Mobile phone manufacturers will introduce a universal charger for handsets by 2012, reports CNN.
The move — announced Tuesday by the GSMA (Groupe Speciale Mobile Association), which represents more than 750 of the world’s cell phone operators — is expected to cut greenhouse gas emissions that result from the manufacture and transport of chargers by more than 35 million metric tons per year. Chargers that accompanied the 1.2 billion cell phones sold last year accounted for 51,000 to 82,000 metric tons of materials.
“The mobile industry has a pivotal role to play in tackling environmental issues and this program is an important step that could lead to huge savings in resources, not to mention convenience for consumers,” said GSMA CEO Rob Conway in a statement. “There is enormous potential in mobile to help people live and work in an eco-friendly way.”
The new charger will use a micro USB plug.