Lights, Camera, Action Against Climate Change!
Issue 2
Lights, Camera, Action Against Climate Change!How the Film Industry is a Silent but Deadly Threat to our planet.
By: Kat Davey
As consumers, we use our purchasing power to influence how companies operate, particularly regarding their carbon footprint and environmental impact; however, this standard is not the same for the film industry despite the devastating consequences it can have. For example, the transportation of cast, crew and equipment to different locations, the large quantity of energy used for large sets, lights and special effects and the incorrect disposal of used equipment such as printed scripts, costumes and props can all have an enormously negative impact on the environment. The Environmental Production Agency produced a report stating that the average carbon footprint of large production films such as Barbie (2023) is around 3,000 metric tons, which is equivalent to 7 million miles driven by a car. Most of these emissions are due to idling trucks and generators, which power the set.
Jurassic Park: A new age of environmentally-friendly filmmaking?
Discussions have arisen on this topic this year due to the release of Jurassic Park: Rebirth (2025), which focuses on the struggle of the escaped dinosaur population in the modern climate. Not only did the movie promote discussions on climate change, but it also implemented methods to reduce waste. By assigning a local eco-department to oversee waste reduction, they were able to ensure recycling and composting were done on-site and to only use reusable dishware and cups, which eliminated over 100,000 single-use items. Additionally, they attempted to use local grid electricity when necessary to avoid using wasteful generators. Overall, these efforts led to the production avoiding 28% of the film’s potential emissions. Although the same could not be said for Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018). In preproduction, the film’s writers took a cross-country road trip as well as a 4-week work trip to Barcelona to discuss details, while scouts took trips to Peru and Ecuador before settling on Hawaii and England to build their large sets for the film. This resulted in a rising carbon footprint before filming had even begun. While Jurassic Park is one example, it is not the only Hollywood film to blame for the horrific treatment of the environment. The Beach (2000), starring Leonardo DiCaprio, ruined the Maya Bay Beach in Thailand during filming, and Mad Max: Fury Road (2015) damaged protected areas along the African Atlantic coast during filming, which endangered reptiles and cacti. While steps are being taken to prevent this in modern-day cinema, it is still important to be reminded of the impact caused in the past to remind us of Hollywood’s role in damaging the environment.
Eco-friendly Streaming
Netflix has been slammed for being performative in their production of films such as Don’t Look Up (2021) and documentaries like Seaspiracy (2021) about the negative impacts humans are having on climate change. Meanwhile, Netflix’s net emissions rose almost 50% between 2020-2021 despite their claiming their goal is to reach net zero. All the while, competitive companies such as NBC Universal have launched their Sustainable Production Program, which they have been shown to implement during the production of Fast X (2023). During this film, they replaced many of their diesel cars with electric ones, used energy-efficient lighting, recycled sets, as well as donated props and leftover food.
The Future of Greener Movies:
The Environmental Media Association (EMA) produced the Green Seal Program, which recognises sustainable production. This is done on a scale of 200 points, where 125+ is a gold status. However, one issue with this is that it is reliant on a self-assessment by the production company and is $2000 per application, which may deter some companies, especially small ones. 115 major film and TV shows received the gold seal in 2024, including Deadpool and Wolverine, The Minecraft Movie and Fallout, while a further 87 received the Green Seal, including The Bear, The Sex Lives of College Girls and Cobra Kai. Notably, Netflix didn’t receive any Gold Seal’s and the 7 which received a Green Seal were South American-produced, suggesting the USA-led Netflix is not putting in enough effort to achieve a sustainable status. While a shiny stamp of approval from the EMA is good for a film's marketing or even for production companies who genuinely want to make a difference, it can also provide a benefit of cutting down costs in the long run. For example, Scripps News claims that The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (2014) saved over $400,000 on using reusable resources and sourcing costumes from local areas. Emellie O’Brien, the CEO and founder of Earth Angel, a sustainable production services company that helped make The Amazing Spider-Man 2, said, “We build these little worlds that are not meant to last, and then we tear them down. Can we use different materials? Can we recycle those materials better? Looking at supply chains is a big piece of that work.” But it's not just how the film industry should implement environmental practices, but also normalise conversations about climate change on the screen. The non-profit storytelling consultancy Good Energy released its Good Energy Playbook in April 2022, which suggests ideas such as utopian narratives exploring climate solutions or more subtle changes, such as solar panels on roofs in the background. Studies have shown that the brain finds it easier to digest information in a story format rather than as a series of facts. Therefore, if discussions about climate change were more normalised in film and television, this could massively impact viewers' choices around recycling and their carbon emissions.
Therefore, next time you go to the cinema or scroll through a streaming site, consider your power as a consumer and try to enjoy your media in an environmentally friendly way.
Sources:
1. How the film industry is contributing to climate change, and what they are doing to change it. By Ruby Smith (2023) - https://epigram.org.uk/how-the-film-industry-is-contributing-to-climate-change-and-what-they-are-doing-to-change-it/
2. Film and TV’s Carbon Footprint Is Too Big to Ignore By Sarah Sax (2024) - https://time.com/6767943/sustainable-film-and-tv-production/
3. The climate films shaping society By Becca Warner (2022) - https://www.bbc.co.uk/future/article/20221021-how-climate-change-in-film-shape-society
4. Our favourite films are getting worse for the environment, a report says. By Adam Dutton and Katherine Fidler (2023) - Our favourite films are getting worse and worse for the environment | News Tech | Metro News
5. Sustainable Filmmaking: Pioneering Green Initiatives in the 2025 Film Industry (2025) - https://www.whatsafterthemovie.com/blog/sustainable-filmmaking-2025
6. ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ Embraces Nature and Science from Script to Screen (2025) -https://corporate.comcast.com/stories/jurassic-world-rebirth-embraces-nature-and-science-from-script-to-screen
7. Behind Every Film Production Is a Mess of Environmental Wreckage by Kyle Fitzpatrick (2019) -https://www.vice.com/en/article/behind-every-film-production-is-a-mess-of-environmental-