What an EcoPA is and what they do during a shoot

What an EcoPA is

It is an environmental management support role that joins the production team during the shoot. If the EcoManager organises, the EcoPA is where things happen: on location, at the catering truck, next to the generators or at the waste point.

Why the work is done on the ground

Many measures are only met if someone remembers and enables them at the right moment: waste going into the right bin, water available without plastic bottles, leftover materials set aside for reuse. A shoot moves fast and departments cannot always take care of those details.

Being on set also makes it possible to spot problems that cannot be seen from the office: a location without the planned power connection, a supplier who does not bring what was agreed, or a measure that does not fit the way the crew works.

Collecting data and evidence

Data

• Litres refuelled in generators and vehicles, with their receipts.
• Electricity readings where there is a grid connection.
• Number of meals served and catering changes.
• Waste quantities handed over and their destination.

Photos and documents

Dated photos are common evidence of measures on set: waste separation points, water stations, reused materials or shared vehicles. Together with receipts and delivery notes, they make it possible to substantiate afterwards what has been done.

Monitoring measures and reporting issues

The EcoPA checks every day that the agreed measures are being applied and answers the crew's questions. When something is not working (a missing bin, a generator used more than planned, a supplier change), they report it so it can be corrected during the shoot rather than at the end.

Their work supports the EcoManager, who reviews the information and integrates it into the monitoring of the production's plan.

Record it at the time, don't rebuild it later

A lot of data only exists on the day it is generated. A fuel receipt gets lost in a glovebox, a photo that was not taken cannot be taken later, and a delivery note that was not requested is hard to obtain weeks afterwards. Recording information every shooting day is what later makes it possible to calculate the carbon footprint with real data.

EcoManager and EcoPA: what is the difference?

• EcoManager: overall coordination and monitoring of the project's sustainability, liaison with production and departments, and final documentation.
• EcoPA: collecting data and evidence on set and day-to-day support in applying the measures.

The exact set-up varies with each production's size and needs: on small projects one person may cover both roles, while large shoots or those with several units may have more than one EcoPA. Our services page explains how we approach each case.