IN BRIEF : UN approves universal mobile telephone charger for worldwide use

GENEVA - The United Nations communications technology agency has given its stamp of approval to a new energy-efficient one-size-fits-all mobile telephone charger, the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) announced on Monday. The standardized phone charger will fit all future handsets, regardless of make and model, enabling users worldwide to charge their mobiles anywhere from any available charger, while also reducing the energy consumed while charging, said ITU. Using the Universal Charging Solution (UCS) will lead to a dramatic reduction in the number of chargers produced, shipped and subsequently discarded as new phone models become available. The new charger is estimated to cut standby energy consumption by 50 per cent and eliminate 51,000 tons of redundant chargers, resulting in a reduction of 13.6 million tons in greenhouse gas emissions each year. “This is a significant step in reducing the environmental impact of mobile charging, which also has the benefit of making mobile phone use more straightforward,” said the Director of ITU’s Telecommunication Standardization Bureau, Malcolm Johnson. Ends

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IN BRIEF : UN approves universal mobile telephone charger for worldwide use