Dell: We’re Carbon Neutral

Dell says it's gone carbon neutral a year ahead of schedule by using energy more efficiently and making green energy investments.

Computer maker Dell has announced that it has reached its goal of being a carbon-neutral company a full year ahead of schedule. “We’re driving ‘green’ into every aspect of our global business,” said Dell Chairman and CEO Michael Dell. “This includes setting new standards for energy efficiency and green power, delivering environmental and cost savings for customers and aligning key growth priorities with our focus on preserving our shared Earth.”

The announcement doesn’t mean that Dell has magically eliminated all harmful emissions, toxins, and greenhouse gasses from its manufacturing processes—although the company does claim its global headquarters is completely powered by green energy. Rather, Dell met its carbon neutral goal by increasing the energy-efficiency of its operations and offsetting its emissions through increases purchases of green power, verified emissions reductions, and renewable energy certificates. That’s basically a fancy way of saying that while Dell still produces pollutants and consumes energy in ways that contribute to global warming and climate change, it’s offsetting those actions by investments elsewhere in green power and emissions reductions.

Dell also announced it’s ramping up its investments in wind power in the U.S., India, and China, and partnering with Conservation International on a forest preservation initiative in Madagascar that hopes to save nearly 600,000 acres of tropical forest. The moves are all part of Dell’s efforts to become “the greenest technology company on the planet;” who’d have thought that putting significant efforts to reduce the environmental impact of a technology manufacturer would one day be a savvy marketing move?