Vitec tackles greenhouse gas emissions
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“The immediate challenge is to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by racing toward carbon neutrality, but it will not be easy,” says Wetzel. “The video streaming sector will have to design products that utilize fewer raw materials, are easier to transport, consume less energy, and are easily recyclable. Adopting carbon-neutral energy strategies throughout the enterprise video supply chain will be necessary. In response to these challenges, Vitec has launched its GreenPEG initiative to invest in carbon reduction projects and retroactively offset all emissions.”
Video streaming represented more than 80% of internet traffic in 2020. The internet accounts for more than 2% of global warming, and the footprint is still growing, with the impact of internet traffic on global climate change on the same level as air travel and transportation.
Similar trends, according to Wetzel, are unfolding within enterprise networks. In Vitec’s 2020 BTR-100 executive survey on video traffic and enterprise networks, 93% of executives reported that their organization’s video traffic is growing, requiring network capacity upgrades. The effects of the Covid-19 crisis, in particular, have pushed remote workforces to increase video consumption significantly.
The elevated need for video in workflows raises questions about the role the enterprise video community can play to meet the objectives of the 2015 Paris Agreement, which established a global framework for mitigating the dangerous effects of climate change by limiting global temperature increases to 2°C, preferably 1.5°C.
Vitec is re-evaluating all stages of its production ecosystem to reduce environmental impact by modifying all product design, development, and distribution processes.
Wetzel states: “Vitec launched the GreenPEG initiative to optimise MPEG technology by addressing – and minimising – the size, weight, and power of devices that contribute to energy consumption. GreenPEG products are carbon neutral throughout production and use, then easily disassembled and sustainably recycled.”
This comprehensive approach to environmentally sustainable business practices will be increasingly important as governments worldwide mandate sustainability initiatives. “Enforcement of Paris Agreement rules is maturing rapidly. GreenPEG will help Vitec – along with its customers and suppliers – avoid the risk of being excluded from government tenders,” explains Wetzel.
In January 2021, Vitec announced it would invest in carbon reduction projects to retroactively offset all emissions since its foundation in 1988, including all direct and indirect emissions. Moving forward, all Vitec enterprise video products will be developed and labeled as GreenPEG-compliant.
“Vitec has integrated GreenPEG into the development of our entire product suite, making it easier for our partners and customers to invest in environmental efforts toward carbon neutrality. In doing so, we hope to raise the bar for the entire video streaming industry,” concludes Wetzel.
