Circular Economy

HP Study:
Climate Crisis Changing Parental Decisions on Purchases, Careers, Even Family Size

91% of parents surveyed are concerned about climate change — a majority say the crisis has even impacted their perspective on having more children.

Published 1 year ago | About a 3 minute read

Image: Caleb Oquendo

Today, HP revealed new global research by Morning Consult that shows how many parents are working to act on climate change — from everyday decisions to long-term family planning.

The study — conducted in May 2023 among just over 5,000 parents in India, Mexico, Singapore, the United Kingdom and United States — found that 91 percent of parents are concerned about the climate crisis, leading to changes that are reshaping their lives and purchasing habits. More than half (53 percent) say it has impacted their perspective on having more children; and 43 percent say they have reconsidered working for a company based on its commitment to environmental and social issues.

The research also found many parents favor companies that are taking action to address climate change. Nearly two-thirds (64 percent) of parents surveyed say they prefer products that are sustainably sourced and 60 percent say sustainable company practices play a large part in their purchasing habits. That is despite finding that the vast majority of parents (84 percent) acknowledge the rising cost of living; and more than half (57 percent) believe engaging in environmentally friendly practices takes up a lot of time.

“Families, like all our customers, rely on HP to connect them to the things that matter most — be it work, entertainment or loved ones,” said Michele Malejki, Global Head of Social Impact. “It’s one of the reasons parents are top of mind for us. And like every generation before them, today’s parents have their own unique pressures — especially the climate crisis. It's why we're going beyond our business impact to make our business better for people and the planet."

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While parents are taking personal action, most also believe key players in the corporate world must act, too. Most parents (51 percent) believe that companies have “a lot” of responsibility in holding themselves accountable on climate action, as opposed to customers (36 percent).

The findings come as HP releases its 22nd annual Sustainable Impact report, which details the company’s progress toward comprehensive and bold environmental and social goals. HP has:

Reduced its absolute carbon footprint by 18 percent since 2019. This brings the company closer to its goal to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2040 – end to end.
Reduced single-use plastic packaging by 55 percent compared to 2018.
Counteracted deforestation for 32 percent of all paper used in HP products and services toward goal of 100 percent.
Accelerated digital equity for more than 21 million people on path to 150 million by 2030.
Committed to building a pipeline of diverse talent, with 46 percent of US new hires last year from racial or ethnic minorities.

HP aspires to be the most sustainable and just technology company. In 2021, the company set aggressive Sustainable Impact goals in three areas where the company believes it can make the most difference — Climate Action, Human Rights and Digital Equity. The 2022 report details progress toward all three focus areas — including creating a net-zero carbon value chain, giving back more to forests than it takes, creating a more circular economy, building a culture of equality and empowerment, and accelerating digital equity around the world to enable traditionally excluded communities to thrive in a digital economy.

“Our research correlates to what we see in our business: We are keeping customers, winning new sales and attracting talent because of our Sustainable Impact initiatives and sustainable products,” said James McCall, Chief Sustainability Officer. “If we are serious about changing the trajectory of the climate crisis, industry must go beyond — changing the mindset of ‘do no harm’ to ‘do more good.’"