
Making life and business more sustainable is now a priority for governments, manufacturers and individuals. The audio market is among those playing its part, which, as Kevin Hilton reports, was discussed at the 2022 Audio Collaborative conference, hosted by Futuresource Consulting
By Contributor
Published: December 1, 2022
Making life and business more sustainable is now a priority for governments, manufacturers and individuals. The audio market is among those playing its part, which, as Kevin Hilton reports, was discussed at the 2022 Audio Collaborative conference, hosted by Futuresource Consulting
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Sustainability is an issue that has featured regularly on broadcast technology conference programmes in recent years but is usually confined to a specific session. This is now beginning to change as the broadcasting and general media sector comes to realise that ecological awareness should fundamentally inform not only its operations but also the manufacture and distribution of the equipment it uses. The recent Audio Collaborative event in London reflected this, with the need to work in a sustainable way discussed by many of the panels, not just those dedicated to the subject.
This year's event, organised by media research consultancy Futuresource, was the first in-person' conference since 2019. As at that last event, the opening keynote for 2022 was given by Carsten Olesen (pictured), president of consumer audio at Harman International. Sustainability featured heavily in his presentation and follow-up fireside chat'. It was, he said, one of the three main issues influencing audio technology today, together with data and AI (artificial intelligence) and the metaverse.
Picking up the point about sustainable innovation , Olesen said, Our presence on the planet changes the natural world and is a threat to the environmental world. Our industry has a role to play and it must play that role. Examples of people and organisations in the audio and music business who were doing this, he added, were the charity Earth/Percent, A Greener Festival, Julie's Bicycle and former REM singer Michael Stipe, who, in September this year, released the world's first bioplastic 12-inch record. With the EU target of climate neutrality set for 2050, Olesen commented that most hardware manufacturers were backing sustainability, with initiatives including the recycling of plastics.
Two afternoon sessions were given over to discussing how the audio sector is - or should be - working to make itself more sustainable. This segment was opened by Althea Ricketts, associate vice president of corporate initiatives and sustainability champion at Shure, who delivered a shortened version of a presentation she gives to the sound technology market: Sustainability What's in it for the Audio Industry?' That title appears to be have been at least partly inspired by a comment from a senior audio executive who asked Ricketts what audio had to do with climate change. Ricketts went on to illustrate how much global warming and other environmental concerns should be as much a major consideration for the audio sector as any other area of life.
Beginning with the Webster's dictionary definition of sustainability - using a resource so that the resource is not depleted or permanently damaged and staying within the bounds of finite resources - Ricketts set out to look at how that related to the audio industry, including associates, community, product and the environment. It is a balance of the triple bottom lines, she said, people, planet and profit. With community it is about being a good corporate citizen.
It was also, she added, about keeping an eye on the future , with the United Nation's 17 Sustainable Development Goals providing serious targets for companies and individuals alike. All the goals have a direct impact on your business, Ricketts commented. Those most connected to audio are: responsible consumption and production; industry innovation and infrastructure; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; climate action; life on land; life below water; clean water and sanitation; and sustainable cities and communities.
Ricketts revealed that what keeps her up at night is the thought of e-waste, the growing amount of electrical and electronic devices that are discarded either wholly or in part. The Greenpeace Guide to Greener Electronics (first published in 2017) set out how manufacturers could take responsibility for the supply chain footprint, design sustainable products and also be responsible for the end of life chain . This last point includes repairing or refurbishing equipment, with Apple setting an example through its Daisy recycling robots. Ricketts encouraged people to start asking questions and concluded by quoting the late British environment minister Michael Meacher: Forward thinking companies that adapt positively to the sustainable business agenda will be at the forefront of resource productivity, reducing waste and of environmental reporting.
The following panel discussion Sounding Out on Sustainability featured Ricketts, Dom Robinson, co-founder of international awareness forum Greening of Streaming; Andy Dowell, head of licensing at rendering technology developer MQA; and moderator Chris Carey of research agency Opinium. Responding to the question of how big a problem streaming posed in terms of sustainability, Robinson gave the bald statistic that it consumes between one and two per cent of world energy, which is the same as the aviation sector. Not everything needs to be delivered at 8K UHD, he said. We need to optimise energy. Lord of the Rings works in UHD but it's not necessary for eight channels being shown in a pub with only one person watching. For passiv
Europe Stories
06/10/2025
France T l visions, France's leading broadcaster, has received the 2025 EBU ...
04/09/2025
Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE), in collaboration with Dalet, has been a...
04/07/2025
The Summer Reading Challenge has inspired children across the U.K. to embrace a ...
04/07/2025
Friday 4 July 2025
Watch the trailer here https://youtu.be/Od5WpvWmDr8
Further...
04/07/2025
The Pitch comes to RT Radio 1 airwaves this Sunday at 7pm. The Pitch is a brand...
03/07/2025
For our Vario-Jib, as well as for a repertoire of weights, we now have carts that make transport easier...
03/07/2025
One of our latest innovations: Slider Drive Unit!
Our Vario Slider not only comes with improvements and new features, but also with its own drive unit!
Our i...
03/07/2025
The 360 EVO lives up to its name: 360-degree rotation not only on the pan axis, but also on the roll axis, enables filmmakers to take their creative visions eve...
03/07/2025
What a buzzing few days at BSCExpo in London!
We were thrilled to connect with so many talented professionals from the world of cinematography.
A huge thank ...
