BAFTA albert has released its 2025/26 Studio Sustainability Standard Report and The Bottle Yard Studios’ TBY2 facility is officially the highest performing studio of the year – making it the most sustainable film and TV studio in the world.
TBY2 is rated Outstanding with an overall score of 97%, the highest of 31 global studios and a 4% increase on last year’s score. Meanwhile The Bottle Yard Studios’ main site (TBY1) is rated Excellent with a score of 83%, a significant improvement on its previous Very Good rating (78%).
Laura Aviles, Head of Film (Bristol City Council), says: “We are extremely proud that The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 facility is the highest performer in this year’s Studio Sustainability Standard and equally delighted that our main site has shown such significant improvement too. As a dual-site complex, The Bottle Yard Studios accommodates productions working at a range of budgets with differing needs – but our commitment to sustainability is consistent across our entire operation. Our state-of-the-art TBY2 facility has sustainability embedded into every element of its design, including its 1MW community-owned solar rooftop, whilst our main site continues to drive forward a regime of improvements and our operational team makes every effort to help productions work more sustainably with a particular focus on supporting a circular economy here in Bristol. We remain fully committed to continuing this important work going forward.”
April Sotomayor, Head of Industry Sustainability at BAFTA albert says: “Studios from across the globe have stepped up in our industry’s fight against climate change. This year we’ve seen more investment in innovation, more support for local communities and vital education programmes being implemented to train people on how they can tackle environmental impact in their roles. Studios play such an important role in the production of content and it is reassuring to see so many are committed to making a difference for the future of our planet.”
The Studio Sustainability Standard is a global, voluntary scheme designed by BAFTA albert and Arup to help studios measure and reduce the environmental impact of their facilities. The scorecard takes a holistic approach and assesses studios based on their impacts and policies across six themes; climate, circularity, nature, people, management and data. It looks beyond carbon impacts and also explores how studios interact with biodiversity on site and how they embed sustainability principles for staff and productions to build a culture that supports the transition to net zero. Participating studios receive a bespoke performance report as well as a grade which allows them to benchmark their own progress as well as compare themselves to other studio facilities across the globe.
The largest film and TV studio in the West of England, The Bottle Yard Studios offers 11 stages across two sites. Eight stages are located at its main site (TBY1), and three premium soundproofed stages at TBY2, its £12 million expansion facility backed by West of England Mayoral Combined Authority investment, which has hosted a steady stream of High-End TV bookings since opening in 2022, including Disney+ hit Rivals.
Sustainable features at TBY2 include a sophisticated building management system that controls built-in heating, cooling and ventilation in all stages, whilst optimising energy conservation. TBY2’s power supply is supported by 1MW solar array funded by Bristol Energy Cooperative, believed to be the largest community-owned rooftop PV installation in the UK, which is connected to Bristol’s groundbreaking City Leap network. The rooftop array won the Sustainable Initiative Award at the 2023 Global Production Awards.
Sustainable measures enjoyed by productions at both include a comprehensive Sustainability toolkit (including local green suppliers directory and accommodation list), a full waste management strategy supported by Bristol Waste, EV charging and cycling facilities, single use plastics policy and active links with community and industry partners to assist the repurpose and reuse of everything from sets and office furniture to work clothing.
The Bottle Yard Studios is currently shortlisted for Studio of the Year at the 2025 Global Production Awards which celebrate outstanding and sustainable work in the world of film/TV production, locations and studios. The awards take place on 19th May at the Cannes Film Festival.
