Dispel greenhushing: Why & how the broadcast/media industry can journey to a sustainable greener future

By Shaun Lim

Like any other industry, the broadcast and media industry has seen sustainability turn into a key buzzword in recent years as stakeholders strive for more robust and sustainable broadcast practices.

However, for many, the journey to sustainable broadcasting has perhaps only just begun, even though the strides that have been taken over the past 12 months should not be underestimated, suggested Barbara Lange, Principal & CEO of Kibo121, a boutique consultancy which works with the media industry to help educate and enhance sustainability initiatives.

Speaking with APB+, she explained, “While there is still no standardised framework for the broadcast industry around sustainability, or Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG), over the past year, many groups have been actively engaged with studying the areas of efficiencies trying to help move the needle and get more organisations to adopt a sustainability mindset.”

Lange highlighted some of the key initiatives that have played a key role in advocating sustainability in recent years:

• Greening of Streaming is an industry group that looks at the energy cost around streaming content.  They have initiated several works including the REM project that is studying real-time and real-world energy measurements (REM) of viewing devices.  

• The US-based standards body ATSC formed a sustainability committee in 2022 with the express purpose to better understand the energy consumption of broadcast, across the entire workflow.  The committee has brought in many speakers in an effort to expand the knowledge and understanding across the ecosystem.

• Global standards body SMPTE formed a sustainability study group in 2024 with the intent to understand standards around energy consumption in the media workflows.

• EcoFlow, an IBC Accelerator project, is an industry collaboration that studies the environmental impact of streaming.  The award-winning project looked at integrating attributional and consequential approaches to data collection and analysis, with a specific focus on energy usage, insights, and the role of content delivery networks (CDNs) and cloud services.  

• The Media Tech Sustainability Series (MTSS) was formed by Dovetail Creative and Kibo121 to provide educational and networking opportunities across the media tech sector. From webinars to vlogs, its annual summit, as well as conference sessions held at NAB and IBC, the MTSS is fast becoming a go-to resource for all things related to sustainability.  The MTSS has been a vital platform for thought leadership and collaboration, bringing together media technology professionals to share best practices, case studies, and progress in sustainability.
• Established in 2019, the DPP Commitment to Sustainability Programme is an excellent opportunity for media tech and broadcasters to assess their current sustainability measures and set themselves up for improvements.

“Awards in sustainability offered by NAB, IBC, IABM and the newly crafted Corporate Star Awards (affiliated with the MTSS), are also honouring sustainability and achievements in ESG efforts across the media landscape.

“The more organisations help to recognise good work, it will inspire others to learn more and perhaps to take on their own sustainability efforts,” Lange added.

Where barriers to continued progress are concerned, greenhushing remains a sizeable challenge in the ability efforts to save planet earth, even if these efforts are conducted with good intentions. This in turn, is creating less visibility throughout the industry and potentially leading to less action being taken.

Lange highlighted, “Greenhushing is absolutely happening in all industries, including the media sector, when it comes to talking publicly about sustainability.  Greenhushing happens because organisations fear accusations of greenwashing, legal risks, or competitive disadvantages.

“They may also lack confidence in their efforts or expertise in communicating them effectively. To address this, we should encourage transparency, normalise incremental progress, and provide clear communication guidelines.

“Promote collaboration, celebrate best practices, and educate stakeholders to build trust and reduce fear of backlash. Public recognition for transparency can also motivate others to share their efforts.”

While greenhushing exists, global regulations are driving large public companies to mandatory ESG reporting, thus limiting the impact greenhushing has within the broadcast and media industry, proposed Jeff Poapst, Chief Manufacturing Officer, Ross Video.

He told APB+, “The organisations we work with are active, involved participants on the ESG side. Many have issued annual ESG reports, as is legally required by the SEC of public companies in the US, and I expect it to become increasingly commonplace in private organisations in the coming years.”

