Of the 10 major film and TV companies analyzed in this report, eight reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions between 2021 and 2023, led by ITV, Netflix, and Paramount. Nine of the selected 10 companies have set short-term emissions targets (with a target year of 2035 or earlier); of those, five have been approved by the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a verifier of corporate emissions targets.
What does net zero mean for film and TV companies? Companies achieve net zero emissions by cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions then “offset.”. Film and TV companies rely heavily on physical resources, many with high emissions profiles, and so must work to incorporate sustainable practices and subsequently reduce production-associated emissions.
Sustainability in the film and TV sector starts with scripts. Most film and TV companies carefully outline location and resource requirements for production before filming, making scripts the natural starting point for bolstering sustainability. Some studios have started reviewing their scripts to see where they can reduce emissions from the ground up.
Sustainable production is crucial in reducing emissions. The choices made regarding location, materials, third-party suppliers, and on-set waste management are essential to reducing the carbon impact of film and TV production. Virtual production has emerged as a key initiative for reducing travel to physical locations, but its long-term climate impact is still unclear.
Distribution and exhibition create obstacles to reaching net zero. Determining video streaming and TV broadcasting-related emissions is challenging. Estimates of their carbon impact vary widely, and efforts to reduce these emissions are few and far between. Large multiplex cinemas comprise the bulk of distribution-related emissions and are working to reduce their carbon footprint through initiatives like solar panel installation and waste management.
Who is winning the race to net zero? Of the 10 major film and TV companies analyzed in this report, eight reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions between 2021 and 2023, led by ITV, Netflix, and Paramount. Nine of the selected 10 companies have set short-term emissions targets (with a target year of 2035 or earlier); of those, five have been approved by the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a verifier of corporate emissions targets.
The film and TV sector is concentrating on three main strategies to reach these targets:
Embedding sustainability in development
Sustainable production
Sustainable distribution and exhibition
Companies achieve net zero emissions by cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions then “offset.”. Film and TV companies rely heavily on physical resources, many with high emissions profiles, and so must work to incorporate sustainable practices and subsequently reduce production-associated emissions.What does net zero mean for film and TV companies? Companies achieve net zero emissions by cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to as close to zero as possible, with any remaining emissions then “offset.”. Film and TV companies rely heavily on physical resources, many with high emissions profiles, and so must work to incorporate sustainable practices and subsequently reduce production-associated emissions.
Sustainability in the film and TV sector starts with scripts. Most film and TV companies carefully outline location and resource requirements for production before filming, making scripts the natural starting point for bolstering sustainability. Some studios have started reviewing their scripts to see where they can reduce emissions from the ground up.
Sustainable production is crucial in reducing emissions. The choices made regarding location, materials, third-party suppliers, and on-set waste management are essential to reducing the carbon impact of film and TV production. Virtual production has emerged as a key initiative for reducing travel to physical locations, but its long-term climate impact is still unclear.
Distribution and exhibition create obstacles to reaching net zero. Determining video streaming and TV broadcasting-related emissions is challenging. Estimates of their carbon impact vary widely, and efforts to reduce these emissions are few and far between. Large multiplex cinemas comprise the bulk of distribution-related emissions and are working to reduce their carbon footprint through initiatives like solar panel installation and waste management.
Who is winning the race to net zero? Of the 10 major film and TV companies analyzed in this report, eight reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions between 2021 and 2023, led by ITV, Netflix, and Paramount. Nine of the selected 10 companies have set short-term emissions targets (with a target year of 2035 or earlier); of those, five have been approved by the Science-based Targets Initiative (SBTi), a verifier of corporate emissions targets.
Key Highlights
- The film and TV sector is concentrating on three main strategies to reach net-zero:
- Embedding sustainability in development
- Sustainable production
- Sustainable distribution and exhibition
Scope
- This report offers a comprehensive analysis of net zero strategies within the film and TV industry, highlighting the key approaches being implemented by companies to reach this goal.
- It features prominent mining companies making significant progress towards achieving net zero emissions, along with detailed case studies showcasing specific strategies in action.
