HP Innovation Journal Special Edition: Sustainable Impact | Page 9
According to the Global Footprint
Network, in 2018, Earth Overshoot Day
occurred on August 1. This date on the
calendar represents when humankind
has used all the renewable natural
resources that the planet can replenish
in a whole year. August 1 is the earliest
date recorded since the ecological
overshoot began in the early 1970s.
What’s even more disturbing is that
this milestone occurred almost five
months earlier than it did back in 1970.
The Global Footprint Network has calculated that today it
would take the natural resources of 1.7 Earths to sustain all
the demands of humankind. And the problem is expected
to increase as the world’s population surges to 9.8 billion by
2050, according to a UN report.
HP has long recognized the need to analyze the impact that
our company, and the products and solutions we build, have
on the planet—and to work to reduce that impact. All while
creating solutions that make the world more sustainable.
These efforts are core to our business strategy and
contribute directly to our customers’ success. For example,
in 2017 alone, customers with sustainable purchasing criteria
represented a total of approximately $15.8 billion of existing
and potential business revenue.
DESIGNING FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
HP’s focus on sustainable design practices is not new. In fact,
our Design for Sustainability (DfS) program, formerly Design
for the Environment, founded in 1992, has defined how we
develop products that use less energy, require fewer resources
to make and use, and are more easily reused and recycled.
What has changed are the demographics, buying habits, and
sustainability attitudes of the people who purchase products
for themselves and the businesses and governments they
work for. For example, the number of technology consumers
in the world is quickly accelerating, with approximately
3 billion new consumers expected by 2030. A younger
generation of buyers recognizes the environmental, health,
and social implications of “throw away” societies that view
products as disposable. And people worldwide are embracing
the sharing economy business model represented by
companies like Lyft.
To address these shifts, companies such as HP must change
the very nature of how they design, manufacture, service,
recycle, and reuse products. At HP, we are building on our
Bringing Sustainability Full Circle
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