HP Becomes the First IT Company to Set Supply Chain Emissions Goals

The company formerly known as Hewlett-Packard, now called HP, is the first IT company to set a supply chain greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction goal. HP recently announced its goal of a 20 percent decrease in its first tier manufacturing and product transportation-related GHG emissions by 2020 from a 2010 baseline. Earlier this year, HP became one of the first companies globally to publicly disclose its complete carbon footprint. In 2008, HP became the first major IT company to measure and publish aggregated supply chain GHG emissions.

HP plans to achieve its GHG emissions reduction goal partly by creating business incentives for suppliers to set and achieve. In addition, HP plans to directly prevent two million metric tons of GHG emissions across its supply chain through specific environmental projects, including:

• Expanding its Energy Efficiency Program for manufacturing suppliers
• Instituting specific emissions reduction initiatives with suppliers with GHG intensive operations (for example, an LCD panel manufacturer)
• Creating production transportation-related efficiency initiatives

HP has one of the largest supply chains among IT companies with over 1,000 production suppliers and tens of thousands of non-production suppliers. HP’s supply chain is in six continents, and over 45 countries and territories. With a supply chain that big, HP can have a positive impact on the IT sector. Or, as Matthew Banks, senior program manager, Business and Industry, World Wildlife Fund, said, “This is a significant commitment that will have a measurable impact on HP value chain emissions.”

We hope others follow the lead of HP in realizing the cost and emissions savings for their suppliers. HP and the other 29 WWF Climate Savers partners have the potential to make immense impact in innovating our way through the planet’s climate challenges,” Banks adds.

“We understand the importance of reducing our carbon footprint, promoting sustainability throughout the IT supply chain and driving innovation that creates a better world and brighter future,” said Tony Prophet, senior vice president, Operations, Printing and Personal Systems, HP.

HP includes GHG emissions reduction goal in its 2012 Global Citizenship Report

HP stated its GHG emissions goal in its recently released 2012 Global Citizenship Report. The report details the IT company’s numerous environmental achievements, including ranking number three for the third consecutive year in the Newsweek Green Rankings. Other environmental achievements concern the energy use of its products:

• The HP Moonshot system uses up to 89 percent less energy compared to traditional servers.
• HP’s Energy-Star qualified, latest OfficeJet printers use up to 50 percent less energy than most comparably priced laser printers.

The report also details HP’s recycling initiatives, which have resulted in achieving an 88.1 percent landfill diversion rate. HP has achieved that rate through its take back programs, which have recycled 2.5 billion pounds of electronic products and supplies since 1987. The IT company increased the number of U.S. take back locations for print cartridges to over 7,000 partnerships with Walmart, OfficeMax, Staples and Office Depot. And HP designs its products to be recyclable. Most HP PCs, printers and servers are over 90 percent recyclable by weight.

Photo: Andy Bryant