Database

BECTU Vision: Sustainable Screen Production in Scotland An initiative collecting various tools for green film and TV production in Scotland, developed by BECTU Vision (the training arm of the BECTU trade union) in partnership with bodies such as Screen Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland, and Film Bang. It brings together resources across case studies, material sharing/reuse (via a dedicated Re-Use Hub), zero food waste initiatives, portable renewable power, sustainable set construction and deconstruction, carbon calculators and offsetting, climate change and carbon literacy resources, climate resilience/adaptation, social sustainability, travel resources, training opportunities, sustainable production guides, department-specific guides and articles, as well as a wide range of European and global resources.

Toolbox for Green Innovation is a practical guide on sustainable film production, published in October 2025 as part of CresCine, an EU-funded project supporting the international competitiveness of small European film markets. Authored by Regitze Mai Møller and Ditte Brunø Søndergaard (Filmby Aarhus) and Tobias Frühmorgen (Lusófona University), with contributions from industry experts across seven countries, it compares national approaches to green filmmaking in Croatia, Denmark, Estonia, Flanders, Ireland, Lithuania, and Portugal—covering guidelines, legislation, key players, and training—alongside real production case studies, carbon calculators, certification systems, and a Green Manager course curriculum.

The Nordic Ecological Standard (NES) is a shared framework for sustainable audiovisual production, established by a coalition of Nordic broadcasters, producers’ associations, film institutes, regional film funds, and other industry stakeholders. Inspired by international best practices — and building on the German and Austrian Ecological Standards introduced in 2022 — NES sets clear, evolving guidelines to promote eco-friendly practices across all stages of production, from pre- to post-production, whether the production is based in the Nordics or abroad. The standard is structured around six categories: General Requirements, Personnel and Material Transport, Energy Use, Accommodation and Catering, Use of Materials, and Biodiversity. Each category includes both mandatory requirements, which must be met, and target requirements, which serve as guidance toward more sustainable practices rather than strict rules. NES applies to all Nordic cinema, TV, and online/VoD productions, with each participating partner able to make a voluntary commitment to the standard. It is designed to be regularly reviewed and refined, reflecting an ongoing collaborative process across the Nordic film and television community.

StepUP is a free e-learning platform and international toolkit dedicated to green production in the film industry, launched at the Berlinale on 14 February 2025. It is a Eurimages initiative, developed by the non-profit association Ecoprod in collaboration with leading European partners and experts. The platform offers a range of e-learning courses covering the principles of sustainable production, from international regulations to practical, on-set workflows, enhanced by interactive features such as quizzes, exercises, and case studies. Designed to be inclusive and adaptable, StepUP addresses the lack of standardised sustainability training across countries and is tailored to different roles — including producers, film commissioners, and on-set staff — regardless of their level of prior expertise. StepUP is supported by Eurimages, the Council of Europe’s cultural film fund, which has backed over 2,500 international co-productions since 1989 across 38 European member states and Canada.

The MEDIA Carbon Calculator is a free web tool, launched by the European Commission on 14 November 2025, that allows audiovisual producers across the EU to calculate the carbon footprint of their productions (films, TV series and similar works). The tool analyses factors such as energy consumption, travel, accommodation, and catering, offering a calculation methodology that is harmonised across Member States — while adapting to national specificities — to ensure data comparability and coherence.

Sustainable Filming is Screen Flanders’ hub for helping productions embed sustainability into their work, reflecting the sector’s growing shift toward treating sustainability — covering planet, people, and prosperity/business operations — as a norm rather than an add-on. It brings together guidance and tools from Screen Flanders, the Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), and relevant international frameworks for co-productions and cross-border collaborations. The resource covers sustainability at both project and company level: helping teams define which ESG priorities matter for a given production based on logistics, co-production structure, and location or funder requirements; embedding sustainability practically within a production team through shared goals and supplier engagement; and considering sustainability’s role in the script and storyline itself, from location and stunt choices to how sustainability themes are portrayed on screen. It also points to concrete tools and training, including VAF’s sustainability instruments, the Ecoprod Step Up Course, a European overview of CO₂ calculators, the Eurimages learning platform, and resources for embedding sustainability at company level (such as VLAIO, the Ecodynamic Enterprise Label, and Sustatool), alongside a video module on sustainability and inclusion in the audiovisual sector.

The Plan Durabilité is a sustainability initiative run by the Centre du Cinéma et de l’Audiovisuel (CCA) of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles. Building on the CCA’s longstanding attention to environmental issues in film and audiovisual production (including a 2010 study on making shoots more sustainable), the plan has been developed since late 2022 to raise awareness among francophone professionals and future professionals about the environmental impact of their activities, and to inform them of ways to reduce that impact before, during, and after shooting. It is designed as complementary to existing tools from other Belgian public bodies, avoiding extra administrative burden for professionals. Under this plan, the CCA supports several initiatives: the Bonus Durabilité and Fiche Durabilité (2024), support for the Hors Champ federation’s sustainability project, Cinécolab, Greenshooting, participation in the EFAD Sustainability Working Group, a conference on sustainability tools and best practices, and a list of commonly used sustainability tools and methodologies — with further resources available at cinecolab.be/ressources.