The real challenge, Poapst argued, comes when the lens shifts from broadcast and media organisations to their supply chain. “Suppliers, particularly privately held and smaller suppliers, aren’t nearly so advanced. The onus is on large and public organisations to drive and assist their smaller suppliers and customers in measuring and making sustainability efforts more transparent.”

Transparency in reporting, he advocated, is crucial and goes beyond just checking a box. Instead, it is about giving a true picture of where organisations stand and where they are headed. 

“However, the more complex and dispersed a business becomes, the more challenging it can be to ensure that reporting is both complete and transparent,” he acknowledged. “As an industry leader, it’s important that we lead by example by being as transparent and forthcoming as we can about our efforts and challenges, and we hope that work inspires others in the industry to do the same.”

Embracing a greener future with hyperconverged infrastructure 

As live production expands in scale and complexity, sustainability is becoming an increasingly vital consideration. Ross Video, for one, believes that hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) offers a ready-made solution.

“By focusing on modularity, energy efficiency, and integrated functionality, hyperconverged infrastructure delivers operational benefits and drives the video production industry toward a more sustainable future,” explained Poapst.

Ross Video’s Ultrix platform, for example, integrates signal routing, audio and video mixing, multi-viewing, and more into a single platform, significantly reducing the environmental impact of live video production. From the outset, its design prioritised sustainability, with the goal of minimising environmental impact throughout its lifecycle, from production to deployment and eventual end-of-life.

According to Ross Video, one of the most significant contributions of hyperconverged infrastructure to sustainability lies in its modularity. The modular design of platforms like Ultrix means that individual components can be replaced or upgraded without discarding or overhauling entire systems.

Hyperconverged infrastructure also consumes less energy. Ultrix combines multiple functions into a single system, reducing the power required to run operations. It employs energy-efficient technologies such as Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for media processing, which use less energy than traditional equipment and many software-based media processing solutions.

Poapst continued, “Another important aspect is the reduced physical footprint of hyperconverged systems. In addition to energy efficiency during operation, smaller and lighter equipment translates into lower energy consumption during transportation — an especially critical factor for mobile production teams.”

Hyperconverged infrastructure also simplifies workflows, which can bring significant environmental benefits; Ultrix, for example, reduces the need for multiple devices and extensive cabling. This consolidation streamlines setup and operation, which improves efficiency and minimises the resources required for maintenance. 

Ultrix’s commitment to sustainability was recognised at the 2024 NAB Show Excellence in Sustainability Awards, where Ultrix won the Sustainability in Product or Service award.

“Hyperconverged infrastructure represents a significant step towards a more sustainable media production industry,” declared Poapst. “The future of live video production lies in innovation that does not come at the expense of the environment. Hyperconverged infrastructure offers a pathway to balancing technological advancement with responsible environmental stewardship.”

What’s the roadmap to sustainability in 2025?

For the broadcast and media industry to take the next step towards long-term sustainability, stakeholders should prioritise creating a unified approach to sustainability by standardising metrics and frameworks for tracking carbon emissions and resource usage.

This, explained Kibo121’s Lange, will enable consistent reporting and meaningful comparisons across organisations, driving accountability and progress.

She added, “Investing in energy-efficient technologies, such as optimised video streaming, cloud-based solutions, and AI-driven workflows, can significantly reduce environmental impact. Expanding the use of renewable energy sources in production facilities and data centres should also become a priority to minimise dependency on fossil fuels.”

Lange also identified collaboration across the supply chain as a critical factor. Broadcasters, tech vendors, and content creators, she urged, must work together to share best practices, develop innovative solutions, and align sustainability goals. 

“Transparency in efforts, including clear communication of successes and challenges, will foster trust and inspire others in the industry to take action.”

Finally, embedding sustainability into corporate culture through education, training, and stakeholder engagement will ensure that sustainable practices are not only adopted but embraced.

“By combining technological advancements, collaboration, and a commitment to transparency, the industry can accelerate its journey toward a sustainable future,” Lange concluded.