Feb. 17 (Bloomberg) -- Mobile-phone manufacturers and operators including Nokia Oyj and Vodafone Group Plc will develop a standardized handset charger to save money and energy, the GSM Association said.

The target date for release is Jan. 1, 2012, the London- based association said today in a statement. Users will no longer need a separate charger for each brand of phone.

“One of the great frustrations for my working life has been the occasional misplacement of the charger,” said Alex DeGroote, an analyst at Panmure Gordon & Co. “A universal charger would be massively life enhancing. As a mobile-phone user I wholeheartedly endorse this.”

The new chargers will use 50 percent less energy and cut the number made each year by half, lowering greenhouse gases from making and transporting them by 13.6 million tonnes to 21.8 million tonnes. So far, 17 companies are involved, including Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.’s 3 Group, AT&T Inc., Motorola Inc., France Telecom SA’s Orange, Qualcomm Inc., Samsung Electronics Co., Telefonica SA and Deutsche Telekom AG’s T-Mobile.

“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,” GSM Association Chief Executive Officer Rob Conway said in the statement.

To contact the reporter on this story: Juho Erkheikki in Helsinki at jerkheikki@bloomberg.net.

Last Updated: February 17, 2009 05:03 EST