Green Wombat

The timing was probably purely coincidental, but the day after the Democrats swept back to power, Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) has announced that by 2010 it will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions 15 percent below this year’s level to help fight global warming. The Palo Alto, California, computer and printer giant said today it will also buy "cost-effective" renewable energy. HP will work with the World Wildlife Fund to obtain and implement technology to reduce energy use at all its facilities worldwide. The company says it will report its greenhouse gas emissions to the World Economic Forum’s Global Greenhouse Gas Registry. HP joins DuPont (DD), Wal-Mart (WMT) and other Fortune 500 companies that have recently embraced the spirit, if not the letter, of the Kyoto Accord. Look for business opportunities to help these behemoths make good on their green pledges.