HP Inc.'s Boise Idaho Campus Awarded SITES Gold for Achievement in Landscape Sustainability

BOISE, Idaho, Oct. 17, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, HP Inc. announced its Boise Idaho Campus was awarded Gold under the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES) rating system. Owned and administered by Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI), SITES is the most comprehensive program for designing, developing and maintaining sustainable landscapes.

HP's Boise Sustainable Landscaping Project is the first to earn a SITES certification in the state of Idaho, and the first corporate campus in the world to be certified using the SITES v2 rating system. Through this project, HP collaborated with over 10 local and national groups to replace non-indigenous grass on campus with native grasses that require less maintenance and attract local pollinators. The campus now saves 82,900 cubic meters of water annually, and has reduced emissions by 90 percent and landscaping costs by nearly 50 percent. The project will reach full maturity by summer 2019.

"At HP, we strive to make life better for everyone everywhere – not just through technology, but through sustainability efforts within our operations and supply chain," said Cynthia Rock, HP Head of Corporate Real Estate and Workplace Services. "Through this landscaping project, we're using less water, producing less emissions, and increasing bee production – ultimately protecting our planet for future generations."

The SITES rating system is based on the understanding that land is a crucial part of our built environment and by fostering its resiliency we elevate its economic, environmental and social benefits. SITES provides best practices and benchmarks projects against performance criteria, enabling the market to quantify and rate the sustainable use and performance of land sites. Used by landscape architects, engineers, architects, developers and policy makers, SITES creates regenerative systems and fosters resiliency; ensures future resource supply and mitigates climate change; transforms the market through design, development and maintenance practices; and enhances human wellbeing and strengthens the community. SITES-certified projects are better able to withstand and recover from floods, droughts, wildfires and other catastrophic events. Projects can help reduce water and energy demand, improve air quality and promote human health and wellbeing.

"HP understands that a green environment extends beyond the four walls of a building," said Mahesh Ramanujam, president and CEO, U.S. Green Building Council and GBCI. "Through the use of SITES, projects like this are creating ecologically resilient communities, reducing water demand, improving air quality and human health by connecting people to nature. Their work is part of the growing movement to holistically approach sustainable development and construct green buildings with accompanying green landscapes in green communities."

SITES was developed through a collaborative, interdisciplinary effort of the American Society of Landscape Architects, the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center at the University of Texas at Austin, and the United States Botanic Garden. The rating system can be applied to development projects located on sites with or without buildings and draws on the experience gained from a two-year pilot program involving more than 100 projects. Projects that have achieved certification include corporate headquarters, national and city parks, academic campuses and private homes. Learn more at www.sustainableSITES.org.

About Green Business Certification Inc.
GBCI is the premier organization independently recognizing excellence in green business industry performance and practice globally. Established in 2008, GBCI exclusively administers project certifications and professional credentials and certificates within the framework of the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green building rating systems, as well as the PEER standard for power systems, the WELL building standard, the Sustainable SITES Initiative (SITES), Parksmart, EDGE (Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies), TRUE Zero Waste certification, Investor Confidence Project (ICP) for energy efficiency retrofits and the GRESB benchmark, which is used by institutional investors to improve the sustainability performance of the global property sector. www.gbci.org.

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SOURCE Green Business Certification Inc.