Film London Initiative to Reduce Emissions in Film & TV Industry

Film London has launched The Fuel Project, a report that provides practical information, steps and support to film and TV production suppliers as they make the move toward new, low-carbon technologies, helping drive down emissions in the audiovisual industry as a whole.

The report is funded by Interreg Europe’s Green Screen and delivered by Film London, in partnership with sustainable business consultant Creative Zero. Collaborative research on the report has been carried out in consultation with suppliers, production companies, vehicle experts, low carbon energy specialists, environmental consultants, sustainable business strategists, energy equipment manufacturers, film commissions and film agencies.

The Fuel Project proposes practical solutions to reduce the level of air pollutants and carbon emitted by vehicle transport in production. It also advises on the use of low carbon power generators on set, given that only around 12.5 percent of those currently used on film and TV productions in London comply with the highest emissions standard.

Another key recommendation in The Fuel Project is that production suppliers and industry leaders continue to collaborate to find bespoke solutions to environmental challenges and continue the dialogue around reducing emissions in film and TV production.

Daniela Kirchner, COO of Film London and the British Film Commission and lead partner of Green Screen, said: “The global growth in film and TV production, while exciting, will have significant impacts on our climate unless meaningful action is taken to reduce emissions. As 50 percent of a production’s carbon footprint comes from fuel use in transport and power services, we felt this was where the greatest impact could be made. So we are delighted to be publishing the Fuel Project report to give suppliers of every size in the production supply chain the resources, information and timings needed to help our sector’s transition to low carbon fuel and contribution to tackling the climate crisis.

“I would like to thank Interreg Europe for funding this Green Screen initiative and Creative Zero for collaborating with us to produce this report. I hope production suppliers can benefit from the report and that industry leaders and partners alike can continue to collaborate to address environmental challenges.”

Steve Knight, managing director of Pixipixel, a London-based rental house supplying camera and lighting equipment to television, film and commercial productions, said: “We welcome the release of the Fuel Project Supplier Guidance report. This extensive research is a stepping stone for our industry, providing key insights and valuable guidance for moving toward a more sustainable future. At Pixipixel, we’ve recognized that fuel consumption is our biggest greenhouse gas contributor and switched to HVO fuel for our transport and generators. With the release of the report, our hope is for more suppliers to follow our lead and collaborate on future projects.’’