Sustainable Technology Practices Start With HP
April 01, 2022 | NECS
With environmental challenges threatening to cause serious life-changing damage in the future, working together with companies that are hyper-aware of their global footprint is imperative. One of the leading technology companies in the world is HP. As a global leader, HP recognizes that a spotlight has long been on them to set a positive example in the industry, specifically when it comes to sustainability. While many companies have started to establish better environmental practices, HP has been making positive headway in the print and technology industry for years now. They’ve long understood that the way companies conduct themselves has a direct impact on our climate.
With the release of their global sustainability report, HP has shared their goals on how they’re continuing to strive for a cohesive and successful future by actively engaging with the environment, human rights, and digital equity.
Why Sustainability Matters
Sustainability is defined as being the avoidance of depleting the world’s natural resources, while also looking to achieve balance in our ecological system. This term incorporates a broad array of topics under its umbrella, including environmental, economic, and social consciousness. All of these are main concerns for HP, who’ve been thoughtful in their approach on sustainability since the inception of their company.
As the first global IT company to publish a full carbon footprint report and setting carbon emission reduction goals (HP), HP has long strived to set a positive example for others in the tech industry. They recognized early on that organizations have a responsibility to protect our planet because we all collectively suffer if companies ignore the reality of our current climate crisis.
Businesses should be focusing on sustainability and buying from companies who are environmentally conscious because the long-term effects of choosing otherwise could cause irreparable damage. Carbon footprint impressions have a trickle-down effect in society, with the most vulnerable populations and future generations suffering for today’s poor decisions. Without transparency and the refusal to set sustainable goals for the future, other companies risk damaging societies for years to come.
Making climate-conscious buying decisions helps support not only your company’s sustainability goals, but also ushers in a new era of positive global change.
HP’s Sustainability Goals
In HP’s latest report on sustainability they announced that their main goal is to become the world’s most “sustainable and just technology company by 2030.” (HP) This report is one of many that HP has released over the years outlining their aspirations to bring real change to the world, with the hope that their goals will see the negative impacts of climate change reversed and human rights protected. Over the last twenty years, HP has been offering transparency about their global footprint to customers to enable better decision making about purchases. Buying office supplies might not seem like it could bring about real change to the world, but in truth, every action we take has an impact on our environment. HP understands that we need to be working together towards the betterment of our planet, not hurting it.
In their report, HP laid out three of their main focuses: climate action, human rights, and digital equity. Each one has their own specific goals, while every individual goal helps to bolster the progress of the next.
Talking about these goals together means that we can all join in the fight for positive change. It isn’t just the responsibility of individuals to make a difference, but also the responsibility of companies. Reviewing, learning, and following along with these goals can help your company strive for a more sustainable future alongside HP.
Climate Action:
HP’s main focuses for climate action revolve around their hopes to achieve net-zero carbon by the year 2040 and help create a fully regenerative economy. To do this, HP has engineered one of the world’s most sustainable profiles of products and solutions in the technology industry. This goal is neither new nor a product of fad branding. HP has long-time been a supporter of climate action.
HP’s transparency about their carbon footprint was first realized with the release of their 2007 greenhouse gas (aka GHG) emissions report. They understood that it’s important not only for their company, but also for their customers to understand the importance of how our carbon emissions linger and continue to damage our planet’s ecosystems.
As the first IT company in the world to publish a GHG report, and in 2013 “set a GHG emissions reduction goal for [their] supply chain, as well as the first to publish [their] complete carbon footprint.” (HP) HP started to make positive progress towards their reduction goals. Following both public and scientific opinions, while openly sharing their progress every step of the way, HP has excelled beyond their competition and are leaders in meeting sustainability goals.
As of the latest report, HP announced some of their current reduction goals as being:
- Reducing unnecessary waste by maintaining, upgrading, repairing, and working with service-based business models to achieve 75% circularity for their products and packaging (HP).
- By 2025, HP wishes to be using 100% renewable electricity to power their global operations (HP).
- Work collaboratively with other organizations such as Arbor Day Foundation, Chenming Paper, Domtar, New Leafe Paper, and International Paper to protect and restore our global forests.
- Continuing the HP Sustainable Forest Collaborative, which helps create a positive future for forests within the print industry.
Human Rights:
Sustainability isn’t just about climate action, either. It includes fighting for human rights and creating equity, diversity, and inclusion across all levels of society. Human rights issues are forever interconnected with sustainability since climate change directly impacts many of the world’s most vulnerable populations. Respecting human rights around the world continues to be one of HP’s primary concerns.
To ensure that the suppliers who currently represent them are all working together for equity, HP asked that they undergo social and environmental assessments. In 2020, 95% of all suppliers had undergone such an assessment (HP).
Digital Equity:
By providing holistic solutions, HP wants to break down the digital divide that restricts people’s access to education, healthcare, and economic opportunities. For the world to continue thriving, HP knows that digital equity is a must.
The fundamental human right for education especially is a top-priority for HP. They’ve placed an emphasis on supporting education programs that help marginalized and vulnerable communities around the world get access to the education that they deserve.
In 2020, there were a total of almost 20.8 million students who’d benefited from HP’s education programs and solutions to advance digital literacy (HP).
Meeting Your Sustainability Goals
NECS has learned so much from HP about sustainability, and why it matters. We think all this information is invaluable to our own customers. Seeing other companies’ sustainability goals helps all of us make proactive buying decisions for our offices.
Choosing to buy HP creates a network of positive change for our climate. HP’s sustainability goals to achieve net-zero GHG emissions by 2040, and maintaining zero deforestation for HP’s paper and paper-based packaging means that all partners working with them can provide customers with sustainable choices. Each HP purchase that you make with NECS takes you one step closer to meeting your own sustainability goals.
Now more than ever, it’s important that we all unite. It’s time to work towards a brighter and greener future.
If your company doesn’t yet have sustainability goals, it’s not too late to start. Follow in the footsteps of HP and start striving to create a world that’s better for everyone. Seemingly small things like changing your paper products, upgrading your printers to water-based ink, or having print fleet management that monitors your print output to scale-back on the number of print jobs in your office can be beneficial sustainability changes.
If you’re not sure where to start, contact us today. We’re partners with HP, and we know how you too can create a business that’s more sustainable.
Together we can act and make positive changes.
Featured Products:
HP Elite c1030 Chromebook Enterprise Laptop
HP has one of the most sustainable PC portfolios through the use of their energy efficient, recycled materials, to design products that are built to last.
This Chromebook is the first of its kind, built with ocean-bound plastic and featuring 75% recycled aluminum in its top lid, as well as a keyboard made from 50% post-consumer recycled plastics (HP).
HP DesignJet Printer Series
These printers are built to align with sustainable practices and they’re designed to use water-based inks, which are better for the environment.
This printer series is the “first net carbon neutral HP DesignJet plotter” and is also ENERGY STAR® certified.
To learn more about our sustainable technology, contact us today.