HP  environment 
A new Sustainability Compact Agreement has been reached by industry and the state government, with Hewlett-Packard and the NSW Government committing themselves to the active promotion of environmental sustainability. The three year agreement is a first for both parties and aims to advance sustainability practices across HP’s facilities, operations and supply chain, and to seek out and promote sustainability opportunities across the NSW Government and community

HP managing director Paul Brandling says HP Australia is extremely proud to be undertaking such a landmark commitment.

“(The) Compact represents a new and innovative approach to environmental performance, from both government and industry,” says Brandling. “The Compact promotes ‘best practice’ in sustainability from both parties, which means a better outcome for the community as a whole. This is shared responsibility in action, which is exactly how we want to be operating.”

In signing the compact HP and the Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) are jointly committing to:
- Strategic sustainability planning and reporting;
- Staff and other stakeholder involvement in environmental planning, training and project delivery;
- Product stewardship programmes for IT product take-back relating to computer hardware, printer supplies (consumables) and packaging;
- Environmentally preferable IT purchasing by consumers, business and government;
- Enhanced environmental performance of HP and DEC sites and operations, including resource efficiency, waste avoidance and recovery and other aspects of facilities management.

A steering committee will be established to manage the implementation of the Compact and to formally review progress on an annual basis. An independent evaluation of the Compact’s success will be completed in 2008, when the Compact will also be open for renewal following agreement by both parties.

Whilst the scope of the Compact may seem like a huge commitment to many companies, Annukka Sairanen, environmental manager HP South Pacific, says it is a natural progression of HP’s Global Citizenship commitment in which the environmental sustainability programme is a core strategic initiative.

“I’m particularly pleased about (the) announcement, as from our perspective the sustainability compact is an example of true partnership that is built on the principle of shared responsibility," says Sairanen.

HP Australia has been active in promoting sustainability in the community, taking a leadership role in the development of sustainability initiatives that include end-of-life computer hardware and printing supplies recovery and recycling programmes. These efforts have contributed to HP’s AA rating by independent Corporate Social Responsibility ratings company Reputex.

“Signing this Compact with the NSW Government is another public commitment that we are making to continually improve our environmental performance across all areas of our business. Combined with our signing of the National Packaging Covenant, this represents a bold statement of the willingness of industry and government to work constructively in the interests of the environment," says Sairanen.