Dell Inc. will neutralize its carbon emissions and become carbon neutral by the end of 2008, chairman and CEO Michael Dell announced Wednesday.
Dell is the first major computer manufacturer to announce its intention to balance its carbon emissions with activities that reduce carbon in the atmosphere. Companies have a responsibility to improve the environment, Dell said during a speech in Washington, D.C.
“There’s been a time in history of business where it’s more important for organizations of all sizes to partner together to positively impact the Earth that well all share,” Dell said. “It’s not enough for Dell to be an environmental leader. We also need to partner with our customers … to dramatically improve our own customers’ environmental impacts.”
Dell will reduce its net carbon emissions in several ways, Dell said. The company will focus on creating more energy efficient products and will purchase more energy efficient electrical power, he said.
Dell, the world’s second-largest PC manufacturer, will also push its major suppliers to report and reduce their carbon emissions. If a supplier’s carbon emissions are excessive, the company may penalize the supplier, although Dell didn’t offer details about the penalties.
Dell has also expanded its Plant a Tree for Me program, which allows individual customers to pay a small amount to plant a tree as a way to offset the energy consumption of the laptops or PCs they purchase from the company. Dell has announced a Plant a Forest for Me program, partnering with companies including Salesforce.com Inc., Ask.com and Advanced Micro Devices Inc. in a reforesting program intended to offset carbon emissions.