Questions & Answers
1. What is the SASF?
The Sustainability Assessment Framework (SASF) is an initiative of the Global e-Sustainability Initiative (GeSI). It has been developed in cooperation with GeSI member-companies and external ICT experts. SASF allows the evaluation of the sustainability performance of ICT products and services.
2. What are the benefits of the SASF?
SASF is a unique and comprehensive assessment framework. It enables ICT companies, from hardware manufacturers to service providers, to evaluate the sustainability performance of their products and services. The result is a product score, ranging from 0 points (lowest performance) to 100 points (highest performance).
The results allow very valuable insights into the value chain of products and services. We recommend using SASF as an internal management tool, as it allows users to manage their portfolios of sustainable products and services. Furthermore, SASF provides a solid foundation for policy/decision-making.
3. Which service or product should be assessed?
SASF is conceptualized and designed to be applicable to all major ICT products and services which comprise ICT hardware and/or data centres and/or networks. The application objective is to address the major sustainability impacts of the global ICT sector. Considering the diversity of current and future ICT products and services, it is possible that not all indicators are applicable to certain specific products/services, or do not cover all relevant sustainability impacts adequately (e.g. biodiversity).
4. Who can use the SASF?
All GeSI member companies are warmly invited to use SASF. More detailed information is available here: http://gesi.org/about/becoming-a-member
5. Are the scores reviewed by an external body?
Assessment results remain confidential and are not reviewed by an external body. We recommend using SASF as an internal management tool (see Q2).
6. Do I have to pay a fee?
GeSI member companies do not have to pay any fees. The use of SASF is free of charge.
7. How many users can register for a single company?
The number of users is unlimited.
8. Which languages are supported?
SASF is available in English.
In addition the navigation bar is available in the following languages: Arabic, Chinese, Dutch, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
9. Are my company results visible to anyone else?
No. All uploaded content is treated confidentially and cannot be seen by third parties. The results are only visible within the company account. See also Q14 on the website privacy and security settings.
10. Is there a user manual which describes the function of the assessment framework?
Yes, a user manual is available in SASF under the ‘Home’ tab. In addition, webinars are offered in which users are encouraged to ask framework-related questions (see Q13).
11. When can I start using the SASF?
SASF is available from June 2016.
12. Approximately how long does it take to complete the product-assessment process?
The evaluation process depends on the level of availability of the information and resources within your company. Once the first product assessment is accomplished, part of the acquired information can be used for future assessments.
13. How can I attend the support webinars?
During the course of 2016, four webinars will be offered. Each webinar concludes with a Q&A session offering a unique opportunity to put framework-related questions to the project team.
To attend a session, please contact Christian.Behrendt@stakeholder-reporting.com.
Dates:
- Wednesday July 27, 2016
10 AM Eastern Daylight Time | 4 PM Central European Summer Time
- Thursday August 25, 2016
4 PM China Standard Time | 10 AM Central European Summer Time
- Thursday September 22, 2016
10 AM Eastern Daylight Time | 4 PM Central European Summer Time
- Monday October 24, 2016
4 PM China Standard Time | 10 AM Central European Summer Time.
14. What are the privacy settings?
- SASF is hosted on a data centre in Germany.
- All communication with this website is strongly encrypted and carries an EV SSL certificate.
- User passwords are encrypted and salted.
- Security checks, e.g. penetration tests by some of our largest customers and partners, are regularly scheduled. The pen-test results can be made available upon request.
- Extensive monitoring and automated alerts are available in case of potential security threats.