Accedo’s Journey Towards Sustainability

Sustainability has never been more important than it is now. The latest climate science tells us that it is critical that global emissions are halved by 2030 in order to limit the rise of the Earth’s temperature. Although there is a global awareness of sustainable business practices, the process of decarbonization can often feel overwhelming. Therefore, it’s important to identify evidence-based targets and be clear on your organization’s requirements within the context of a specific business segment. Whether on an individual or corporate level, we all have a part to play in reducing emissions and tackling climate change.As a provider of products and solutions enabling media companies to deliver video content to millions of end users, we are committed to becoming more sustainable and minimizing the carbon footprint. We also recognize the influence that video and media in general have on society today and believe that we have a responsibility to make a positive contribution.During 2021-2022, we completed our high-level carbon impact analysis, including our product carbon footprint. This means we can define the scale of our impact on the industry and the world. That’s great, but what next? Having started on the journey to sustainability, we wanted to make sure that we take the right actions, based on science, to effect real change.

‍Science based targets 

‍Evidence based or science based targets are terms that are widely used, but what exactly do they mean when it comes to climate change? Science based targets show companies and financial institutions how much and how quickly they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, in order to prevent the worst effects of climate change.To help us work out where to focus our attention to bring about positive change, we’ve joined the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), a framework that drives ambitious climate action in the private sector, by enabling organizations to set science-based emissions reduction targets. It will help us to determine the right carbon reduction program so that we can become a truly sustainable video technology vendor, reaching net zero in 2030 at the latest.By joining SBTi, we have committed to the Net-Zero Standard and to setting a robust emissions reduction target at the pace and scale required by climate science. In doing this, we are joining other companies around the world who are also serious about sustainability. Together, we are aligning with the Business Ambition for 1.5°C campaign which sets the target to limit global warming to 1.5°C by helping to halve global emissions by 2030.

Carbon consumption is key

Carbon consumption is obviously key when it comes to climate change and sustainability, but it cannot be considered in a silo. As we discussed in a previous blog, sustainability now incorporates so much more than just environmental aspects. It includes the social impact that a company has on the ecosystem as a whole.Our Sustainability Strategy focuses on a number of other key areas alongside carbon consumption: employee engagement, employee turnover, gender diversity, gender pay ratio, code of conduct and disclosure practice. These factors are all crucial when taking an organizational approach to sustainability because by combining sustainability initiatives and employee engagement at every level, organizations can create a culture that has a positive impact on the organization, its employees, and the world.

Yes, we are committed to sustainability, but we are really just at the beginning of what will be an ongoing journey. Long-term sustainability is a challenge that can only be met collectively. We recognize the importance of not just building a sustainability strategy in isolation but of being part of a collective move to generate change. We know there is still a lot left to do. But with perseverance and drive, undertaken collectively, we have the ability to effect positive change across the industry, and the wider world.