Throughout the Middle East, business and industry leaders have repositioned sustainability as a priority, integrating their respective initiatives into their operations and business objectives. According to a recent PwC survey, eight in ten companies have a formal sustainability strategy while more than 50% have fully embedded their strategy across their organisation.
Efforts to make an organisation more environmentally responsible cannot be limited to a single function or department. Every little improvement throughout the structure counts. With a lot more emphasis on hitting sustainability targets, driven partly by increased regulatory pressures, companies can become more eco-conscious by considering the impact of their security and surveillance systems. Here are three factors to consider:
Reduced energy consumption
Energy consumption is a good place to start when considering your organisation’s environmental footprint, and that includes scrutinising how much energy your security system needs. Analyses have revealed that cameras are responsible for consuming the most energy in systems, around 60% to 80% over the product’s lifecycle, with the majority of consumption taking place during the product usage phase (as opposed to production, shipping, etc.).
That said, simply purchasing cameras that draw the lowest energy is not enough. Organisations need to look at their systems holistically and find out how components complement one another and work together to reduce overall consumption levels. For example, light-optimising technology or infrared sensors can minimise the need for powerful floodlights. Certain security products come equipped with elements like LEDS or heating features that can be disabled when working in certain ambient conditions, impacting overall energy consumption in the long term.
Recording storage is another major consideration surrounding the energy consumption of security systems. Many systems now rely on data centres for data storage services, which consume vast amounts of energy due to the cooling required. That is why at the same time that the Middle East data centre market continues to enjoy significant year-on-year growth, countries such as the UAE, Saudi Arabia and Qatar are working to incorporate renewable energy into their data centre facilities.
As the demand for these services increases, companies should prioritise reducing the amount of storage required where possible. This can be achieved using the right video compression technology, which can lower companies’ bandwidth requirements, and the overall server storage space required by an average of 50% or more. The result is a positive effect on sustainability rating, as well as potentially substantial cost savings.
Exclusion of toxic and hazardous materials
When purchasing surveillance products, companies should be critical of product design and the materials they may contain. These include hazardous raw materials such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and potentially toxic or carcinogenic brominated and chlorinated flame retardants (BFRs/CFRs). Companies can also scrutinise manufacturers and consider the current percentage of BFR/CFR/PVC-free products in their catalogues, as well as any targets or timelines to remove their use of materials entirely.
Today, many manufacturers are adopting green principles in their research and development (R&D) and product design. For example, vendors are making increasing use of recycled materials, such as renewable carbon-based plastics, to save natural resources. Many vendors also take a systematic approach. Since 2012, the Axis Green Design Group has worked to implement more conscious sustainable choices within the brand’s product design, and the group’s targets include all cameras launched in 2024 be BFR/CFR-free, and all Axis-designed products in 2025 be PVC/BFR/CFR-free.
The sourcing of raw materials is also a consideration. Vendors must guarantee that they only use conflict-free minerals, including those mined in areas where sales may prolong armed conflicts, and enforce a code of conduct across their value chains, regularly auditing suppliers and upholding strict standards.
A lifecycle perspective
Discarded electronic and electrical goods (e-waste) waste is the world’s fastest-growing waste stream, to the point that globally recognised initiatives such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) include specific provisions to counter that stream and overall make the industry more sustainable. What companies can do to contribute is to consider the full lifecycle of their hardware and security products, as well as confirm the lifecycle models adhered to by their vendors.
Companies should ask themselves the following questions: how long is the operational lifespan of my security products? What happens to them once they are outdated or no longer serve their purpose? Can they be recycled or repurposed, or will they end up in a landfill?
These questions and others are the reason manufacturers are looking to close the loop, building and designing security solutions that start as raw materials and can then be returned to raw materials, as well as offering extended support to increase the operational lifespan of their products.
Taking the first step
For many companies in the Middle East, the journey towards sustainability begins by asking the right questions. Organisations should be encouraged to work and partner with vendors that reflect their own sustainability ambitions, and that strive to achieve science-based targets and offer high levels of transparency when it comes to information about their products, operations, and supply chains.
Ettiene Van Der Watt is the Regional Director, Middle East & Africa of Axis Communications
