Measuring a Film’s Environmental Footprint
‘You can’t manage what you don’t measure.’ This principle is the driving force behind the use of carbon calculators in film and television production. A carbon calculator is a sophisticated accounting tool that allows a production to quantify its environmental impact by converting all of its resource consumption into a standardized metric: tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).
This tool is typically managed by the production’s Green Producer or sustainability manager. They input data from every department throughout the production process to build a comprehensive picture of the film’s emissions.
Key Data Inputs
The calculator tracks a wide range of data points, with the largest sources of emissions typically being:
- Travel and Transportation: This is often the biggest contributor. It includes all flights for cast and crew, the fuel used by all production vehicles (trucks, vans, cars), and the freight for shipping equipment.
- Energy Consumption: The amount of diesel or gasoline used by on-set generators and the electricity consumed at the production office, studios, and workshops.
- Materials and Waste: The embodied carbon in materials purchased for set construction (e.g., lumber, steel, paint) and the emissions associated with waste disposal.
- Accommodations: The number of hotel nights required for cast and crew when shooting on location.
The industry-standard tool in the UK and much of Europe is the calculator provided by Albert, a BAFTA-led sustainability organization. The final report generated by the calculator provides a clear analysis of the production’s footprint and is a prerequisite for achieving Albert Certification.