HP implements green workplace plan

Hewlett Packard (HP) Ireland today announced that it intends to reduce its energy usage by 20 per cent by 2010.

The company has set its 4,000 employees a carbon footprint challenge that it hopes will raise environmental awareness amongst the workforce by encouraging them to reduce, reuse and recycle both at work and at home.

HP will provide employees with a carbon footprint calculator where they can trace the annual CO2 emissions they and their families produce. Employees will also get the chance to dispose of unwanted electronic equipment at designated drop off points for safe disposal.

As part of a tree planting initiative, HP has teamed up with Coillte offering every employee the opportunity to plant a tree.

Managing Director of HP Ireland Martin Murphy said the company also plans to increase its renewable energy purchases by more than 350 per cent by procuring 50 million kilowatt-hours of renewable electricity during 2007.

Company's like HP are finding it more profitable to go green as research has found that a 20 per cent reduction in energy consumption can be as rewarding as a 5 per cent increase in sales.

And a recent British survey showed 85 per cent of customers now say that environmental issues affect buying decisions.

By Luke Cassidy
Irish Times Writer

Sources: The Irish Times