albert launches new biodiversity guide for productions

albert, the leading screen industry organisation for environmental sustainability has launched an in depth guide for those in the screen industry who want to reduce their impact on biodiversity in every area of production from planning to props.

It includes a clear categorisation of the kinds of impacts a production could have on biodiversity in nature, which is declining faster now than at any point in human history, with devastating implications for lives and livelihoods.

These range from the supply chain, production practices and through its portrayal of biodiversity on screen. The guide consists of practical tips, checklists for how to avoid, minimise & restore potential impacts and details on legal requirements alongside further reading.

Kirstie Shirra, Chair of albert’s Biodiversity Working Group, said: “At albert, we have been leading the way in cutting carbon in the screen industries but it will not be possible to achieve climate targets without also addressing biodiversity. Declining biodiversity makes us more vulnerable to climate shocks like floods, fire, and drought, whereas healthy ecosystems can help store carbon. By encouraging productions to consider their biodiversity impacts, we have a real opportunity to both support nature recovery and achieve our climate goals.”

Danielle Mulder, BBC Director of Sustainability, said: “The publication of this new guidance marks a crucial step in empowering our sector to address the loss of biodiversity.  Aiming to have a positive impact on the natural world is central to the BBC’s sustainability strategy – that’s why we are working hard to reduce our own biodiversity footprint and have supported BAFTA albert to develop this production guidance for the wider industry”

Joseph W. Bull, Associate Professor in Climate Change Biology at the University of Oxford, said: “In releasing this guide, BAFTA albert makes clear its understanding that reversing biodiversity loss and tackling climate change are two sides of the same coin. The screen industries sector has a crucial role to play on biodiversity – not only in understanding and mitigating its own impacts, but also beyond in educating and informing about these major contemporary challenges”

Mairi Claire Bowser, Screen Sustainability Manager Scotland at BECTU Vision, said: “We are delighted for albert to be leading the way with engaging our UK wide film & TV industries on their biodiversity and ecological impacts during the production process. As so much of our industry in Scotland is based on the filming of our beautiful natural landscapes, we want to ensure that productions filming here are best equipped to be able to help protect and conserve our natural environments, and we’re proud to have been a part of the development of this much needed checklist.”

albert will be hosting a webinar on 28 September to run through the guide. Register for the event here.