FEED Summer 2022 Web

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SUSTAINABILITY ROUND TABLE WITH SONY’S PETER SYKES

“We do build hardware. It’s not eggs and tomatoes,” says Sony’s Zab Pierce, senior European PR and social media manager. “We don’t want to be hypocritical. We want to be committed partners in helping our customers be sustainable. So not only do we have our corporate policy initiatives, but we also work with customers to help them deliver sustainable solutions.” Sony offers recycling and take- back initiatives for used equipment. Its camera factory in Pencoed, Wales – powered by renewable energy sources – is a hub for camera refurbishment. Machines that can be given a second life are sent back out into the industry. “We’re also making codecs more efficient,” says Pierce, “so that – at every level – we’re reducing the carbon footprint.” WORKPLACE Ultimately, sustainability is about creating a quality life for people. Sony’s workplace culture and business practices come back to this theme again and again. Every vendor Sony interacts with needs to be operating in an ethical and responsible way, in line with Sony’s

Supply Chain Code of Conduct. The Code of Conduct requires that Sony suppliers treat their workers fairly and according to principles laid out by the Responsible Business Alliance (RBA). Notably, this also includes a recognition of workers’ rights to form and join trade unions, and bargain collectively – an indication that Sony’s respect for worker wellbeing is more than just talk. Industry organisations that promote equity and wellbeing are also very much on Sony’s radar. The company is a major sponsor of the Rory Peck Trust and its annual awards show. Rory Peck is a charity established to support freelance journalists and their families globally, with financial assistance, training and personal welfare assistance. Sony also backs Rise, the broadcast industry organisation devoted to furthering gender diversity across the media tech sector. Mechanisms are in place to help Sony toward reaching its ambitious sustainability aims. To hold itself accountable, the company requires that executive bonuses are tied to sustainability performance measures. When a company of Sony’s size makes positive changes, results can be significant, and – perhaps just as importantly – might start to influence others to do the same. The business leaders of the 21st century have to put more into the world than they take away. “We’re aware that sustainability is more on our customers’ radars, especially since COP26 last year,” says Pierce. “But Sony has an edge in this space, because we’ve been very public and quite ahead of the game compared to some competitors.”

AT EVERY LEVEL, WE’RE REDUCING THE CARBON FOOTPRINT

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