The Bottle Yard Studios excels in year two of Studio Sustainability Standard

The Bottle Yard Studios’ new TBY2 facility has been rated ‘Outstanding’ by BAFTA albert’s 2024 Studio Sustainability Standard.

It is one of just two studios to receive this highest rating achievable, awarded for the first time in the latest round of the industry scheme, which saw a total of 29 studios participate. 

With an overall sustainability score of 93% (the highest score awarded to a ‘medium sized studio’), TBY2’s ‘Outstanding’ rating represents an improvement of two bands compared to the ‘Very Good’ rating awarded when the Standard launched last year. In addition, The Bottle Yard Studios’ main site was also submitted to the scheme for the first time this year, achieving a ‘Very Good’ rating.  

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. This means that the Standard looks beyond carbon impacts – it 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 commit to making year-on-year improvements to their sustainability going forward. 

Matt Scarff, Managing Director, BAFTA albert, said: “The Studio Sustainability Standard is not only a unique climate assessment for studios but is innovative in that the participating studios have put climate action above commercial needs to help each other progress towards net zero. For the past two years, we have seen how the studios have come together to share best practices. I am hopeful that this collaboration indicates a positive future towards decarbonisation for the industry.”

Steve Smith, Project Manager for Studio Sustainability Standard, BAFTA albert, says: “Congratulations to The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 facility for being one of just two studios to achieve an Outstanding rating for the Studio Sustainability Standard. The entire team, led by Sustainability Lead Katherine Nash, have worked so hard implementing sustainability measures over the past year and responding to the recommendations from last year’s Studio Standard report in which the studio achieved a Very Good rating. This has helped the studio jump two rating bands in just one year to the highest rating of Outstanding.”

“The 29 studios who participated in this year’s Studio Sustainability Standard are setting the pace for sustainable innovation in the studio sector. It is inspiring to see how they have embedded sustainability across their organisations, from physical infrastructure to workplace culture.”

Laura Aviles, Head of Film (Bristol City Council), says: “We are extremely proud that The Bottle Yard’s TBY2 facility is one of the highest performing studios in this year’s BAFTA albert Studio Sustainability Standard and equally pleased that our main site has now joined the scheme. At our expansion site TBY2, which was backed by £11.8m investment from the West of England Combined Authority, we were able to embed sustainability into design and build from the outset. Lowering our main site’s carbon footprint presents a different set of challenges and the Bottle Yard’s Business & Operations Manager Katherine Nash has worked tirelessly to progress a range of decarbonisation improvements, for example installing additional insulation and electric powered radiant heating solutions. Under her guidance, the Green Team has also implemented numerous practical measures that help productions work sustainably at The Bottle Yard, which helped the main site score impressively highly in categories of Circularity, Management and People. We are fully committed to continuing this work going forward.”   

The largest film and TV studio in the West of England, The Bottle Yard Studios offers 11 stages across its two sites. Eight stages are located at the Studios’ main site, and three premium soundproofed stages were added in 2022 with the opening of expansion facility TBY2. Sustainable measures put in place for productions at both Bottle Yard sites to access include a comprehensive Sustainability toolkit including local green suppliers directory and accommodation list, full waste management strategy supported by Bristol Waste, EV charging and cycling facilities on site, single use plastics policy, active links with community and industry partners to repurpose and reuse everything from sets and office furniture to work clothing.  

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 also boasts a 1MW solar array funded by Bristol Energy Cooperative, believed to be the largest community-owned rooftop PV installation in the UK and one of the biggest solar arrays on any UK studio.  

Consisting of 2,380 panels, the array is capable of generating enough energy to power more than 250 average households annually, saving nearly 200 tonnes of CO2 per year. Bristol City Council, which owns and runs The Bottle Yard, initially planned to install a 283kWp solar array on the expansion facility, but thanks to funding from Bristol Energy Cooperative, the final array was three times larger than originally planned.  

As well as producing energy for the studio, the array is also helping the city of Bristol reach its ambitious goal to be carbon neutral by 2030. Over time, surplus energy produced at TBYS will be utilised through the Bristol City Leap Sleeved Pool electricity supply model which connects buildings and ‘sleeves’ energy generated from one to another, reducing energy consumption from non-renewables. The ambitious solar project saw The Bottle Yard Studios win the 2023 Global Production Award for Sustainable Initiative at the Global Production Awards, presented during Cannes Film Festival.