Technology Reseller - v29

01732 759725 BUSINESS BRIEFING 40 Gary Tierney, HP UK&I Print Category Director Partnerships to Achieve a Sustainable Future for Printing been a long time coming. To others, it might be a stark wake-up call. Environmental stewardship and sustainability have always been core to HP’s values – integral to what we are as a brand, how we differentiate ourselves in the market and how we show up in the world every day. As David Packard said more than six decades go, “The betterment of society is not a job to be left to a few, it’s a responsibility to be shared by all.” We firmly believe businesses of all shapes and sizes – including our own – must elevate their commitment to sustainable practices if they hope to thrive. Recently we saw global business leaders meet at the World Economic Forum, where a discussion “stakeholders for a cohesive and sustainable world,” focused on the fact that sustainability has become business imperative for all companies. However, we also recognise that even when leadership is determined to make a difference, they do not always know where to begin. This is where channel partners can play an important role as trusted advisors – helping customers learn how to apply HP printing technologies to meet their own sustainability goals. Environmental Stewardship Starts at Home More than two-thirds of buyers consider sustainability as a factor when making a purchase, according to a CGS survey last year. Similarly, 70 percent of consumers link their purchases to their trust in corporations. That trust encompasses issues like supply chain management and environmental impact. Companies might be missing an opportunity if their business strategies don’t align with the sustainable offerings consumers are seeking out. A company’s sustainability commitment and how they communicate should cut across every piece of physical and digital collateral a brand or partner produces – every brochure, sign, newsletter, blog, website BlackRock, the world’s largest asset manager, recently made waves with its announcement that it would put climate change and broader sustainability efforts at the center of its investment strategy. In his annual open letter to CEOs, BlackRock CEO Larry Fink stated, “climate change has become a defining factor in companies’ long- term prospects,” and that he believes BlackRock’s cross-industry investment of nearly $7 trillion on behalf of its clients would trigger “a fundamental reshaping of the global economy.” This reshaping will occur “sooner than most anticipate,” writes Fink. He also predicts that investment dollars will soon flow away from fossil fuels and towards companies that are producing goods and services that help the world transition to a more efficient, circular and low-carbon economy. Those who’ve been paying attention to the corporate sustainability movement understand decisions like these have George Brasher Gary Tierney