Conference With A Clear Climate Conscience Says Konftel
In an era of agile working with huge demand for conferencing and collaboration hardware, protecting the planet is just as important as connecting the world, for pioneering manufacturer Konftel.
It’s an ethos that would no doubt earn plenty of plaudits from world leaders who converged in Glasgow for the COP26 UN climate conference summit this month.
Konftel’s UK Sales Director, Jeff May feels individuals and industries all need to pull together to deliver change.
Konftel was the first in the collaboration devices sector to earn official Climate Neutral certification which has been extended for the second year in a row.
Climate Neutral Certified status means all greenhouse gas emissions have been offset, across all aspects of the business, from manufacturing and product packaging to transportation. Konftel continues to cut impact at source too with a series of new initiatives announced.
Forest Conservation
“A Climate Neutral Certified label is proudly displayed on all of our products. It means all greenhouse gas emissions across all aspects of the business have been offset by the investment in worldwide carbon credits.
“Forest conservation in Zimbabwe, water filtration in Cambodia and renewable energy in India are some of the many projects to be supported by them so far. All companies should take responsibility and make achieving net zero central to their decision making. We all need to take the lead.”
He highlighted: “Of course, video conferencing in itself makes a hugely positive contribution towards safeguarding the planet’s future simply because it renders travel so much less necessary. But the green credentials of our processes and our products are also hugely important to us too.”
As well as the investment in its carbon credit programme, Konftel plans to continue to reduce post-pandemic business travel; replace all plastic packaging for accessory cables with paper-based alternatives; replace plastic bubble wrap with recycled paper; minimise carton sizes and switch to thermal labels that require less energy and generate less waste.
New pledges include all company owned cars becoming electric by the end of 2021 and improving energy efficiency at its biggest manufacturing sites.
“Organisations that invest in low-impact technologies to enable and encourage remote collaboration inherently make their operations more environmentally friendly,” May added.
“Over the last decade, many companies and industries have increased their focus on sustainability by measuring the environmental impacts of daily operations and pursuing corporate social responsibility initiatives to reduce waste and energy costs.
“Although the hybrid office was already a popular idea at the start of 2020, no one could have envisioned how much would change by the year-end. Global climate change remains a concern for virtually every industry, and it is becoming clearer each day that traditional practices such as frequent long-distance business travel and long daily commutes may never regain their peak popularity.
Going Green
“Today, it is virtually impossible to ignore the environmental impacts of products, services, and work itself. While there is no silver bullet to eliminate emissions and other impacts stemming from office work, high-quality videoconferencing is increasingly being seen as a net-benefit way to reduce an organisation’s total footprint.
“For us, it’s not enough to simply provide innovative technology, equipment and support which helps people communicate more effectively. We also have to pay attention to our own carbon footprint in a way which encourages others to do the same. Stealing a march on our sector rivals and leading from the front is part of our DNA. A Climate Neutral Certified label is displayed on all our products which bears testimony to our ethos.
“We find that our customers, our partners and our people really care about all of this. We have put it at the very heart of our business because it’s the right thing to do. Yes, the right thing from a commercial perspective, but also the right thing from an environmental and ethical perspective.
“We often get asked by customers and channel partners where we stand on climate neutrality and what we are doing to minimise our carbon footprint. The subject is a big player in the procurement process, and rightly so. It means our investment in carbon neutrality is even more valuable and our commercial offering is more compelling. It is a new tool in the sales tool box, no question.”
Further Boost
In a further boost to installers, Konftel has created an interactive room type guide – available via Konftel.com – to help pinpoint the optimum set-up and understand the different dynamics of any video meeting scenario. This innovative 3D guide identifies the most appropriate products and connectivity set-up, from personal workspaces, focus and huddle rooms to large multipurpose facilities.
“With the hybrid workplace emerging as the new norm, video meetings have become the central resource for collaboration and efficient decision making. This means every meeting space, whether at home or in the office, needs to be equipped for instant, easy-to use and high quality video conferencing.
“Many companies recognise the need to maintain a workforce that may be much more remote in the future, where conferencing is the new norm. This means they will need to either redesign or re-equip office locations. Large conference rooms with vast glass tables, for example, make for really poor acoustics.
“Quality really matters. Audio clarity, picture sharpness and reduction of background noise – these are all factors which greatly influence the overall impact of any meeting. Equally other factors need to be considered about the office return including the impact on the environment.”
