In an industry where time was always
tight, figuring out ways of becoming
‘greener’ was never a priority.
Add to that the financial obstacles
associated with sustainability and
the case for greening the screen
just didn’t appeal to many industry
insiders. This despite facts and
figures that demonstrate the urgent
need for it – like the astounding
fact that one hour of TV production
generates around 9 tonnes of CO2.
Late to the table it may be, the
changes in the past decade have
been significant and going green
is fast becoming part of the media
mainstream. Spider Man 2 (touted
as the most eco-friendly film in the
history of Sony Pictures) did much to
dispel the impracticality and financial
burden of going green. Altogether,
it saved an estimated $400,000 by
going green. It is the example of how
you can work within a sustainability
framework that will deliver savings on
the bottom line.
In the UK, the British Academy of
Film and Television Arts (BAFTA)
and the British Film Institute (BFI)
have both been champions of the
sustainability agenda. BAFTA is
aggressively encouraging sustainable
production: it has its own carbon
calculator, certification scheme
and nonprofit organisation named
Media Greenhouse that promotes
sustainable production practices in
the industry.
The BFI is leading the UK-wide
Sustainability Group made up of
representatives from across the
industry. It has also been a strong
advocate for BSI standard 8909 - a
framework to help filmmakers think of
the impact on the environment when
producing movies and takes into
account everything from props - and
the unnecessary duplication of them
- to what we should bear in mind
when shooting on location.
The ripple effect of these efforts is
that more and more productions are
playing ball. BAFTA’s and the BFI’s
incentives have made the adoption
of sustainable practices as simple
and streamlined as possible. BAFTA’s
Albert+ certification scheme has even
gone a step further: through a three
star rating system it acknowledges
and awards productions that have
met high environmental standards.
The BBC’s new primetime police
drama The Interceptor has been
the most recent in a slew of TV
productions to achieve top ratings for
sustainability, receiving the maximum
three-stars. Cast and crew worked
hard to reduce carbon emissions and
waste materials across the set, and
they have become an example of
best practice for their efforts.
Following in the footsteps of
Governments, corporations and industries have taken big steps to incorporate sustainability into their policies
and practices. They have dug deep, taken responsibility for behaviour change and engaged stakeholders. Yet
the entertainment industry was, for a long time, conspicuously absent from the debate.
By Emily Wright
“Cast and Crew working
on the BBC’s new drama
series The Interceptor
worked hard to reduce
carbon emissions”
Greening the screen
Howtoleavewhat’s
greenevengreener?
The BBC’s new police drama
The Interceptor has achieved
top ratings for sustainability
Top tips forsustainabilityonset
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