The hidden impact of film and TV production.

The magic of film and TV is that it can take you away to another time and place. But while you’re lost in the onscreen world it’s easy to forget that show was made in our own, real world. It’s only when the credits roll that we stop and consider the impact that spectacle might have had.

We all know that film and TV productions cost a small fortune to make, but the hidden cost to the environment can be just as heavy. Just one single hour of television production in the UK creates 5.7 tonnes of CO2e, while a big-budget Hollywood movie will produce around 2,840 tonnes of CO2 during its production. 

Just creating one single soundstage can cause 4,000 hectares of deforestation. That’s because the lightweight plywood used is often unsustainably taken from rainforests. Then you consider the emissions that come from flying cast and crew all around the world to scout locations and film scenes (around half of a film’s emissions are related to transport), the energy consumed by the equipment and trailers left running all day (often run on diesel generators), and the food waste that inevitably comes from feeding the whole team all day during long shoots. 

Sometimes films even leave a scar on the natural land itself. The production of Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) was reported to have left tire marks all over an area of unblemished and fragile desert landscape in Namibia, while also harming rare cacti and lizard habitats. And the production crew for Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) were accused of illegally spilling chemical waste into a Gold Coast creek in Australia.

And all this is before we get into the later stages of a film’s life-cycle. Streaming online video alone produced 300m tonnes of CO2 in 2018, which was around the national output of Spain that year.

The screen industry plays an important role in broadening horizons, changing perspectives and opening up conversations in society. Plus, it brings countless joy into many lives. So the solution isn’t to halt production altogether. But the industry does need to find ways to create great content that people love to watch, in a way that doesn’t damage the real world.  

Things are moving in the right direction. In recent years we have seen a shift to more environmentally-conscious production. Some of Hollywood’s most influential production companies including Netflix, Disney and Sony Pictures, have established the Green Production Guide to reduce the industry’s carbon footprint and environmental impact.

Many film productions also currently employ eco-consultants to try and make sure things on set are as green as possible, for example by recycling production materials. The €2m European Green Screen initiative also set out to provide advice on best practice in this space, though has stopped short of measuring the footprint of continental film production.

Here in the UK, since 2011 BAFTA has supported the film and television industry through albert, the leading screen industry organisation for environmental sustainability. Albert, which is owned by BAFTA, helps the industry to reduce the environmental impacts of production and create content that shares a vision of a sustainable future. 

albert-certification is a requirement for any production company working for BBC, ITV, Channel 4, UKTV, Sky, TG4 or Netflix. To get certified, the company must use albert’s tools and resources to calculate their footprint, and then take actions to reduce their emissions as far as possible. albert’s new Creative Offsets scheme takes things a step further by helping Film and TV productions offset any remaining emissions they can’t reduce.

We’re delighted to have been chosen as albert’s official partner to deliver their Creative Offsets scheme for two years, starting from 1 August 2022. To reach net-zero it’s crucial that the industry reduces as much of their greenhouse gas emissions as possible and then offsets the remainder. So this scheme is a vital part of albert’s overarching mission.

This is a big win for the industry, as albert supports over 12,000 TV and film productions both on and off the screen to be more sustainable. Productions that have already been offset include season six of ITV’s Love Island Aftersun, the Women’s Euros 2022, Changing Rooms, The Chase Celebrity Specials Series 12 and the ITV British Soap Awards 2022. Our partnership is expected to reduce around 100,000 tonnes of unavoidable carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO2e) over two years. 

Interested in reading more about our partnership with albert? Read our case study here.

You can find out more about our carbon offsetting service here.