Global sales of such environmentally sustainable models could reach 485 million units by 2014.

The market researchers suggest that even with an incremental attitude shift by consumers, numbers will still grow from 250 million shipments in 2009 to over 105 million by 2014.

"With manufacturers only now beginning to introduce green handsets, shipment volumes are relatively low in all cases. Moving forward, we should not expect to see production lines of completely 'green' phones, but a gradual move to introducing green elements throughout devices," said Dr Windsor Holden, Principal Analyst at Juniper Research.

Companies that have already included green or solar powered devices in their portfolio include Nokia, Samsung and Motorola.

Juniper Research suggest the average mobile user is responsible for around 25kg of CO2 emissions per year, a collective total of 93Mt (Megatonnes) of CO2 globally at the end of 2008.

With several challenges facing vendors and operators, such as the Kyoto Protocol, a concerted effort is required by companies across the industry to reduce these average emissions by a far greater extent over the next five years, warn the Juniper researchers.

They suggest network operators and handset vendors should increase their promotion of handset take-back initiatives, and increase take-back targets. And they add that "eco-applications offer potential for the mobile industry to reduce CO2 emissions above and beyond its own direct and indirect emissions by exerting a positive influence on consumer behavior."

By: DocMemory
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