Just like for
diversity and inclusion, environmental sustainability in our sector is not just on-screen (the stories we choose to tell) but also off-screen. Green practices can be integrated throughout the workflow of film productions as well as in the organisation of festivals and events.
In April 2025, the European Audiovisual Observatory, part of the Council of Europe, published its latest free report, Green Transition in the Audiovisual Sector. The report examines the environmental impact of the audiovisual industry, focusing on pan-European and national legislation, film funding criteria, carbon footprint calculation systems, and collaborative sustainability approaches across the sector.
It shows how the environmental footprint of audiovisual production is increasingly shaped by digital infrastructures. While streaming has reduced the use of physical media, environmental pressure has shifted to energy- and water-intensive data centres and cloud services. The growing use of artificial intelligence and high-resolution content adds further complexity. Although sustainability initiatives are expanding—often aligned with the European Green Deal—carbon measurement remains difficult to compare across countries due to differing methodologies.
Two initiatives originating in Germany illustrate concrete progress toward more consistent standards. The KlimAktiv Carbon Calculator, aligned with international standards, is now used across Germany, Austria, Italy (South Tyrol), and Switzerland, supporting environmentally responsible cross-border co-productions. In parallel, the German Ecological Standards—mandatory since March 2023 for all federally or regionally funded productions—define binding requirements for areas such as energy use, transport, catering, and material sourcing, supported by certified Green Consultants and tools such as the KlimAktiv calculator and the Green Motion Label.
While the report takes a broad view of the audiovisual sector’s green transition, it does not specifically address sustainability measures tailored to children’s content or film literacy programmes for young audiences. It does, however, reference initiatives in education and awareness, including France’s REEN Law on digital sobriety education, training and carbon literacy programmes supported by the CNC (France) and the BFI (UK), Austria’s Evergreen Prisma Academy, and European-level initiatives by EFAD and Eurimages. These activities mainly target professional training and general digital literacy, leaving sustainability-oriented film literacy for children as a potential area for future development.
Alongside such recent policy- and research-driven developments, a range of practical recommendations and tools for greener film production have already been documented in earlier publications. Among them, the CineRegio Green Report 2020 (published in 2022) offers a structured overview of measures implemented by regional film funds, including green guidelines, on-set protocols, certification systems, incentives, carbon calculators, training programmes, and recycling strategies.
Also in the case of festivals, protocols and certification systems vary by region, but developments are progressing quickly. We recommend exploring initiatives in your local context. A useful international reference is Green Festivals, a Canadian initiative providing practical gu guidance for reducing the environmental impact of festivals. For inspiring case studies and a range of carbon and environmental calculators for organisations and events, the UK-based not-for-profit Julie’s Bicycle remains a key resource.
Introduced by Margret Albers (January 2022), Update by Edita Bilaver (July 2025)