What is a Digital Product Passport for AV?

Maybe you have heard of it before. But what exactly is it?

• What information does a Digital Product Passport contain?
• Why is it being requested more and more often?
• And where do you actually get this information?

You are not alone in asking these questions.

More and more facility managers, procurement professionals and project managers are having to deal with Digital Product Passports. Especially as sustainability and circularity play an increasingly important role in procurement processes.

About the author:
I’m Kjeld Veenhuis, Sustainable AV Specialist at AVEX. I help organisations on their journey towards more sustainable AV solutions and was involved in the development of the first fully CO₂-neutral and circular AV solution for meeting rooms and digital signage: BRIX zero. In my work, I regularly deal with questions about Digital Product Passports.

In this article, I’ll explain:

• What exactly a Digital Product Passport is for AV
• Why it is becoming increasingly important for CSRD, ESPR and tenders
• How to assess the quality of a DPP using a practical checklist
• Which first steps you can take today

After reading this article, you’ll know exactly what a DPP is and how to get started.

What is a Digital Product Passport?

A Digital Product Passport (DPP) is a standardised digital record containing information about a product’s composition, origin, materials and sustainability performance.

For AV equipment, this means gaining insight into the complete lifecycle of a product. From production and transport to use and reuse.

Where previously you had little insight into where your displays, video bars or mounting brackets came from or how they were manufactured, a DPP provides clear answers.

For you as a professional, a Digital Product Passport gives you greater control over:

• Transparency towards stakeholders
• Reporting that better aligns with CSRD and ESPR requirements
• Measurable circularity objectives

A Digital Product Passport provides objective product information and insight into sustainability performance. For example, it can show how many kilograms of CO₂ were emitted during the production phase or whether the product can easily be maintained to extend its lifespan.

Why are Digital Product Passports becoming increasingly important?

The pressure on organisations is increasing. European regulations such as the CSRD (Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive) and the ESPR (Ecodesign for Sustainable Products Regulation) are making transparency increasingly important.

In practical terms, this means:

Common misconceptions about DPPs

There are still several persistent misconceptions about Digital Product Passports. We regularly hear objections and assumptions such as:

The pitfalls in practice

Working with Digital Product Passports sounds straightforward, but the reality can be more challenging. Organisations that are already working with DPPs often run into the same problems.

The cause? The foundation is rarely in place:

• Data is incorrect or incomplete: your reporting depends on the quality of your source data. An incomplete DPP is of little value.
• There is no clear connection to sustainability objectives: the DPP becomes a standalone project instead of being part of your broader strategy.
• It is treated as a one-off exercise: while you actually need the information continuously for processes, reporting and tenders.

The result is predictable: additional work, incomplete reporting and missed opportunities in tenders.

The benefits of a well-considered approach

When you use DPPs strategically, the picture changes:

• Stakeholder reporting becomes more robust: you have traceable data that you can confidently share.
• CSRD and ESPR requirements are better supported: your underlying evidence is accurate and verified.
• Transparency and trust increase: stakeholders can see that you are taking sustainability seriously.
• Circularity objectives become measurable: you can demonstrate what you have achieved and where you are heading.
• You can compare suppliers objectively: based on data rather than marketing claims. This strengthens your position at the negotiating table.

This is how a regulatory requirement becomes a strategic advantage.

From Scope 3 headaches to transparent reporting in one step

One of our clients in the business services sector was struggling with its CSRD reporting. The share of AV within Scope 3 was significant, but also highly speculative due to a lack of reliable data. They chose solutions from the BRIX zero range and thereby switched to a standardised set of AV solutions. The product data was recorded in the recognised certification platform G-SES. A Digital Product Passport is available for each solution. Material use and origin immediately became transparent. Even better: the data could flow directly into their reporting and tender processes. No more separate spreadsheets. No more bespoke data collection for every request. They finally had control over their AV footprint.

Your next step towards sustainable AV:

You now know what Digital Product Passports are and why they are relevant to AV procurement. You have a checklist for assessing their quality and understand how DPPs can support CSRD and ESPR reporting, tenders and circularity objectives.

The challenge you started with – increasing pressure from CSRD, a lack of insight into supply chains and Scope 3 data, and uncertainty about DPPs – no longer needs to stand in your way.

At AVEX, we help organisations implement and embed Digital Product Passports into their processes. With G-SES as a standardised platform and BRIX zero as a CO₂-neutral solution, we help you not only meet requirements, but also stay ahead.