee devices, whether work laptops or Wi-Fi routers, come with an embodied carbon footprint. This refers to the total greenhouse gas emissions generated from the entire lifecycle of materials used in the device.

But innovative manufacturing processes and using recycled parts can help device manufacturers minimize emissions. Procuring devices with recycled materials helps the environment in two main ways:

• Lowers the demand for virgin raw materials such as plastics, aluminum and rare earth elements.
• As material extraction and manufacturing generate a significant portion of a device’s lifetime carbon emissions, this approach cuts carbon at the very start of the IT lifecycle

Dell Technologies has a complete lineup of products that contain recycled body parts, enabling lower carbon footprint.

Dell Pro notebooks and desktops feature circular materials throughout, including post-consumer recycled plastic, bio-based plastic, recycled ocean-bound plastic, recycled aluminum, low-emissions aluminum, recycled steel and recycled glass.

The battery packs and adapters feature recycled cobalt and recycled and low emissions aluminum. The adapter for Dell Pro Max Plus comes with a noteworthy 80 percent of recycled copper in the cable.

Dell PowerEdge R750 servers used for edge computing also come with 12 percent of recycled steel in their construction.

Dell’s devices ship in packaging made from 100 percent recycled or renewable materials. The company also offers select desktops to be eligible for multipack options for easier unboxing and reduced transportation and packaging waste.

The Dell Pro Max portfolio of workstations feature reliable design with modular USB-C ports that provide up to 14 times better twist resistance and up to 100 times better impact resistance.

Select models feature modular mainboards and I/O boards for easier repairs and reduced e-waste, while modular batteries connect to the frame to minimize damage.

78 percent of Logitech products are made with recycled plastics to give a second life to end-of-life electronics, while 44 percent of their products are PVC-free. This helps extend the use of plastics for everyday devices, cutting down on plastic waste.

Their popular devices, such as Zone Wireless 2 headphones and Wave Keys keyboards, feature post-consumer recycled plastic, which reduces their overall carbon impact. The company also uses renewable energy in manufacturing to further offset carbon emissions.  

As organizations embrace hybrid and remote work, employee devices are no longer confined to a single office or location.

Laptops, monitors and accessories are purchased at scale and replaced on different timelines. This makes the carbon impact of IT hardware more dispersed and harder to measure or manage centrally. Much of that impact also sits in Scope 3 emissions, tied to manufacturing, logistics and end‑of‑life activities.

With offset efforts for a distributed workforce, the goal is not just to reduce where possible, but to neutralize the remaining lifecycle emissions associated with employee devices. This way, organizations can demonstrate tangible climate action alongside workforce flexibility.

Our partners at Lenovo offer services aimed at offsetting the estimated lifecycle emissions of each device at the point of purchase.

Lenovo calculates the expected carbon footprint of a device across its full lifecycle from manufacturing to disposal. An equivalent amount of CO₂ is then offset through contributions to verified climate action projects, such as renewable energy initiatives supporting wind and solar power.

The company links each device’s offset contribution directly to its serial number, providing transparency and traceability. The supported projects are validated by independent standards like Gold Standard® and Climate Action Reserve, helping ensure the offsets are credible and measurable.

• Creates an auditable way to address IT‑related emissions without complex carbon footprint calculations.
• Helps support ESG reporting and show progress on climate commitments.
• Responsibly manages the carbon footprint of a modern, distributed workforce.

Tracking sustainability metrics per product line helps organizations move from high‑level sustainability intent to measurable, defensible action.

This gives IT and sustainability teams clear visibility into where emissions actually come from. Different device lines such as premium laptops, standard desktops, etc., can have very different carbon footprints based on materials and manufacturing methods.

By tracking metrics like embodied carbon, recycled content and energy use per product line, organizations can make more informed procurement decisions.

HP and Logitech feature a host of benefits for customers interested in improving sustainability tracking through their environment-conscious decisions.

HP was one of the first global IT companies to publish a full value‑chain carbon footprint, covering manufacturing, distribution and product use. This transparency allows customers to make more informed IT procurement decisions and better track emissions for ESG and sustainability reporting.

HP also enables lower‑carbon IT not only through products, but by transforming how technology is made and delivered.

The company reported a majority percentage of renewable electricity in U.S. operations and drove a 41 percent reduction in absolute carbon emissions since 2019 across its operations and value chain.

Logitech takes a product‑by‑product approach to sustainability by calculating and publishing the full lifecycle carbon footprint of individual devices.

This covers manufacturing, transportation, use and end‑of‑life stages. These metrics are displayed directly on product packaging and online as carbon impact labels, similar to nutritional labels on food.

Further, all Logitech product carbon footprints follow ISO 14067 and ISO 14044 standards and undergo independent third‑party critical review. This gives organizations confidence that the data behind each product line is consistent, credible and suitable for ESG disclosures and Scope 3 emissions reporting.

Meeting Canada’s 2030 emissions targets requires a coordinated, end‑to‑end approach to sustainable IT. CDW Canada partners closely with leading technology vendors, helping Canadian organizations translate sustainability goals into practical, measurable action across their IT environments.

We bring together deep sustainability expertise, vendor alignment and consultative capabilities to support you at every stage of the IT lifecycle.

• IT Asset Disposition (ITAD) services: Securely recover value from unused technology while reducing environmental impact. Through certified data wiping, responsible resale and compliant recycling, CDW ensures devices are handled safely and sustainably.
• Extend asset life: Keep infrastructure and devices operating longer, delaying carbon‑intensive replacements while maximizing return on investment.
• Sustainable print solutions: Help organizations right‑size and modernize their print environments from energy‑efficient hardware to devices made with recycled materials and delivered in sustainable packaging.