Sustainability is the word of the hour. Like every industry, the Digital Signage value chain will have to be more climate-compatible. The invidis Green Signage Handbook gives orientation where to start.
As sustainability has become top priority for more and more enterprises, C-Level attention for this topic is guaranteed. For the first time, digital signage gains the attention of CEOs, CIOs and CMOs – driven by consumers, shareholders, and most important, from lawmakers around the world. Green Signage offers great potential for the digital signage industry to re-engage with existing customers and to reach out to new potentials.
Why Green Signage?
Two years ago, invidis coined the term ‘Green Signage’ – a term that emphazises the environmental aspects – mainly because it is more striking than other terms like ‘Sustainable Signage’ or ‘Responsible Signage’. It captures one of the main levers for digital signage – reducing the carbon footprint. However, we do not want to restrict the discussion and thinking purely of the ecological dimensions, but explicitly also want to include all the other aspects referred to in the United Nations’ SDGs.
Besides the growing awareness, Green Signage also offers many pitfalls like greenwashing or temptations of supposedly simple solutions, for example playing black content instead of shutting screens completely off. Also just buying certificates to offset the carbon footprint is not sufficient anymore. It is a complex mix of strategic, conceptual and operational measures which are necessary. invidis Green Signage is an initiative to raise awareness, show ways of more sustainable digital signage within the industry and with buyers.
A new Green Signage resource
The digital signage industry is built on energy-hungry products that are using scarce resources partly from poor countries and are built and distributed via a global supply chain. The industry’s and end user’s responsibility goes far beyond individual aspects like energy consumption or the use of ‘green energy’.
This may sound intimidating, and some smaller businesses might think ‘this is a global problem for global businesses’ – but it isn’t. It can only be solved in a collective effort. The key questions revolve around ‘Where to start?’ and ‘What to do practically?’ A good starting point are widely accepted frameworks like the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or Environmental Social Governance (ESG) concepts. The majority of blue-chip businesses have started some form of ESG initiative on corporate level in recent years. But how can typical digital signage players become more sustainable?
To support companies in their efforts on the road to more sustainability, invidis presents the Green Signage Handbook, a hands-on-resource, covering all aspects of Green Signage. The Handbook is soon to be released, so watch this space!