The Association of Green Film Consultants Austria VGFCA was initiated in 2021 by Evergreen Prisma and founded by Nina Hauser, Dietlind Rott, Tamara Seeliger and Barbara Weingartner in the same year. It represents the interests of the work based on multi-layered competencies, which is an essential function for the effective green transformation of the film industry in Austria and beyond.

The Austrian Ecolabel is a government Type 1 environmental label in accordance with EN ISO 14024. It is a voluntary, independent, multi-criteria label covering five categories, including art & culture. Under the RLUZ76 – Green Producing in Film and Television guideline, cinema film projects have been eligible for certification since 2021. The guideline was first introduced in 2017 and is currently in version 3.0 (2025); it must be revised every 4 years. A specific cinema film is certified as a product, while the production company acts as the licensee. The permitted use of the label is valid for 4 years. The Austrian Ecolabel is managed by the responsible Federal Ministry, with the Association for Consumer Information (VKI) supporting testing and certification. In the subsidised cinema film sector, project-related certification costs are currently fully covered by the arts and culture budget, while recertification and usage costs are borne by the production companies. These costs are recognised as eligible costs under ÖFI/ÖFI+ and FISA+.

The Austrian Film Institute promotes sustainable filmmaking through a nationwide green funding system. Since 2021, green filming requirements have been mandatory, supported by the Green Filming Department, which provides expertise and guidance on sustainable production. Since 2023, the ÖFI+ programme has also offered a 5% green bonus for productions meeting defined ecological standards. The Institute monitors and reports on the environmental impact of Austrian cinema productions and publishes criteria and data to further advance green filmmaking.

Evergreen Prisma is a digital platform, competence center dedicated to green filming and the transition towards more sustainable film production and funding. It provides practical tools, resources, examples of sustainable production, and information on green consultants, suppliers and funding incentives across Europe. Evergreen Prisma Academy, part of Evergreen Prisma, focuses on the professionalization of filmmakers in green filming. Since 2018, it has provided practice-oriented education and training for filmmakers, film institutions and students. Since 2021, its Green Film Consultant Austria (GFCA) programme has trained generations of Green Consultants for Film & TV. Evergreen Prisma also develops pilot projects, creative labs and research initiatives on sustainable filmmaking, including programmes for emerging filmmakers and film institutions. It works with film funding bodies, including the Austrian Film Institute, to support the integration of sustainable production practices into funding schemes.

FISAplus – Film Industry Support Austria is an Austrian funding programme supporting international films and series, including service productions and production parts, in the fields of cinema, TV and streaming, as well as Austrian TV and streaming productions. FISAplus integrates sustainability through a focus on Green Filming. The programme requires funded productions to adopt an ecologically sustainable production approach and comply with the applicable environmental standards in Austria. Productions that meet the defined Green Filming requirements can receive an increased funding rate through a 5 percentage point Green Bonus. FISAplus works in cooperation with other funding bodies, film commissions and the Austrian Ecolabel to further develop sustainable and green filmmaking in Austria.

Evergreen Prisma Carbon Calculator for Film & TV Austria, specially tailored for film productions, was developed in cooperation with KlimAktiv. The bilingual, film-specific carbon calculator enables the professional recording of the carbon footprint of all departments involved in film & TV productions, based on Austria-specific factors. Based on the latest scientific findings, it is updated annually, ensuring that all calculations are performed using the most current factors. The Evergreen Prisma Calculator not only establishes communication channels with the Green Filming Department of the Austrian Film Institute (ÖFI), but also facilitates project-specific collaboration among Green Film Consultants. Furthermore, the calculator consolidates data from green filming projects, thereby enabling high-quality statistical analysis, both on a project-specific and institutional basis.

Green Filming Tirol provides information and resources to support the sustainable production of film projects in Tyrol. Through the “Marktplatz Tirol” section, filmmakers can access a directory of Tyrolean companies and services relevant to film production, covering areas such as travel, transport and mobility, accommodation, food and catering, set design, costume and make-up, and production. The Cine Tirol team also includes a certified Green Film Commissioner, trained by EVERGREEN PRISMA, who provides expertise on green filming practices.

The aim of this document is to provide concrete guidelines and recommendations for production companies of all sizes to produce a live-action film, audiovisual or advertising work in accordance with the Sustainable Development Goals. This document uses the term “project” rather than “work”. Thus, it defines a methodological framework with three commitment levels to encourage production companies to adopt more sustainable, ethical and responsible practices, taking into account the crucial environmental, social and economic issues facing our world.