The Sustainable Production Alliance issued the first industry-wide report of film and television carbon emissions averages for productions between 2016 and 2019. Productions included in this report are 161 feature films, ranging from tentpole movies to medium and small films, and 266 television series, from single and multi-camera TV series to scripted and unscripted shows, shot in major filming cities around the world. SPA member companies include Amazon Studios, Amblin Partners, Disney, Fox Corporation, NBCUniversal, Netflix, Participant, Sony Pictures Entertainment, ViacomCBS, and WarnerMedi.
A few key figures
3370
metric tons: the average carbon footprint of big-budget films, or about 33 metric tons per shooting day, across all productions studied between 2016 and 2019.
1081
metric tons: the carbon footprint of large films, across all productions studied between 2016 and 2019.
769
metric tons: the carbon footprint of medium-sized films, across all productions studied between 2016 and 2019.
391
metric tons: the carbon footprint of small films, across all productions studied between 2016 and 2019.
24%
The percentage contribution of air travel to the overall carbon footprint of big-budget films, across all productions studied between 2016 and 2019.
3370
metric tons: the carbon footprint of a film with an average budget of $70 million across all productions studied.