Addressing climate change is not only a hot topic in Hollywood, it is also a growing focus of government regulatory agencies, with the Security & Exchange starting in 2024 to require publicly traded companies to file reports on their emissions from purchased energy.
A new study and survey from Altman Solon indicates, however, that production companies, studios and broadcasters face some serious challenges as they work to reduce emissions, comply with regulations and set goals for greening their operations.
In a newly released study, “Lights, Camera, Sustainable Action,” Altman Solon conducted a survey of media and entertainment executives that found 75% were aware of the upcoming SEC regulations. But 92% of the respondents admitted they had not sought certifications from third party companies that track and measure carbon emissions.
The survey also highlighted a number of other challenges, many of which are internal. “More than two-thirds (68%) of respondents cited a lack of awareness around the benefits of sustainability as the top barrier to prioritizing changes,” the study said. “Other top inhibitors to sustainability include cost concerns (56%), a general lack of industry concern (52%), and low employee interest (44%).”
The researchers also noted that there are a variety of certification requirements and the fact that the industry has not yet settled on one standard added to the complexity of addressing the issue.
Even so, the survey found that many companies are already working to reduce their carbon emissions and that remote production has emerged as a potentially powerful tool in reducing emissions.
The study found that 88% of respondents measure and report on sustainability efforts and that “over 63% of survey respondents are focused on reducing carbon emissions and power consumption. These decarbonization efforts, which can include transitioning from diesel generators to clean mobile power - including mobile batteries, hydrogen power, and hybrid systems - for on-location shots, are sophisticated, holistic approaches that can lay the groundwork for long-term sustainability."
The study also highlighted some of the benefits of remote production. "Virtual production tools, which can enable remote collaboration and reduce reliance on on-location shots, can potentially reduce emissions and waste," the study noted. "In 2022, Sony Pictures compared emissions from filming on-location scenes to scenes shot using virtual production tools for two television series...Findings showed that using VP tools generated less than 25% of the emissions compared to traditional on-location methods."
The study can be accessed here.
