Greenwashing or Genuine Progress?

How do organisations separate genuine sustainability progress from greenwashing? At InfoComm 2026, moderator Mike Stead of The Sustainability Forum, challenged a panel of AV industry leaders to explore this increasingly important question.

The panel (made up of Caro Sosa, CFO & Owner, Integration AV; Wendy Feldstein, SVP of Design, Crestron; and Scott Simpson, AVI-SPL XTG) talked about the commercial realities, procurement requirements, and operational decisions that influence decisions across the AV industry.

Let’s dig into what greenwashing is in AV, how to assess a company’s credibility when it comes to sustainability claims, how sustainability ties into financial discussions, and several important sustainable actions that AV professionals can take today.

For years, sustainability discussions have largely been driven by corporate commitments and marketing messages. Today, however, customers, procurement teams, and regulators are asking tougher questions because:

• Sustainability claims are increasing,  

• Scrutiny is increasing,

• And buyers need more practical ways to distinguish substance from spin. 

“The AV industry is seeing a surge in sustainability messaging,” expressed Stead. “But the real challenge for buyers isn't finding sustainability claims. It's determining which claims represent genuine progress and which are simply good marketing.”

So, what does greenwashing look like in practice?

Greenwashing refers to a marketing practice in which a company tries to position itself as sustainable when its actions don’t fully support that.

But what about a company that focuses on a limited sustainability benefit, which is technically accurate, but doesn’t provide a complete picture of a product's environmental impact? Is that greenwashing?

It’s crucial to keep in mind, as noted by panelist Sosa, that “nobody is 100% sustainable and that's okay. 100% recyclable packages... it's one step to be more sustainable, but it doesn't say anything about the product. We have to go deeper to understand if it is greenwashing or it's a good message to share.”

To avoid greenwashing, what’s most important is that a company ties sustainability achievements to verifiable data.

Any sustainability claims made by companies can (and should) be challenged by buyers. But how exactly can AV buyers assess credibility?

 “You ask for declarations, you ask for certifications, and that's how you prove that it's sincere. For example, we provide the declaration of non-use of SVHCs to our customers,” explained Feldstein.

She also added that, “Many companies are asking for EcoVadis scores.”

Sustainability claims should be supported by documentation, data, certifications, and transparency.

Every AV buyer should ask these 5 questions: 

• What evidence supports this sustainability claim? 

• What certifications support the claim? 

• What is the expected lifespan? 

• What are the operational impacts? 

• And what is the end-of-life strategy? 

Sustainability begins before procurement and extends long beyond deployment. So, make sure to consider: 

• Product lifespan  

• Repair 

• Reuse

• Refurbishment 

• Circularity

The topic of sustainability is also increasingly becoming a financial discussion. Bringing finance teams into sustainability discussions often reveals hidden operating costs that outweigh initial purchase price.

Although sustainable decisions often appear costly up front, “you will recover the investment just by saving the energy,” said Sosa.

And Feldstein highlighted that, “AV buying decisions are going to be further influenced by sustainability.”  

In fact, sustainability is increasingly appearing in:

• Tenders

• RFPs

• Supplier assessments

• Procurement scoring systems

Meaningful progress does not require a complete overhaul. AV buyers, integrators, and consultants can start making an impact right now through a few practical steps.

For AV buyers and procurement stakeholders: Be more proactive and vocal about sustainability. “Go out and demand it,” said Feldstein. By consistently asking suppliers, partners, and organizations about sustainable practices and products, professionals signal that sustainability matters and help drive industry-wide change. “If we continue to demand it, we're letting people know now that we want change.”

For AV integrators and consultants: Sustainability should be part of every project discussion. Create a sustainable checklist and highlight the environmental value. “Tell them what you did in the project that adds a sustainable value,” said Sosa. These conversations help customers understand both the immediate and long-term benefits of sustainable AV decisions.

For AV integrators, technical teams, and operations stakeholders: Turn sustainability goals into everyday practices. “Are power management routines on the network? Can we monitor this? All of those things need to be a part of a punch list,” said Simpson. By including energy management, monitoring, and efficiency measures on project punch lists, organizations can ensure sustainability becomes part of operations.

The AV industry's sustainability conversation is entering a new phase. Claims alone are no longer enough. Customers increasingly want evidence, transparency, and measurable results.

As sustainability expectations grow, Stead closes with this: “Resilience is the more powerful business case: lower energy costs, stronger supply chains and reduced risk.”