What are the material issues the company has identified?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report HP identified a range of material issues, such as product life cycle management, labor practices in supply chain, privacy, product energy efficiency, anti-corruption, data and product security, responsible paper sourcing. Among these, using its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities stands out as a key material issue for HP.

Stakeholder engagement in accordance with the GRI Standards

The Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) defines the Principle of Stakeholder Inclusiveness when identifying material issues (or a company’s most important impacts) as follows:

“The organization should identify its stakeholders, and explain how it has responded to their reasonable expectations.”

Stakeholders must be consulted in the process of identifying a company’s most important impacts and their reasonable expectations and interests must be taken into account. This is an important cornerstone for CSR / sustainability reporting done responsibly.

Key stakeholder groups HP engages with:   

Stakeholder Group

Employees

Suppliers

Customers

Peer companies

Public policy makers

Industry bodies

Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs)

Sector experts

How stakeholder engagement was made to identify material issues

In 2015, to identify and prioritize material issues, develop its sustainability strategy and set goals, HP conducted a materiality assessment and, in collaboration with BSR, interviewed key stakeholders, taking into consideration the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines.

What actions were taken by HP to use its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities?

In its 2015 Sustainability Report HP reports that it took the following actions for using its technology, capital, and resources to create opportunities in underserved communities:

• Providing business and IT skills through e-learning
• HP’s global e-learning program, HP LIFE (Learning Initiative for Entrepreneurs), equips students, would-be entrepreneurs and small businesses with essential business and IT skills, free of charge. Offered in 7 languages and used in over 200 countries and territories, HP LIFE:
  • has reached around 580,000 registered users
  • includes a wide range of e-learning microcourses in marketing, finance, operations and other key business areas
  • is accessible 24/7

• Collaborating to develop opportunities and skills in Myanmar
• HP, in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, BSR, and VinaCapital’s Lotus Impact fund, launched the ADEPT (Advancement and Development through Entrepreneurship Programs and Training) program in Myanmar, to provide, through ADEPT learning centers using HP technology, entrepreneurship opportunities and skills, as well as capacity building.

• Providing access to capital for low-income entrepreneurs
• Partnering with Kiva, a nonprofit microlender, the Hewlett-Packard Company Foundation launched the ‘Matter to a Million’ employee engagement program, enabling, by means of a $25 credit received, every Hewlett-Packard Company employee to support, through a loan, Kiva borrowers (small business owners, farmers, shopkeepers in over 80 countries). More than 152,000 Hewlett-Packard Company employees participated in the program, and over 345,000 loans were provided.

Which GRI indicators/Standards have been addressed?

The GRI indicator addressed in this case is: G4-EC8: Significant indirect economic impacts, including the extent of impacts and the updated GRI Standard is: Disclosure 203-2 Significant indirect economic impacts

 

78% of the world’s 250 largest companies report in accordance with the GRI Standards

SustainCase was primarily created to demonstrate, through case studies, the importance of dealing with a company’s most important impacts in a structured way, with use of the GRI Standards. To show how today’s best-run companies are achieving economic, social and environmental success – and how you can too.

Research by well-recognised institutions is clearly proving that responsible companies can look to the future with optimism.

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By registering for the next 2-day FBRH GRI-Standards Certified and ISEP approved Course you will be taking the first step in gaining the many benefits of sustainability reporting.

 

References:

1) This case study was compiled using published information by HP which is located at the link below. For the sake of readability, we did not use brackets or ellipses but made sure that the extra or missing words did not change the report’s meaning. If you would like to quote these written sources from the original please revert to the following link:

http://h20195.www2.hp.com/V2/GetDocument.aspx?docname=c05154920 (July 2016)

2) http://www.fbrh.co.uk/en/global-reporting-initiative-gri-g4-guidelines-download-page

3) https://g4.globalreporting.org/Pages/default.aspx

4) https://www.globalreporting.org/standards/gri-standards-download-center/

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