Hewlett-Packard has built its reputation on manufacturing a wide range of printers, from inkjet printers to laser printers to all-in-one printers and even 3D printers. . The company now wants to focus on sustainable development. Corporate and brand commitments to face the climate emergency are not new. But the change is underway. The industry is taking steps that go beyond simply ensuring that its operations do not impact the planet. Instead, protecting, restoring, and improving the planet is the gold standard now demanded by information technology decision makers. As an industry leader, HP encourages other manufacturers and IT vendors to work toward this goal.
About the author George Brasher is the UK director of HP.
Forests are the future
Trees are the best carbon sequestration technology in the world. Yet almost half of the world's forests are threatened by deforestation and degradation: they are being destroyed at the rate of one football field per minute. This worsens the climate emergency and endangers all living things that depend on these ecosystems for their survival. Protecting, restoring and improving forest management is part of the solution. By doing so, we will remove between five and seven billion tons of CO2. To put these numbers into perspective, we would have the same impact as removing emissions from every car in the world. But how can we do it? The industry should not function in the silo. Cooperation and collaboration with experts in sustainable impact, such as the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), are essential. That's why HP has partnered with WWF to launch the HP Sustainable Forestry Cooperative. Starting with a forest area the size of New York City (nearly 200,000 acres), we are committed to protecting, restoring and better managing forest ecosystems. As the world's leading manufacturer of home and office printers, we understand the importance of our paper. Our goal is to make printing directly responsible for increasing the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) supply of recycled fiber. But beyond that, our initiative considers the entire forest ecosystem. After all, a forest is greater than the sum of the trees; They are living organisms with flora, fauna, soils and water sources. By working with WWF, we are working together on a holistic approach that takes into account all of these building blocks to be positive for the forest.
Economic models are the engine of change.
Creating a positive forest future for print is just the beginning, as is the beginning of the supply chain, and our commitment to lasting impact is at the core of everything we do. However, in the UK, our current economic model does not support that. As an industry, we must embrace the circular economy at every step of the supply chain so that the means of production and operation are as efficient as possible. But how does it work? This business model focuses on recovering and recycling resources and using them for as long as possible, and then regenerating them to give them a new life instead of throwing them into landfills. By embracing the circular economy, our products can be sustainable in design and throughout their life cycle. The circular economy is already acting as a driver of change and the consequences are clear. IT managers, manufacturers and suppliers, including HP, are opting for recycled plastic over virgin plastic. Last year, we added more than 21,000 tons of recycled plastic to our products, representing 7% of the total content. And that is just the beginning. We recently made a commitment to increase our use of recycled plastic to 30% by 2025. This year, we introduced the world's first computer made from laminated plastics: the HP Elite Dragonfly. It is now one of only three products made this way, and to continue our eye plastics efforts, we are committed to including these materials in all new HP desktops and notebooks. Elite and HP Pro, due to launch in 2020. According to Accenture, the circular economy could generate an additional €3.71 billion in economic output in the UK by 2030. The UK government is also supporting this shift towards a more sustainable system . In 2018, the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and the Environment Agency (EA) launched a strategy for England on waste and resources, specifically calling for this.
Sustainability drives revenue growth
Beyond being the right thing to do, prioritizing sustainability pays off. We have seen this happen firsthand in our business. Our 2018 Sustainability Impact Report showed a 35% year-over-year increase in the number of transactions where sustainability was a must, resulting in revenue growth. , with an additional £745m earned. Sustainability is important to today's IT decision makers. Millennials have risen through the ranks and now occupy positions of power professionally: 73% of them are involved in purchasing decisions for their businesses, according to Forrester. For Generation Y, sustainability is important. According to Neilsen, 83% of Millennials said it was important for companies to implement environmental programs and 75% said they would change their shopping habits to reduce their impact on the environment. Additionally, 66% of consumers said they would spend more on a brand they consider sustainable than a less environmentally conscious competitor. Millennials do not abandon their ideals and principles in the office suite: they do not distinguish between conventional computing and management computing. They place importance on authentic and sustainable relationships, as well as exceptional costs in IT acquisition. The reputation of the company is essential. If they believe a company meets the sustainability standards they expect, they will exercise their purchasing power accordingly.
The time has come to change
It is undeniable: the climate emergency is one of the most critical problems facing the planet. The time has come for change and we must act now to protect our ecosystems for future generations. As 2020 approaches, the urgency is ever more pressing. As a result, IT decision makers expect stricter standards than ever before. Throughout the supply chain, preserving and improving our environment, ultimately solving climate problems, should be a priority. Especially since it's so good for business, there's an incentive for those in the industry who are latecomers to follow the curve. By being HIV positive for forests and championing the circular economy, we encourage others to fight for the gold standard of going beyond zero impact on the planet: protecting, restoring and improving the planet. George Brasher is the Managing Director of Hewlett-Packard UK.