Producing for the Planet, a coalition of Canadian producers committed to increasing sustainability in the film and TV industry, has released its inaugural climate action report detailing what producers have done to mitigate their climate impact.

The 2024 Action Report shows that 70 producers took 1,939 climate actions in the calendar year. Recorded actions include those that cut emissions, reduce waste or promote the environment and sustainability on screen. The report also notes that close to half of producers completed a sustainability plan for all of their 2024 productions.

The signatories of the coalition, announced at 2024’s Prime Time, include Blink49 Studios, Blue Ant Media, Thunderbird Entertainment, IoM Media Ventures, Cream Productions, WildBrain, Cameron Pictures and many others.

Marsha Newbery (pictured), Producing for the Planet founder and executive director, tells Playback Daily the results show that producers are positioned to lead the industry in their commitment to climate action.

However, the report notes that the momentum that has built up around sustainability in the Canadian industry is at risk due to barriers. When asked about what hindered climate action the most, 39% of producers cited lack of funding while 34% cited lack of human resources and time.

“Ultimately, we want producers to be supported in adding these costs to their production budgets,” says Newbery. She notes that, with producers already squeezed on budgets, it can be difficult to prioritize climate actions or bring on staff skilled in implementing sustainability.”

Newbery highlighted the Irish industry as one that is backing sustainability initiatives. Screen Ireland’s Sustainability Advisor Initiative provides certain Irish productions with an up to €5,000 grant (around C$7,800) to bring on a sustainability advisor. The national agency for Irish film and TV also features the Innovative Sustainability Fund, offering grants of up to €25,000 (C$39,000) for creative sustainability practices that can be spread across the industry.

When it came to roadblocks for showcasing climate action on screen, 34% of producers cited their largest barrier as lack of awareness and skill and 29% said it was a lack of market interest.

Angelica Siegel, Producing for the Planet program manager and Cream Productions sustainable communications manager, says climate action on screen can range from the focus of the story to minute details like showcasing nature on screen, refilling a reusable water bottle or showing a compost bin instead of a garbage can.

“We’re always quite cautious to suggest making any content suggestions,” says Siegel. “But, when you see the scope of what’s possible, from very obvious on-screen content all the way to a nudge or symbol in the background, [producers] realize there’s a lot to choose from, and that it can be very naturally and comfortably worked in.”

Newbery, a producer herself and VP of sustainability and business affairs at Thunderbird Entertainment, says that producers want to be proactive in their voluntary actions rather than reactive to mandates.

“We’re all about trying to demonstrate to producers that it’s better to lead rather than wait for mandates, and that’s what our whole coalition is based on,” she says. “They want to control how they take action, rather than being forced to. But, at some point, climate action will become so imperative that the producers who are not on board with voluntary action will probably be subject to mandates.”

Producing for the Planet also advocates for standardized industry-wide protocols. Currently the industry employs a variety of reporting tools and sustainability checklists depending on the broadcaster or organization, placing additional burdens on producers who must be familiar with all of them. According to Newbery, that doesn’t mean mandating a one-size fits all approach. The standardized system would need to recognize the differences and particular needs of certain genres and productions of all budgets.

“You can’t impose the same standards on a factual production as you do to an animation production, as you would to a commercial [or a] primetime TV series,” says Newbery. “The standards have to account [for that] and be flexible so that every production can find its own pathway.”

While striving for sustainability can be a cost, the report indicated that 51% of producers saved money on climate actions in the calendar year, and 39% of that majority estimated the savings at more than $1,000. Another 31% said their savings were north of $10,000.

“[Climate actions] can save not just money, but time on a production,” says Newbery. “Many are starting to realize that if they don’t have a diesel generator, it makes their footprint and impact on local communities much lighter. And in some jurisdictions, they can get discounts for doing that.”

Another highlight of the report was the impact of collective action, with 82% of reporting producers saying that being part of Producers for the Planet helped them advocate for and take climate action.

According to Newbery, this manifests in a few ways. Through the coalition producers are able to share solutions to climate-related issues and spread them throughout the community. The coalition also comes with increased bargaining power as, the larger it becomes, vendors and organizations are more likely to adopt climate-friendly practices to attract those that have committed to sustainability.

“I think the message to the suppliers and everyone in the industry is we mean it, we want to do something,” says Newbery. “Help us do that by bringing in sustainable options, by putting the mechanisms in the market that help us do this by supporting organizations that are supporting sustainability … We are showing up, but we can’t do it by ourselves.”

Producing for the Planet’s 2024 Action Report can be found here.

Image courtesy of Producing for the Planet