Environment Awards

When Canadians talk about protecting the natural riches of our country, one of the first people to come to mind is Dr. David Suzuki. A passionate, persuasive and committed activist, Dr. Suzuki is a most fitting recipient of the 2005 Citation of Lifetime Achievement award, sponsored by HP Canada. The citation is part of the annual Canadian Environment Awards , a national program established in 2002 to recognize outstanding contributions to the protection, restoration and preservation of the Canadian environment.

HP Canada shares Dr. Suzuki’s concern for the environment, and that’s why we are proud to sponsor the Canadian Environment Awards. This is our third year as sponsor of the awards, which were presented June 6 in Toronto.

Ralph McMillen, vice-president, environmental programs, who presented the Citation of Lifetime Achievement, said the description of its recipients only begins to cover Dr. Suzuki’s attributes. For starters, Dr. Suzuki is an award-winning scientist, author of more than 30 books, an Officer of the Order of Canada and founder and current chair of the David Suzuki Foundation . This non-profit environmental foundation seeks the best research to provide innovative solutions that will help build a clean, competitive economy that does not threaten the natural systems that support life.

In addition, “Dr. Suzuki is a passionate, committed and dedicated activist and spokesperson for Canada’s wild places – and a fearless critic of the threats they face,” Ralph said. “He is a tireless advocate for the rights of First Nations, and he maintains a staggering schedule as Canada’s leading environmental champion.

“It is for his uncompromising commitment to preserving our environment and for offering solutions for a sustainable future that the Canadian Environment Awards is honoured to recognize Dr. David Suzuki,” added Ralph.

To recognize Dr. Suzuki’s achievements, Ralph was proud to present a cheque for $5,000 to the David Suzuki Foundation, along with an HP Photosmart R717 digital camera and an HP ScanJet 4070 Photosmart scanner for Dr. Suzuki’s personal use. The scanner was built with a closed-loop approach to manufacturing, using post-consumer plastic from recycled HP printer cartridges added to recycled drinking water bottles.

That approach is a hallmark of HP’s commitment to environmental sustainability, which is a key driver of our business. As Ralph pointed out, “HP’s commitment to provide environmentally-sound products extends throughout the entire product life cycle: from design, through manufacturing, packaging, distribution and use, to return and recycle programs designed to minimize environmental impact.”

HP’s commitment to corporate social responsibility extends to our global supply base. Many companies have faced challenges & questions relating to sub contracted work & supplies, HP has one of the largest supply chains in the world and we recognize this as a key issue for us. Aligning HP’s supply chain management with our global citizenship commitment ensures that we minimize the social and environmental impact of our worldwide supply chain practices.

Like Dr. Suzuki, HP is passionate about environmental sustainability, making it a key element of our commitment to global citizenship. Globally, HP has many environmental initiatives underway, detailed in the 2005 Global Citizenship Report. HP’s commitment was recognized earlier this year, when the Globe & Mail Report on Business magazine ranked HP first in Corporate Social Responsibility in the IT industry, with the highest overall score in environmental performance. HP was likewise the only computer/peripheral company named to the top 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland in January 2005.

To HP, environmental stewardship means developing products and solutions and operating our company in such a way that we are able to lead global businesses toward a sustainable future. Individually, we can all take action to work towards a sustainable future, as the David Suzuki Foundation points out in a report called “Sustainability within a Generation. ”