Bringing the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals to the AV industry

In 1987, a UN commission officially defined the term "Sustainable Development" as "meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
In September 2015, by unanimous vote, 193 UN member countries adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Each member nation committed to achieving these indivisible and universal goals by 2030 to ensure a sustainable world for all people.
At the center of this Agenda are the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), each with 169 specific goals to achieve. Serving as an urgent call to action by all countries, the SDGs focus on ending poverty, providing access to quality healthcare and education, reducing inequality, and addressing climate change to preserve our oceans and forests. The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals are comprehensive, systemic, and fully interrelated. It is imperative that we implement them NOW. An SDG approach aims to curb global warming, eradicate poverty, and establish sustainable communities under the basic rule of law. The resources and knowledge to achieve these goals exist.
Unfortunately, many people around the world have not heard of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This is despite the fact that all 193 UN member countries have endorsed the goals. The creation of the SDGs took three years and involved hundreds of government entities, NGOs and millions of people around the world who participated in surveys, forums, and round tables. In general, many of the governments of the countries that made this commitment have not taken measures to publicize them to the public and have not made any progress in their implementation.
The 2030 Sustainable Development Goals provide a plan to make the systemic change necessary for the survival and future viability of our businesses, industries, and planet.
The audiovisual industry encompasses a wide range of businesses and markets, with the educational market being the largest. These include systems contractors, product manufacturers, consultants, programmers, engineers, technicians, and other allied professionals. The Pro AV industry alone is expected to generate $306 billion by 2023.
SDG Goal 12 focuses on responsible manufacturing, reuse, recycling and reduction at every stage of the product life cycle. This begins with how materials are obtained for manufacturing and concludes with how we dispose of products at the end of their useful life. Electronics are the basis of work and social life in the Western world. If we could create a circular economy in this industry, we could save more than 54 million tons of e-waste per year.
While e-waste presents enormous challenges, it is also a great opportunity. The electronic waste generated in 2019 is valued at 62.5 million dollars. We can find examples of electronic waste in almost all products integrated into our audiovisual projects. Many of our AV products come with four different adapters to fit power outlets around the world. Three of the four adapters will never be used and will end up in a landfill. For every millions of these audiovisual products sold, there are 3 million PVC-coated adapters that become toxic waste in landfills. These power supplies are coated with polymethine plastic that will never biodegrade.
Focusing on sustainability is not only essential for the health of our planet. It directly benefits the health of our businesses and our industry by better positioning us to address new market opportunities. It helps reduce our exposure to a variety of business risks. It strengthens the very foundations of the economy.
It is not enough to simply support these goals and it may not be enough to make internal changes towards sustainability in our individual companies and organizations, BUT it is a start.
We must act together and advocate for systemic changes in the industry. We must advocate for government action to facilitate, protect, and support these necessary changes. We must put an end to harmful practices that pollute, poison, and exploit on a large scale.
What is needed is leadership in the industry to steer it in the right direction. The solutions exist. But no audiovisual company or educational institution alone can affect this change. We must bring together our industry stakeholders to understand the problem and see the need to act.
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