Hey everyone! Now that we’re in the thick of summer, we’re taking a look back at our April 2025 Temperature Check, where we focused on a topic that’s only growing in relevance: sustainability. We asked AV pros how sustainability factors into purchasing decisions, project design and long-term priorities — and what’s holding the industry back from more meaningful progress.

With insights from experts at AVI-SPL, AVIXA’s Sustainability Advisory Council, SAVe and Legrand, here’s what we learned about where the ProAV industry stands on sustainability, and where it still needs to go.

The majority of respondents rated the AV industry right in the middle — a 3 out of 5 — when asked how well it’s addressing sustainability. That neutral response, according to our sources, reflects growing awareness but also frustration with the lack of clear tools and metrics.

Kelly Bousman, senior vice president of ESG and sustainability at AVI-SPL, said the challenge isn’t desire, it’s data. “Quantifying a product’s carbon footprint is complicated. Standards exist, but AV and UC products often fall outside existing product category rules,” she said.

Carolina Sosa, representing AVIXA’s Sustainability Advisory Council and SAVe, pointed to three key barriers: lack of knowledge, absence of shared metrics, and misalignment across the AV value chain. “Many professionals want to do more but don’t know where to start,” she said. “We also lack data on AV-specific contributions to global e-waste — which makes progress hard to measure.”

Kathryn Gaskell, director of eco-design and regulatory for Legrand, noted that mindset remains a barrier. “There are still people who think it’s either sustainability or profitability,” she said. “But it’s possible — and necessary—to pursue both.”

While 51.9% of respondents said sustainability is “somewhat important” in AV purchasing and design decisions, only 30.6% said it was “very important.” That gap reveals a disconnect between intention and execution — but experts say there’s reason for optimism.

“Where some see a gap, I see opportunity,” said Bousman. “Most of our customers are including sustainability in their decisions. What they need is measurable data to guide them.”

Sosa agreed that sustainability isn’t yet a top-tier criterion in most AV projects — but that’s changing. “It’s often still behind price and performance, but customers are starting to ask for it,” she said. Through SAVe, her team provides resources like certification workshops and design guides to help companies move from good intentions to concrete action.

Gaskell added that while not everyone considers sustainability “very important” yet, the number who disregard it completely is shrinking. “That’s the trend we want to see,” she said. “More and more customers are looking to make informed, environmentally responsible choices.”

The top three sustainable practices reported by respondents were the use of energy-efficient equipment, equipment reuse or repurposing and e-waste reduction through recycling.

AVI-SPL is supporting these efforts by maintaining a manufacturer database of certifications and sustainability features. “This helps us guide clients toward energy-efficient and responsible product choices,” Bousman said. AVI-SPL also discloses its own annual sustainability metrics.

Legrand, meanwhile, is focused on full-lifecycle sustainability — from reducing plastics in packaging to providing environmental product declarations. “We’re embedding circularity and transparency into our design process,” Gaskell said.

SAVe is promoting scalable action across the industry through awareness, training and partnerships. Sosa noted their team has launched an ambassador program, hosted conferences and built a design guide that’s already been downloaded globally. “We’re working to make sustainability a natural part of how AV gets done,” she said.

Bottom line: The AV industry may not have all the answers yet — but it’s asking the right questions. With more professionals treating sustainability as a must-have rather than a nice-to-have, and organizations like SAVe, AVI-SPL and Legrand showing what’s possible, the tools for meaningful change are starting to come into focus.