- Additionally, the report presents detailed Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data for 10 major film and TV companies, providing valuable insights into their environmental impact reduction efforts.
Reasons to Buy
- The analyst’s thematic intelligence ecosystem is a single, integrated global research platform that provides an easy-to-use framework for tracking all themes across all companies in all sectors.
- This report is essential reading for senior executives to understand how the mining industry is striving towards net zero.
Table of Contents
- Executive Summary
- Why Film and TV Companies Need a Net Zero Strategy
- Strategy 1: Embedding Sustainability in Development
- Strategy 2: Sustainable Production
- Strategy 3: Sustainable Distribution and Exhibition
- Who is Winning the Race to Net Zero?
- Glossary
- Further Reading
- Thematic Research Methodology
- Contact the Publisher
Table 1: Net zero or carbon neutral target years of selected large production companies
Table 2: Who is winning the race to net zero?
Table 3: GHG emissions and targets of highest-emitting countries
Table 4: GHG emissions and reduction targets, 1970 to 2070
Table 5: Average total emissions of a tentpole film, 2021
Table 6: Emissions of an average TV show episode, 2021
Table 7: Case study scenario: estimated carbon impact of virtual stage vs. location shooting for A Thing Called Joy
Table 8: POPULAR FILMING LOCATIONS AND THEIR CO2 EMISSIONS PER CAPITA IN TONNES, 2022
Table 9: Estimated average video streaming emission intensity gCO₂e/hour streamed
Table 10: Estimated average video streaming emission intensity by device gCO₂e/hour streamed in the US, HD over Wi-Fi
Table 11: Estimated average video streaming emission intensity by country gCO₂e/hour streamed, 50” LED TV, HD over Wi-Fi
Table 12: Scope 1 and 2 emissions by company, 2020-23, metric tonnes CO₂e, ranked by two-year change
Table 13: Scope 3 emissions by company, 2020-23, metric tonnes CO₂e, ranked by number of reporting years
Table 14: Anglo American's copper production by asset
Table 15: Short-term net zero targets for film and TV majors
Table 16: Long-term net zero targets for film and TV majors
Table 17: Glossary
Table 18: Further reading
List of Figures
Figure 1: Net zero strategies focus on development, production, and distribution
Figure 2: Where do corporate green house gas emissions come from?
Figure 3: A typical net zero strategy
Figure 4: Emissions across the film & TV value chain
Figure 5: Sustainability in the film and TV sector starts with scripts
Figure 6: Examples of films that have gone through the GreenerLight program
Figure 7: What should generative AI adopters in the film and TV sector do to address its sustainability issues?
Figure 8: Sustainable film production
Figure 9: Key sustainability strategies in film production
Figure 10: Studios are using virtual production to augment the film making process
Figure 11: The future net carbon impact of virtual production is still unclear
Figure 12: Map showing the technological processes involved in video streaming
Figure 13: Video streaming-related emissions reduction strategies
Figure 14: EMISSIONS PROFILE OF BROADCASTING AND RECEIVING ONE HOUR OF SATELLITE TV
Figure 15: Cinema operators seeking to reduce carbon emissions face several challenges
Companies Mentioned (Partial List)
A selection of companies mentioned in this report includes, but is not limited to:
- ITV
- Albert
- BBC
- bitkom
- Carbon Trust
- Cinecittà
- Cinemark
- Comcast
- Directorate General for Civil Aviation
- ECOR
- EcoSet
- Epic Games
- Eutelsat
- Future Observatory
- GlobalData
- Green Film Research Labs
- Green Screen
- HBO
- Hugging Face
- Hulu
- International Energy Agency
- ITV
- Location One
- MASV
- Microsoft
- Mistrial AI
- Netflix
- Olio
- Paramount
- ProSiebenSat.1
- Purdue University
- RTL Group
- ScreenDaily
- Sky
- Sony
- Sony Pictures
- Sustainable Entertainment Alliance
- Sustainable Film
- Taunt Studios
- TF1
- The Shift Project
- UK Cinema Association
- Universal
- Vectar
- Walt Disney
- Warner Bros Discovery
