Hollywood has been called out repeatedly for its starring role in the climate crisis, and now the $2.5 trillion media and entertainment industry is making sustainability a top priority.
The carbon footprint of the media and entertainment industry includes carbon dioxide emissions generated from processes like film productions, streaming, and distribution. On-set power consumption and travel are two key culprits for emissions, whereas data centers that power streaming platforms can indirectly contribute as well.
Why does that matter for the rest of us normal folks? Well, the industry’s carbon emissions alone are substantial enough to damage the earth’s already fragile ecosystems. The working spaces of this industry—think concert tours or remote filming locations—contribute heavily to carbon emissions.
But the industry is working to change things, turning sustainability in media and entertainment into a model that other industries can look to for inspiration.
In 2022, concert tours in five genres—country, classic rock, hip-hop/rap, metal and pop—were responsible for CO2 emissions totaling nearly 45,000 metric tons.
Climate change has had a real impact on production schedules, which helped prompt the industry to clean up its act. It’s becoming too common for film crews to be delayed by wildfires, disrupted by extreme weather conditions, or constrained by rising insurance costs.
Regulatory pressures from governments and environmental organizations have also been a key motivator for the entertainment industry to reexamine its ways of working.
Carbon dioxide (CO2 ) emissions, mostly from burning fossil fuels, are the main cause of climate change. These emissions lead to the trapping of heat in the atmosphere, resulting in rising global temperatures and more frequent extreme weather events such as hurricanes, wildfires, heatwaves, and floods.
Productions and studios are investing in carbon offset projects and renewable energy credits for activities like reforestation, afforestation, and soil carbon projects that reduce emissions entering the atmosphere or even remove CO2. Biological carbon sequestration is one way of doing this. It captures and stores atmospheric carbon dioxide in vegetation such as grasslands or forests.
By voluntarily investing in carbon offset programs and renewable energy credits, the entertainment industry is supporting green initiatives all over the planet.
Expanding digital ecosystems, the streaming market's maturation, and the rise of generative AI are forcing media players to adapt on the fly and hunt for new ways to drive growth.
A top trend driving sustainability in the media and entertainment industry is the adoption of renewable energy sources instead of relying on traditional fossil fuels like coal, oil, or natural gas. They’ve also been testing and implementing clean energy technologies. One alternative to fossil fuels is clean energy generated from renewable power sources, like solar, wind, hydroelectric, and geothermal.
Mobile energy sources that don’t produce and release harmful pollutants are known as clean mobile power solutions. They’re an alternative to the traditional diesel generators, which account for about 15% of a production’s overall emissions.
2024’s Wicked production went the extra mile to use sustainable solutions on set and was first title formally under Universal’s new Greenerlight Program. Local consultants were hired to advise and oversee environmentally friendly practices on set, one of which was using clean energy solutions. Mobile battery technology was used to reduce the set’s need for diesel generators. Renewable electricity and renewable diesel helped reduce the entire production’s carbon footprint by half.
EnergySage, a provider of clean energy solutions, launched a public advocacy campaign in February to encourage Hollywood to normalize clean energy and showcase these types of climate solutions onscreen.
Virtual production technology is one of the more interesting innovations in sustainable filmmaking and has become much more common since its accelerated development during the pandemic. It blends physical and virtual elements by using CGI, augmented reality, motion capture, and real-time rendering to create realistic environments and special effects without a physical set.
Disney Plus series The Mandalorian is a well-known example of a production that embraced virtual technology filmmaking. By reducing set construction and and relocation costs, the production was able to reduce its carbon emissions by 30 tons, or the equivalent of 39 acres of trees for a year. Virtual production also made it easier for the crew to collaborate from home when pandemic shutdowns prevented them from meeting in-person.
Virtual production technology changes the game in terms of what’s possible, allowing anyone to travel the world, or a galaxy far, far away, without even leaving the studio.
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Travel and transportation remain a challenge to sustainability in media and entertainment. Moving casts, crews, and tons of equipment across great distances can generate a massive carbon footprint.
One way companies are tackling this conundrum is by adopting electric vehicles as a reliable alternative to traditional fuel dependent fleets.
The shift towards electric vehicles in the film industry isn’t just limited to on-site transportation. Some production companies are investing in electric trucks for equipment transport, cutting down on both emissions and noise pollution on set.
Some studios have even adopted hybrid work models so that their crew members don’t have to travel back and forth as much. This shift minimizes commuting stress, travel costs, and the crew’s overall carbon footprint.
Now that the entertainment industry has come to terms with its role in the climate crisis, it’s challenging old ways of doing business like set building. For decades, it was a common practice in Hollywood to build sets for movies and television, then break them down when production wrapped and throw them away. Art directors resisted reusing set pieces and opted to create from scratch so they could execute a wholly independent creative vision.
Now, the Art Directors Guild’s Green Committee educates industry members on sourcing more sustainable set construction materials and reducing a production’s overall waste. The committee is working to find a truly circular solution–one that would create zero waste.
Earth Angel helps productions in the U.S. and around the globe to reduce their carbon footprint. The agency estimates that the average TV show or movie made in 2022 generated over 240 tons of waste–half of which was from disposing of props and sets.
One circular solution? Reusing old sets instead of building new ones. For example, Sony Pictures Entertainment ‘s Beachwood Services has warehouses filled with old props and set pieces that can be reused. The helicopter featured in the 2001 film Black Hawk Down has been repurposed for Terminator 4, Suicide Squad, and The A Team.
Reusing props and set pieces not only reduces landfill waste, but is more cost-effective for productions as well.
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Sets and props aren’t the only type of waste generated by productions. Hundreds of people work on sets. Electricians, carpenters, designers, production assistants, and specialists work on behalf of the actors, directors, and camera crews while bringing a film or television show to life. This many people for a sustained amount of time in one place generates an enormous amount of waste, everything from plastic water bottles to uneaten catered food.
Even slight adjustments such as providing reusable water bottles, donating leftover food to local charities, and supplying recycling and compost bins can significantly cut down on waste.
The production set for 2023 film The Whale hired the agency to reduce plastic waste, help repurpose food and set items, and donate to local shelters. The set’s climate conscious model proves that first-rate filmmaking doesn’t have to come at the cost of the planet.
Brands can reduce waste from business locations, stores, and packaging by following Hollywood’s example of reusing, recycling, and introducing take-back programs.
The media and entertainment industry’s focus on sustainability offers an opportunity for brands across all industries to adopt similar eco-friendly strategies. Hollywood’s green practices are a script worth following.
