TV programs and films are important sources of information on global warming and greenhouse gases, although ironically, they are also significant producers of CO2.
What can TV and film producers do to minimize their carbon impact, and is it feasible for the business as a whole to aim for carbon neutrality?
WHAT DOES BEING CARBON NEUTRAL MEAN?
To be carbon neutral is to have a balance between the carbon you emit and the carbon you absorb from the air.
There are a variety of techniques for reducing carbon emissions.
One is the concept of a carbon sink. This is something that takes up more carbon than it produces. However, this only pertains to natural processes like as forests, seas, and soil at present. We have yet to develop a practical manmade carbon sink.
As a result, carbon offsetting is the only realistic option for humans to reach carbon neutrality.
This is when one sector reduces emissions in another by lowering them. The following are the most common examples of this:
- Renewable energy
- Energy efficiency
- Other low carbon technologies
Renewable energy projects like as windfarms to replace carbon-based electricity production and increasing building insulation to lower heating energy use are examples that most people are familiar with.
WHAT IS THE ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF FILM AND TV?
The British Film Institute (BFI) has compiled a sustainability report to assist the film industry in the United Kingdom. The BFI states that a blockbuster film generates 2,840 tonnes of carbon per production (a film with a budget over £53.3 million). This is the equivalent amount of CO2 that a 3,700-acre forest would
Another problem is that there is no established procedure or system for quantifying the carbon footprint of film and television production.
However, according to the BFI study, over 50% of emissions in film production are due to transportation. The majority of this comes from land travel, with air transport a distant second.
The carbon footprint of the film industry is primarily driven by energy use. 34% of an average blockbuster film’s energy consumption comes from mains electricity and gas. Diesel generators account for 15%.
The television picture is also terrible. One hour of TV generates 9.2 tonnes of greenhouse gases, or the same amount of CO2 as the average American’s entire yearly emissions.
According to a UCLA study published in 2006, the entire emissions of the US television and film industry were more than 14 million tonnes.
While this is by no means as carbon-intensive and polluting as bigger and more carbon-intensive enterprises, it is nevertheless having an impact.
Filmmakers have also been known to pollute the areas they film in, both actively and inadvertently. This isn’t anything new. A film crew tried moving bison from the Great Plains to California in 1924 in order to shoot them, but subsequently failed to do so.
While filming, there have also been instances of plastic water bottles being left unrecycled, and crews leaving a huge amount of waste when they’ve completed their task.
HOW TO MOVE TOWARDS CARBON NEUTRALITY
Carbon-neutral film and television may seem like a distant goal or even an unattainable objective. By 2030, Sky has pledged to be carbon net zero in its entire value chain. This will be difficult, and new technology will be required in the end.
Is there anything you can do to minimize the environmental effect of a shoot?
- The second is transportation. The impact of this is the greatest on a production’s carbon footprint. Looking at what must be shot on location and what does not is one approach to address this. Consider how many vehicles will be required, as well as their energy consumption. EV adoption might help to reduce the problem.
- A concern is waste. What can production do with its garbage, and how can it ensure that as much of it as possible is recycled?
- Another example is supply chains and sourcing. Producers have the authority to select who they engage in the supply chain, as well as what their environmental credentials are like.
- Film and television productions use a significant amount of energy. Cleaner diesel generators, on the other hand, are environmentally beneficial.
- The BFI’s suggestions emphasize the need to consider how to become more carbon-neutral during the production planning stage, including things like construction materials and filming locations.
The greatest method for smaller-scale videographers and filmmakers is to take personal responsibility for what they can manage in their production, such as waste and how they utilize energy and transport.
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