Jan. 18, 2008 -- Hewlett-Packard has released a new set of guidelines aimed at helping large corporations encourage their smaller-sized suppliers adopt greener practices, BusinessGreen reports.

HP emphasizes the need for multinationals to establish specific strategies and guidelines for the entire supply chain including "second-tier" suppliers that provide goods and services to direct suppliers. Best practices include auditing suppliers regularly, offering training workshops for suppliers' managerial staff, and rewarding suppliers with strong environmental performance records.

"You need to recognize that the companies supplying your suppliers tend to have limited resources, staff, and money," says Bonnie Nixon Gardiner, global program manager for supply chain social and environmental responsibility at HP. "So it is important to work closely with your first-tier suppliers to diffuse best practice information out through the supply chain and support their efforts to audit and improve their suppliers."

The guidelines are included in a report from the Danish Commerce and Companies Agency, which was co-funded by HP and the European Commission.