Dell hits carbon neutral target

Dell claims it is now officially a carbon neutral company - five months ahead of its own projected schedule.

The target was met through improved energy efficiency at Dell's own facilities combined with green electricity purchases and investments in wind power in the US, China and India totalling 645 million kWh and creating savings of 400,000 metric tons of CO2.

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Dell has invested $3bn annually into green energy and its consumption of green energy has increased almost tenfold to 116 million kWh in four years.

Dane Parker, Dell's global environment, health and safety director, said the achievement reflects Dell's long tradition in saving energy, recycling and other green practices.

Parker hailed the meeting of the target as "a major step forward in our commitment to become the greenest technology company on the planet and establishes our leadership position for others in the industry and all other industries across the globe".

He added: "The way energy costs are they are just not sustainable, so for business to be competitive in the future we need constant supplies of green energy and so we are trying to enable that everywhere we can globally."

But Dell's fanfare announcement was met with scepticism in some quarters. Clive Longbottom, of business and IT analysts, Quocirca said: "It really worries me when companies claim they have achieved carbon neutrality when it's really not possible.

"You have to question whether they have taken all their workers commuting into consideration and the materials in making a computer, going all the way back to zinc mining."

Longbottom continued: "Carbon neutrality is a large amount of greenwash. Computer companies should be focusing on the developments made in recent years in the reduction of harmful material inside the computers and reduction in power computers use. With these high claims, companies are setting themselves up to be knocked back down again."

In addition, Dell also unveiled its partnership with Conservation International to preserve 591,000 acres of rainforest in Madagascar. It is hoped the project will prevent 500,000 metric tonnes of CO2 from being released into the atmosphere over the next five years.

The project will also have conservational benefits in protecting the habitat of two of the world's rarest primates found only in Madagascar.

Toby Jansen Smith of Conservation International welcomed the partnership with Dell and highlighted the importance of the project in combating climate change.

He said: "Tropical deforestation accounts for 20 per cent of greenhouse emissions, much more than cars, trucks and planes combined."