Sustainability at Hewlett-Packard: From Theory to Practice

Sustainability has become a strategic imperative for all businesses in the 21st century. It has become a fundamental market force affecting long-term financial viability and success. Over the past two decades, Hewlett-Packard has been moving along a continuum toward environmental sustainability. During the 1980s, HP was a leader in pollution prevention and control. During the 1990s, HP established a leading Product Stewardship function. Today, Hewlett-Packard is taking big steps to move beyond baseline market expectations and integrate environmental sustainability into its fundamental business strategy. This article explores the processes currently underway at HP as well as the challenges ahead.