Accedo's Commitment to Sustainable Streaming

The media industry has grown rapidly over the last twenty years. Technical innovations and improvements in connectivity have resulted in the adoption of billions of connected devices worldwide. And while advancements in technology are crucial for the future of media and entertainment, it brings the increasing issue of carbon emissions. However, sustainable practices now encompass much more than environmental factors- social and economic factors now present as concerns too.  

As we discussed in a previous blog, moving towards a sustainable future is more important than ever for the media industry. With recent factors, such as Covid-19, affecting the whole media landscape, how do players in the media and streaming industry contribute to sustainability?

Know yourself and learn from others

The journey to sustainability does not happen in a vacuum. As this is a movement impacting the entire industry, we took great learnings from industry partners like NENT, Netflix, BBC, etc, as well as specialized media consultants such as Carnstone to guide us in getting us started on this journey.

As a global technology company, we have identified 3 immediate key actions: first, ensuring everyone at Accedo adheres to our code of conduct, second that everyone could feel supported in raising awareness on any issue he or she witnessed, and finally that all our suppliers would be also adhering to our values.

Accedo has been working over the last twelve months to formalize its ESG program. With aspirations of becoming a leading sustainable company within the streaming industry, we have introduced several policies to support our dedication to sustainability. Accedo has released a Code of Conduct, implemented a Whistleblowing Program, assessed 30 suppliers, and published its first sustainability report.

Commit to change

Earlier this year, we invited an external agency, EcoVadis, to assess the current advancement level of our ESG program. EcoVadis is the world’s largest provider of business sustainability ratings, assessing more than 75,000 companies since its founding in 2007. Its assessments focus on 4 key areas: Environment, Labor & Human Rights, Ethics, and Sustainable Procurement, and provides feedback on areas of strength and those that require improvement.  

The results

Accedo was presented with a silver rating from EcoVadis, meaning it is amongst the top 25% of rated companies. When compared to other companies in the ICT sector, Accedo is ranked significantly higher.

I am honored to have been awarded a silver rating from EcoVadis. The whole team at Accedo is committed to sustainability and everyone is playing their part to improve standards and practices. I know I speak for the whole team when I say that we look forward to advancing year on year, including more of our partners and customers in our journey to ensure going all in one direction to make a positive impact.

What’s next

As part of the feedback from EcoVadis, areas for improvement were outlined as:

• Defining more specific sustainability targets moving forward.
• Being more explicit in public endorsements of global sustainability initiatives.
• Improving documentation, processes, and policies, and reporting on actual activities.

With conversations and accountability happening daily, the Accedo team is on track to improve its operations and remain at the forefront of sustainability, within the media industry and beyond. We recognize the dedication required to overcome the long-term challenges within the ecosystem and will continue to encourage other organizations in the industry to do the same.

We would love to hear from other companies in this industry to discuss how we can all move forward towards a sustainable future for video delivery. Wherever you are in your sustainability journey, get in touch with us to explore further.