Canada’s audiovisual sector generates an estimated 7,126 tonnes of CO2 in annual emissions for feature film productions and 260,843 tonnes for TV series, according to a study assessing the industry’s carbon footprint.

The study was commissioned by Telefilm Canada to provide preliminary data on the domestic industry’s carbon emissions and identify primary contributing factors, and was produced by Green Spark Group. It involved the voluntary participation of 22 productions — 15 films and seven series (scripted and unscripted) — between spring 2022 to spring 2023.

Telefilm said in a release that the film and TV emissions are “equivalent to 1,669 and 61,087 homes’ energy use for a year, respectively.”

Among the key findings between the two mediums was that TV series generate higher total emissions and higher emissions per hour of content compared to features, with series at 34 tonnes of CO2 per hour compared to films at 25 tonnes/hour. The report noted that the average Canadian generates 15 tonnes of carbon emissions per year.

The average emissions across the 22 productions amounted to 280 tonnes of CO2, which is equivalent to the emissions of approximately 85.8 passenger vehicles per year, according to the report.

The carbon footprint estimates were calculated based on a three-year average of production volumes and budget categories from the Canadian Media Producers Association’s (CMPA) most recent Profile reports.

The report found travel and transport to be the highest source of emissions, accounting for 58% of the total average emissions. This was attributed primarily due to the use of gas-powered vehicles. Road transportation, in particular, contributed more to the average total production footprint in Canada than other global production regions, such as the U.S or the U.K., said the report.

Material usage, which includes food, plastic and textiles, accounted for 23%. Activities related to filming and non-filming spaces, such as the use of electricity and diesel or gas generators, accounted for a combined 11% of emissions; accommodation, post-production and disposal contributed a combined 10% of total average emissions.

The 22 productions involved in the study represented a total of 144 hours of content. The feature film sample size represented approximately 10% of all features produced in Canada in 2022, “which facilitates a statistically meaningful discussion.” The data from the seven TV series productions, meanwhile, are “indicative of specific trends, practices and valuable insights,” but the “sample size doesn’t yet allow for a complete picture,” noted the report.

The budget range for productions participating in the study ranged from less than $1 million to more than $5 million. The study looked at four genres: fiction, documentary, lifestyle and human interest and variety and performing arts.

Participating productions completed a carbon footprint report using the U.K.’s albert carbon calculator. The data was then assessed and compiled by Green Spark and audited by albert.

Of the 58% of the emissions attributed to travel and transport, 70% originated from fuel consumed in gas vehicles, 22% from air travel (domestic and international), while diesel vehicles contributed 4%.

In the materials category, 61% of the emissions were attributed to food and 35% to textiles. The proportionally low emissions from filming and non-filming spaces was likely due to most feature films not using large production offices or soundstage facilities, and 17 productions using available grid power, said the report, which recommended gas vehicles usage and food consumption as “priority areas” for Canadian productions to tackle.

The study also found higher budgets were linked to higher emissions, which aligns with findings from the Sustainable Production Alliance.

Film productions with budgets under $1 million emitted an average of 12 tonnes of CO2 per hour, compared to 59 tonnes of CO2 per hour for productions with budgets of over $5 million. The report said the emission intensity for Canadian productions “is similar to that of foreign service productions with larger budgets.”

“Results suggest that the primary issue is not higher budgets, but rather how to spend money on lower carbon intensive products/services such as EVs, thereby decoupling expenditures from high emission sources such as gas vehicles,” read the report. TV series were excluded from the budget category due to a small sample size.

A breakdown by genre and format shows emissions from fiction film and TV productions accounted for an average of 36 tonnes of CO2 per hour, higher than all other genres. This was attributed to “larger crews, more material needs for both set and crew, and transportation needs related to these.”

Fiction was followed by lifestyle and human interest (seven tonnes of CO2/hour), documentary (six tonnes of CO2/hour) and variety and performing arts (five tonnes of CO2/hour) in the genre category.

The study also said scripted (both studio and location) content averaged 83.5 tonnes of CO2 emissions per hour, compared to unscripted at seven and five tonnes of CO2 emissions per hour for location and studio productions, respectively.

The results of this initial study will be used for further research and help Telefilm “prioritise next steps for action for relevant industry stakeholders.”

The full report can be found here.

Image: Unsplash