Hewlett-Packard reveals 100 percent renewable power goal

April 14th, 2016 by Dakota Software Staff Industry News

Hewlett-Packard, one of the world's most recognizable providers of consumer technology, recently announced its plans to reach a 100 percent renewable electricity goal. The decision to move forward on this corporate sustainability initiative, made public at the end of March, means both short- and long-term changes for the business. According to a news release from HP, the company has incremental goals set ahead of the final achievement. The first major goal put in place is reaching 40 percent use of renewable power by 2020. This level of change is impressive in and of itself, but also indicates 100 percent renewable energy use is a long-term goal for the company.

A 3-phase plan for improvement
The decision to move away from fossil fuels and other non-renewable energy sources across HP's operations will follow a series of phases developed by the organization. The first step doesn't focus on the sourcing of energy, but rather the optimization of operations and processes to reduce total power consumption. The company will look for improvements in building efficiency and develop specific projects focused on less consumption as well. The next phase of the project involves the changeover to renewable energy resources created on site. The final phase involves finding off-site providers of renewable energy to offset the use of traditional power, like renewable energy credits and power purchasing agreements.

"As we continue to reinvent a more sustainable business and society, both cost-effective and low carbon sources of energy are essential to the future and the growth of HP's business," said Nate Hurst, HP's chief sustainability and social impact officer, in HP's release. "This commitment is guided by our belief in a world where technology and sustainability can combine to become a powerful force for innovation, helping reinvent how businesses, communities, and individuals can thrive."

HP's decision to move toward completely renewable power comes as it joins RE 100, a group of similarly large and powerful businesses engaged in the same endeavor. Organized by The Climate Group and nonprofit group CDP, RE 100 encourages participating enterprises to set specific goals related to sustainable energy and attaining 100 percent use. The new goal for HP is representative of its past efforts to focus on sustainability and related concerns. It had previously taken early action to measure and disclose its complete carbon footprint and set reduction goals for that output.