HP Pledges $80 Million For ‘Holistic’ Forest Conservation And Restoration

The pledge of funding to the World Wildlife Fund accounts for the footprint from paper used in HP printers from non-HP brands, HP said. Previous commitments have ensured that all HP-branded paper is from a sustainable source or recycled.

HP Inc. is expanding its commitment to conserve and restore forests with a new $80 million pledge, which the company says will fund an initiative to account for the footprint from paper used in HP printers from other brands.

The pledge involves providing the funding to a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) forest regeneration and conservation initiative, from now through 2030. The initiative will be focused on nearly 1 million acres of forest regeneration and conservation, said Ellen Jackowski, chief impact officer and head of sustainable impact at HP.

The commitment builds on previous efforts by the consumer and commercial printer giant to ensure that all HP-branded paper is from a sustainable source or recycled. HP previously pledged $11 million to the WWF related to projects in Brazil and China.

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For its expanded forestry effort, HP wants the initiative to be “as holistic as it can be,” Jackowski told CRN. “We’re focused on long-term conservation and restoration. We don’t want to just plant a tree and walk away.”

The initiative will cover everything from forest restoration to forest protection and responsible management, she said. Ultimately, HP is “making sure that we’re actually there for the long haul,” Jackowski said.

The efforts will also address related issues such as biodiversity and community impacts, she said.

Jackowski said that HP is “one of the first tech companies to address our broader impact on nature” in such a comprehensive way.

“If you buy HP-branded paper, it’s already certified from a sustainable source or made with recycled paper,” she said. “This partnership is going beyond our own paper footprint, to all of the other paper printed on an HP printer or using an HP service.”

The geographies that will be targeted for forest restoration and conservation under the expanded commitment from HP are still being determined, she said. The commitment is being made ahead of the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26), set to take place from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12 in Glasgow.

The new pledge also makes HP the largest U.S. corporate partner of WWF, Jackowski noted.

Dan Larkin, director of managed print services at Marco Technologies, an HP partner based in St. Louis Park, Minn., said that sustainability efforts such as this one by HP offer “definite value.”

“If we can tie the business back to sustainability and green initiatives, that’s always helpful,” Larkin said.

HP hopes that such actions will help to show that printing can have associated benefits, not just impacts, for the environment, Jackowski said.

“We know that printing is essential, and HP is committed to enabling printing in the most responsible ways,” she said. “When customers choose HP printers or printing products, they can do so in a way that is supporting forest regeneration.”