Sustainable film production: how to reduce the environmental impact of a production

What is sustainable film production?

Sustainable film production describes a way of working that accounts for the environmental impact of each decision: how cast and crew travel, where the power comes from, what gets bought or built, and what happens to all of it after wrap.

No shoot has zero impact, so it's best not to describe a production as "sustainable" in absolute terms. The realistic goal is to reduce impacts, improve processes and make more responsible choices, backed by data that shows it. That's the foundation of screen industry sustainability applied to day-to-day production.

Sustainability starts before the shoot

The decisions with the biggest environmental weight are made in pre-production: locations, the shooting schedule, transport, suppliers and power requirements. Once principal photography has started, there's far less room to improve.

That's why the work begins with an assessment of the project and a sustainability plan covering, at a minimum:

• The production's targets and the planned measures for each area.
• Who is responsible for each measure within the departments.
• The indicators used to track progress.
• What data needs to be collected, by whom and in what format.
• Requirements from streamers, studios, standards or public bodies, where they apply.

How do you apply sustainability on a shoot?

On a film production, sustainability can't be improvised on set. It starts in pre-production, when targets and measures are defined, and then carries through every area of the project: transport and travel, energy, materials, construction and art department, waste, catering, water, accommodation and locations.

A genuine approach to sustainability on set also needs ongoing tracking. Data and evidence should be gathered as they are generated during the shoot, so the measures can be assessed afterwards and, where relevant, meet the requirements of the applicable standard, platform, production company, certification or public body.

That's the approach a growing number of film and TV productions share: rather than labelling a shoot "sustainable", the aim is to reduce impacts, improve environmental management and be able to prove it.

Key impact areas on a shoot

Every production has its own profile, but on-set sustainability measures tend to focus on these areas.

Transport and travel

Moving crew and equipment is often one of the main sources of emissions. It helps to choose rail over air where feasible, use low-emission vehicles and shared transport, plan logistics to cut unnecessary journeys and increase vehicle occupancy.

Power

Tie into grid power where possible, use efficient LED lighting and turn to battery units or other alternatives to conventional diesel generators whenever they are technically and operationally viable for the shoot.

Materials and set construction

Hire, reuse and reclaim before buying, apply responsible purchasing criteria and decide early on what will happen to sets and materials at wrap: donation, storage, reuse on other projects or recycling.

Waste

Prevention comes first. Then proper separation on set and in the production office, licensed waste contractors and measurement of what is generated, so there is traceability for where each waste stream ends up.

Catering and water

Cut single-use packaging, provide bulk water or refill stations, use reusable crockery and include lower-impact food options, adjusting quantities to avoid food waste.

Accommodation

Choosing accommodation close to locations reduces daily travel. Where they exist, environmental certifications for hotels can be a further criterion. It's also important to log hotel nights, as they are needed to calculate the footprint.

Biodiversity and locations

When filming in natural or sensitive areas, the production must prevent impacts on the surroundings, secure the relevant permits and, where appropriate, restore the location to its original condition.

The role of the EcoManager and the EcoPA

The EcoManager leads the production's sustainability strategy: they help prepare the plan, work with production and heads of department to build the measures in, and oversee data collection and documentation.

The EcoPA puts those measures into practice day to day on set: waste separation, monitoring water and consumables, supporting the crew and logging information on set. Both roles work best when they are part of the production team rather than an outside add-on.

Measuring the shoot's carbon footprint

Applying measures and measuring their results are two different things. Measures reduce impact; measurement shows how much was generated and where, allows comparison with other productions and helps the next project do better.

Calculating the carbon footprint of a film or TV production requires real data collected during the project: fuel, electricity, transport, travel, accommodation, materials and any other relevant data. Rebuilding it at the end from memory or estimates usually leads to incomplete results.

Screen industry sustainability standards and certifications

A production may be subject to different methodologies or requirements depending on the streamer or broadcaster, the territory, the production company, the funding or the certification it is aiming for. Some of the most common references in the industry are:

• Green Film, a certification scheme for film and TV productions.
• BAFTA albert, BAFTA's initiative bringing together a carbon calculator, a certification process and resources for the industry.
• EMA (Environmental Media Association), which recognises productions that apply sustainable practices with its Green Seal.
• The Green Production Guide (opens in a new tab), created by studios and industry professionals, with tools to plan sustainable practices and calculate emissions.

Each standard has its own criteria, tools and procedures, which are published and updated by the organisation responsible. It's worth identifying early on which one applies to the project and always checking its official sources.

From set to data: why documenting measures matters

Putting measures in place isn't enough: the production needs to be able to evidence them. That means gathering data, invoices, photos, certificates, waste contractor records and other evidence, and linking each item to the measure or data point it supports.

For this work, La Tribu Verde has developed MERA, a tool for centralising a production's sustainability information and organising it according to the relevant standard or methodology. Official calculators, certifications and validation remain the responsibility of their respective organisations and tools.

How to start making a shoot more sustainable

• Review the project.
• Identify its main impacts and the requirements that apply.
• Draw up the sustainability plan.
• Get the departments on board.
• Put the measures in place.
• Collect data and evidence throughout production.
• Measure the results.
• Prepare the final reporting.

If you need support at any of these stages, our services page explains how we work with productions, from the initial plan through to final reporting.