Software Licensing Drives E-Waste and Corporate Emissions

Both the United Nations and Forscope addressed global e-waste issues on November 2, 2026. Forscope stated that software licensing decisions significantly affect corporate carbon emissions and technology spending. The company noted that software-induced obsolescence occurs when businesses replace functional hardware because it cannot run newer software efficiently.

Forscope found that manufacturing accounts for 74 per cent of a corporate laptop’s total emissions over its lifecycle. The company argues that licensing models influence the environmental footprint of IT by determining which devices businesses need and how long they can use existing equipment.