Lights! Camera! Climate action!

Campaign to get better grip on London film industry’s emissions
You can’t accuse film-makers in London of being blind to climate change. Only last summer, the disaster movie Flood depicted what might happen if the Thames was overwhelmed by rising seawater – the London Eye becoming little more than a waterwheel, the Houses of Parliament an island threatened by waves...

But that’s on screen. Behind the camera, there have been few initiatives to encourage film-makers to reduce energy emissions – until the ‘Green Screen London’ campaign.

Launched in February by the Film London agency, with backing from mayor Ken Livingstone as part of his London Climate Change Action Plan, it’s fronted by stars Emma Thompson and Alistair McGowan. And one of its first pressing problems, as with Hollywood [see ‘Screen on the green’], is the current state of ignorance: no one actually knows how big London film’s carbon footprint is.

To remedy that, Green Screen London has commissioned independent carbon audits of four sectors: post-production, studios, production offices and on-location filming. Companies have been offered anonymity in exchange for agreeing to be audited.

There are also plans for a website to explain how film-makers can reduce energy and recycle – and discussions are planned on incentives to reduce emissions.

“It’s a massive learning curve for everybody,” said Sue Hayes, film commissioner at Film London. “For example, we need to find efficient ways of moving people around London in the middle of night. We need to find if talent [stars] really need these big Winnebagos.” Lighting technicians, she added, can co-operate with colleagues in London’s theatre industry on reducing energy use. “We need to establish benchmarks. We’re mapping what exists out there; that will inform future work.” – Chris Alden

Click here to read about tackling carbon in London's theatres.

25 March 2008

Chris Alden