14 DAY TRIAL // A couple of days back, Sony Pictures announced new sustainability efforts meant to improve on the company's ecological footprint.
The most interesting observations that Sony Pictures made were those concerning the end of the DVD era and the environment's having a lot to gain from DVDs' becoming obsolete.
According to Business Green, the company has no intentions of completely phasing out DVDs.
However, it does want to take steps towards getting its customers to understand that digital distribution is the best and the more environmentally friendly option.
Sony Pictures believes that trying to change the behavior of its customers in this way might eventually help reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 75%.
“Through a DVD packaging redesign, and other efforts to improve its supply chain, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment eliminated 22% of carbon emissions in DVD packaging and earned the top sustainability ranking by Wal-mart in the packaged media category,” reads the company's press release on the matter at hand.
Furthermore, “Looking ahead, the studio will encourage consumers to acquire films digitally, which may further reduce emissions by as much as over 75%.”
Apart from its promising to turn DVDs into a thing of the past, Sony Pictures wishes to lower the carbon emissions of its operations by at least 15%. The deadline for this goal is 2020.
The company also wants to obtain sustainability certifications for all its films and TV productions, and even foster green-oriented behaviors amongst its customers and its employees.
In fact, the company has already launched two programs aimed at encouraging its employees to buy a fuel-efficient vehicle and/or install solar panels at home.
“Through our environmental sustainability efforts, we have an opportunity to make a real, positive difference to the business and, ultimately, to the world, and maybe inspire some people along the way,” argued Amy Pascal, co-chairman, Sony Pictures Entertainment and chairman of Sony Pictures Motion Pictures Group.