Sustainability is a Win-Win Proposition

The NAB Show NY event took place for the first time in 3 years this week.  Like other industry events this year, the industry welcomed the show with what seemed to be great energy.  From the long lines to get into the hall, I’d say it was a success, though understandably the number of visitors and exhibitors was reduced from previous years. 

I enjoyed walking the aisles and meeting up with old friends, several of whom I haven’t seen in a couple of years.

As I engaged with these colleagues, of course I was touting my business.  I was excited to be telling them about my mission to get the media tech sector to adapt its ways to a greener existence. 

What struck me was how many times I felt myself trying to convince the person that thinking about sustainability was an important business move.  Because, as you know if you’ve been reading my blog, once you get on a sustainability path, you invariably will discover cost savings, too.  It’s a win-win situation.

Perhaps I was naïve in my thinking.  Did I really think that businesses would be lining up to get on the sustainability train without convincing them to do it?  

Here’s why I think it’s an easy decision to make. 

First, from a pure cost savings point of view, being sustainable means you fully understand your energy needs and what/how you consume that energy.  By paying closer attention to energy systems, a business is bound to save from reducing energy costs.

Next, by closely reviewing business processes and the inherent toolkit of systems, identifying what is ready for upgrade or what could be eliminated, efficiencies will increase and so will productivity.

Finally, there is the notion of corporate responsibility to just do the right thing.  As a business, why not announce to your stakeholders – customers, investors, workforce – that you care about your role in contributing to a better future.

For the world to achieve its goal of limiting global temperature to 1.5 C above preindustrial levels, scientists say that we will need to arrive at a state of net zero by 2050.  Within the next 22 years, we will surely see an increasing attention to adjusting business processes that result in reducing each of our carbon footprints. 

I am happy to continue the conversations, including convincing businesses to take sustainability action seriously.  Because, in the end, we all have to do our part. 

I’ll be at the SMPTE Media Technology Summit from October 24-27 in Hollywood.  If you are there, be sure to check out two sustainability sessions:  Monday, October 24, at 15.30 by Thomas Edwards and Wednesday, October 26, at 10.00 by my panel and me.