This post is part of our guest column “The Light Is Not Always So Green” by Michael Immecke. In this series of posts, Michael shares his experiences as a lighting planner and consultant based in Germany, focused on helping his clients achieve their sustainability goals. Through these posts, Michael pulls back the curtains on his work and allows us behind-the-scenes glimpses of his approach to finding sustainable lighting design solutions, his research along the way, considerations, discoveries, unavoidable compromises, and mistakes made along the way. It is Michael’s and the LightFair Blog team’s intention that these posts will spark honest conversations in the lighting industry about sustainability, environmental responsibility, and impact. In this post, he explores the many factors and challenges around sustainable choices as he traces the journey of a luminaire from production to the end of its life cycle. The views expressed are Michael Immecke’s, and he welcomes questions and comments via this blog, or to his email: michael.immecke@immecke.de