Dell has praised its channel partners after the vendor reached its carbon neutral goal ahead of schedule.

The vendor is looking to become the ‘greenest technology company on the planet,’ and since 2004 has made significant investment in green electricity from utility providers. Its global headquarters is also powered 100 by green energy.

Yesterday the vendor announced a further green initiative through a partnership with Conservation International on a habitat and forest preservation initiative in the Republic of Madagascar. It stressed the point that resellers play an important part in spreading Dell’s green message.

Dane Parker, global environment health and safety director at Dell, said: “We recently met with several of our larger channel players and had a two-hour discussion on green issues.

“The advantage that our channel partners have is direct links into many smaller business. A lot of these firms are being impacted by the cost of electricity – these costs impact smaller businesses to a big degree – partners are instrumental in helping these companies understand the benefits of investing in green IT.”

Parker added that Dell is also working on some green assessment tools that will help channel partners offer their customers a complete green IT inventory and boost further investment in helping reduce the business community’s global carbon footprint.