ACCORDING TO A GLOBAL SCIENTIFIC CONSENSUS,
the single largest threat to the health of the planet
in the decades to come is climate change. With
diminishing resources and a growing population
that’s expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, how can
we possibly generate food, clothing, housing, energy,
and transportation to meet our needs?
Part of the answer to that question lies in creat-
ing a circular economy, which gradually decouples
economic activity from the consumption of fi nite
resources and eliminates waste. To get where we
need to go, it’s imperative that corporations reduce
their carbon footprints.
“There’s a role for policy,” says Dr. Kevin Dooley,a professor in supply chain
management at Arizona State
University and chief scientist at
the Sustainability Consortium
(TSC), a global nonprofi t organi-
zation leading the transformation
of the consumer goods industry
to deliver more sustainable con-
sumer products. “But I don’t think
that policy is going to be created
at scale and speed to drive more
sustainable consumer products.
Not at the speed and scale that
we need.”
One company meeting the
challenge of creating a circular
economy is HP, which used 21
metric tons of recycled plastic in
its printers, supplies, and personal
computers in 2018 and has reached
zero deforestation with its branded
paper. Next on the list? Sustainable
packaging.
“Part of our approach to pack-
aging is transitioning from materi-
als like single-use plastics to more
sustainable materials like molded
pulp,” says Ellen Jackowski, global
head of sustainability strategy and
innovation at HP. “It’s important
that, as we transition from plastic
packaging to other materials, we’re
doing it in a way that focuses on
regeneration to support a circular
economy and our planet for future
generations,” she adds.
And as it turns out, sustain-
ing resources is not at odds with
sustaining a profi t. Sustainable
impact programs drove more
than $900 million dollars of new
revenue for HP in 2018, a 35%
year-over-year increase. To fulfi ll its vision to
create technology that makes life better for every-
one, everywhere, HP is committed to delivering on
its sustainable impact goals.
“Climate action is a business imperative,” says
Christoph Schell, HP’s chief commercial offi cer. “At
HP, we believe we have a responsibility to take imme-
diate action to address today’s global challenges. For
example, innovation like the world’s fi rst PC made
with ocean-bound plastics, the fi rst sustainable
home printing system, plus 3-D printing and digital
manufacturing to accelerate a more sustainable in-
dustrial revolution. It’s not only the right thing to do,
our customers prefer it and it’s good for business.” ■SPONSORED CONTENT
Responsible Companies Are
Sustaining Resources—
and a Pro t
Successful impact initiatives are proof that
businesses don’t have to choose between
doing well and doing good.