BAFTA albert, the screen industry body for environmental sustainability, has issued a stark warning to film and television producers, calling for sweeping changes in how productions are powered, travelled and supplied. Its new report, Accelerate 2025, published today, sets out a practical roadmap for reducing the industry’s carbon footprint over the next year.
The report calls for an immediate reduction in air travel, a full switch to electric vehicles and the elimination of fossil fuel-powered generators on location. It also urges production leaders to drive culture change from the top, with accountability shared across every department, both on and off screen.
BAFTA albert says that the screen industry produced nearly 175,000 tonnes of carbon emissions in 2024 – equivalent to the annual footprint of around 40,000 UK citizens. The findings are based on data voluntarily submitted through the organisation’s carbon calculator by more than 2,500 film and TV productions last year.
A central theme of Accelerate 2025 is the need for better and more accurate data, particularly in under-reported areas such as waste and materials. The report notes that improvements in data collection will allow sustainability performance to be tracked in real time alongside financial budgets, with the help of BAFTA albert’s next-generation calculator set to launch in 2026.
The guide outlines twelve key recommendations for production teams, focused on achievable steps that could significantly cut emissions. These include:
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Reducing air travel and switching to economy class where unavoidable. BAFTA albert says cutting flights by a quarter would reduce emissions by 8% while economy travel would save 15%.
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Adopting electric vehicles for transporting people and equipment. Replacing a third of car journeys with EVs would cut 5% of emissions.
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Switching all mains power to renewables, a move estimated to save 6% of the industry’s overall footprint.
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Eliminating diesel generators on set, with a short-term transition to hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and a long-term shift to battery power, which together could remove another 5% of emissions.
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Reducing materials and waste, including cutting the use of virgin timber for sets, sourcing second-hand clothing for costumes and limiting red meat and food waste across catering.
The report calls on studios, broadcasters and streamers to lead by example, embedding sustainability targets into commissioning and budgeting processes. It argues that collaboration across the industry is essential if emissions are to be reduced at scale.
Accelerate 2025 concludes that achieving meaningful progress will require not just technological upgrades but a cultural shift in how productions are planned and executed. Without urgent action, it warns, the industry risks falling behind other sectors in the transition to a low-carbon future.