03/07/2025
ADOLESCENCE - Shot with Panther Tower"The whole rig had to be detachable mid-episode
Netflix limited drama series Adolescence has been gaining attentio...
03/07/2025
** MEDIA ALERT ** Shonen Jump Store Hosting Los Angeles Pop-up During Anime Exp...
03/07/2025
Thursday 3 July 2025
David Harewood and Matthew Broome in Mozart: Genius for Hi...
03/07/2025
The Sky WNT Fund supports Womens National Team players with a 30,000 bursaryThursday 3 July 2025
Sky Ireland has announced the four recipients of the 2025 Sky...
02/07/2025
Calrec expands ecosystem at NAB 2025 giving broadcasters access to dynamic workflows and ultimate flexibility Helping broadcasters meet the shifting needs of me...
02/07/2025
02 Jul 2025
VEON Raises USD 200 Million in Private Bond Placement Dubai, July 1, 2025: VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital operator ( VEON ), announces ...
02/07/2025
Brand new factual series follows mechanic and self-taught engineer Dom Chinea as he makes the move of his life to the far west of Cornwall
UKTV today announces...
02/07/2025
Rohde & Schwarz acquires ZES ZIMMER Electronic Systems GmbH and expands its T&M ...
02/07/2025
Wuppertal July 2, 2025
Riedel Communications Launches RefSuite Ecosystem for S...
02/07/2025
Andrew will serve as Chair of ABC alongside his role at NED, APL Media, where he supports the executive team with strategic insight and global expansion plans. ...
01/07/2025
The launch of Code of Silence, coupled with the Britains Got Talent semi final, gave ITV its best Sunday night of 2025.
The first episode of the new crime dr...
01/07/2025
ITV and Mammoth Screen have announced the start of filming for Betrayal, a gripp...
01/07/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
01/07/2025
Vocal-processing plug-in joins NOIZ Hub series
Launched in 2024, KIT Plugins' NOIZ Hub series was created with the aim of providing a range of professio...
01/07/2025
New self-paced learning programme announced
Mastering.com have announced the availability of a new online course designed to cover the fundamentals of maste...
01/07/2025
The Traitors are coming: Get your first taste of the global hit as Season 1 of T...
01/07/2025
cetecom advanced certifies Rohde & Schwarz test solution for the verification of...
01/07/2025
RT has announced that Teresa Smith has been appointed Commissioning Editor with responsibility for Factual Entertainment following a public competition. This s...
01/07/2025
This July, RT is delighted to support Galway International Arts Festival, Earagail Arts Festival in Donegal, Belfast TradFest and 23 other arts and cultural ev...
30/06/2025
There's nothing quite like the magic of finding music that feels made just f...
30/06/2025
When it comes to new music, Spotify's team of editors across North America is always on the hunt for songs that make them feel, think, and move. They're...
30/06/2025
Star Studded Ensemble Cast Are Joined by Richard Rankin as Filming Begins on the Second Season
[June 12, 2025 - Boston, MA]: The Forsytes, Debbie Horsfield...
30/06/2025
Eurorack sequencer module reimagined
California-based modular synth innovators Qu-Bit have announced the launch of a new module that offers a fresh new take...
30/06/2025
Improved dynamic behaviour, improved audio quality & more
Techivation have announced the release of an upgraded edition of their very first premium plug-in,...
30/06/2025
German premiere with live flight demonstration: German industry team showcases e...
30/06/2025
The Focusrite Summer Sale is now on Don't miss unbeatable deals on Scarlett, Vocaster, and more.
Whether you're an artist, a producer, or a podcaste...
30/06/2025
All 8 episodes of Season 1 of 1923 will be available on RT Player from Tuesday ...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
52% report AI security spending is displacing tr...
30/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Cannes, June 30th, 2025 - Thales Alenia Space, t...
29/06/2025
Handpan-inspired instrument announced
Roland have announced the launch of the Mood Pan, a unique electronic hand percussion instrument that has been designe...
28/06/2025
Music theory plug-in updated
Three months on from the release of the latest version of their renowned music theory plug in, Scaler Music have launched an up...
27/06/2025
K-Pop remains one of the biggest genres globally, and many fans just can't get enough of it. That's why Spotify has launched a new series of K-Pop perf...
27/06/2025
In our latest blog post, Rafael Rivera highlights the rising threat of online scams, and the important role cybersecurity plays in protecting families across ge...
27/06/2025
From grounded realism to bending, impossible geometries
Klevgrand have announced the release of a new algorithmic reverb plug-in which they say deconstruct...
27/06/2025
Learn to use REW for room analysis
Acoustic treatment is one of the most important factors in any studio, and with the extensive range of products available...
27/06/2025
Second edition of parallel clipper plug-in announced
Soundtheory have announced the launch of Kraftur Focus, a new edition of their parallel clipper plug-in...
27/06/2025
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Thales, a global high-tech leader, and Kongsberg...
27/06/2025
Friday 27 June 2025
Combination of RTL Deutschland and Sky Deutschland (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) to create a unique proposition in entertainment, sports ...
26/06/2025
Bilbao Linz, June 26th 2025 - AgileTV, a European leader in TV and video technology solutions, has signed an agreement this week with the Austrian telco LIWES...
26/06/2025
aconnic AG (ISIN: DE000A0LBKW6), Munich, has resolved, based on the decisions ma...
26/06/2025
Three new entry-level models introduced
Catering to everything from casual listening to professional content creation, KRK's new Kreate Series monitors ...