Ending the cycle of selling new smartphones on ever smaller timescales should be a top target for the COP26 climate change conference, according to a poll of members at BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT.

Reusing and recycling electronic waste was chosen as the priority policy action to improve tech’s relationship with the environment, showed the survey.

Legislation on “rights to repair” coming in around the world (including in the UK) can help achieve this aim, said BCS, but only if properly promoted and supported by governments.

After reducing e-waste (30 per cent), other tech-related actions government and the tech sector should look to, were carbon transparency reporting (19 per cent), making data centres “truly green” (14 per cent), granting rights to home working (13 per cent), and restricting cryptocurrency mining (12 per cent).

A majority (61 per cent) said they were not confident that IT and digital technologies were being used effectively by industry in the fight against climate change.

Alex Bardell, chair of the BCS green IT specialist group, said: “Rather than being dependent on new devices as soon as we have a failure, the ‘right to repair’ legislation should be starting to make it easier for people to extend the life of their devices. If the starter motor failed on your car you would go to the garage and get a new part, rather than chucking the car away.

“The challenge is that the business model for electronics firms is to push their products, like smartphones, on ever smaller time cycles as a way of generating revenue, and it really does not need to be this way.”

He said the ongoing global chip shortage should be focusing minds on making sure more electronics and gadgets are repaired or refurbished.

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