Good Practice
Every organisation has unique challenges and opportunities when it comes to sustainability.
Below, we’ve summarised priorities and external resoures for different types of organisations working ‘beyond production’ in the screen sector — use the buttons to navigate to the relevant section.
Exhibitors
Cinemas and film festivals have direct control over the operations of their venues and events.
Find external, exhibitor-specific resources below.
KEy areas to focus on
- Energy use: Understand and reduce energy consumption by switching to low-carbon or renewable sources, optimising energy efficiency, and adopting green building practices.
- Travel & transport: Promote sustainable travel options for staff and audiences, such as public transport, cycling, or carpooling. For festivals and events, consider shuttle services and encourage green travel through messaging and/or incentives.
- Waste reduction: Minimise waste by reducing single-use plastics, implementing recycling schemes, and choosing sustainable materials for signage, packaging, and event collateral.
- Food & drink: Offer plant-based, locally sourced, and organic food options at venues and events. Aim for zero waste by reducing food packaging and avoiding single-use serveware.
Training
- Resources from the Independent Cinema Office, including an online environmental sustainability course for anyone working in film exhibition, and the Green Cinema Toolkit.
- Carbon Literacy training materials and the Creative Climate Action Toolkit from multi-arts venue Watershed, Bristol.
- Webinar on sustainable film festivals for the BFI Film Audience Network (FAN).
Examples
Examples of best-practice environmental policies and plans from cinemas across the UK:
- The Barn (Aberdeen)
- Montrose LandxSea Film Festival
- Watershed (Bristol)
- Exeter Phoenix
- Broadway (Nottingham)
- HOME (Manchester)
- Depot (Lewes)
Networks
- Cinema for All’s Climate Action Focus Group, exploring ways that community cinemas can reduce their impact on the climate and become greener cinemas.
- UK Green Film Network, encouraging screenings of environmental films in UK cinemas.
Want to be inspired?
Explore our Screen Stories
SCREEN HERITAGE & ARCHIVES
Screen heritage and archives organisations have a unique role in preserving both cultural and environmental history.
Find external, archive-specific resources below.
KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON
- Collections & exhibitions: Tell environmental stories and showcase the diversity of perspectives, solutions and voices across the climate, nature and justice crises.
- Digital: Ensure that online hosting services use renewable energy and are transparent about their environmental impact. Plan for your digital storage – now and in the future – to be as efficient as possible to reduce energy use and costs.
- Waste & materials: Minimise waste by reducing single-use plastics, implementing recycling schemes, and choosing sustainable materials for signage, packaging, and event collateral.
- Energy: Implement energy-saving measures across archival spaces, such as improving insulation, upgrading HVAC systems and optimising storage space.
Guides
- Resources on digital and building emissions from The National Archives
- Environmental impacts from digital presevation, a guidance paper from the Digital Preservation Coalition
- Other resources on sustainability from the Digital Preservation Coalition
Examples
- Yorkshire & North East Film Archive’s sustainability journey (including their Nature Matters programming project)
- Case studies from the Archives and Records Association
- Blogs from archives that participated in Sustainable Screen programme workshops, including the BFI National Archives and The Box, Plymouth
Funding your environmental initiatives
Looking to fund your environmental projects? Explore our resources specifically designed for environmental funding in the screen sector, including a directory of funding opportunities specifically designed for the screen sector, and top tips for navigating funding applications.
Sector support bodies
Sector support bodies work to help the wider industry embrace and normalise sustainability.
Find external resources specific to sector support bodies below.
KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON
- Energy use: Ensure your offices run on renewable energy sources, and work with offices with renewable energy commitments or green tariffs for events. Encourage organisations you support to follow suit.
- Support & Resources: Share resources such as sustainability toolkits, funding opportunities, and networks to help organisations develop environmental policies and action plans.
- Procurement: Encourage sustainable procurement by working with suppliers who demonstrate a measurable commitment to sustainability, ensuring that the products and services you choose align with your environmental goals.
- Travel & transport: Promote sustainable travel options for staff and audiences, such as public transport, cycling, or carpooling. For events, encourage green travel through messaging and/or incentives.
Guides
- Resources and communications from Film Hub Wales
- Guidance on communicating climate change from Climate Outreach
Examples
Examples of best-practice environmental policies and plans from sector support bodies across the UK:
- Creative Scotland
- Ffilm Cymru Wales
- Screen Scotland (production-specific)
- Filming in England (production-specific)
REPORT ON YOUR ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT USING THE CC TOOLS
Some BFI awardees are required to report on their environmental impact.
Education, skills, training & research organisations
Education, skills, and research organisations are integral to spreading sustainability knowledge throughout the sector.
Find external resources specific to education and training organisations below.
KEY AREAS TO FOCUS ON
- Programming: Integrate environmental sustainability into training, offering specific courses and/or incorporating a mention of sustainability into existing programmes. Don’t underestimate your power as a training organisation. Engage with your communities to understand the issues and solutions they’re experiencing.
- Food & drink: Offer plant-based, locally sourced, and organic food options at venues and events. Aim for zero waste by reducing food packaging and avoiding single-use serveware.
- Waste & materials: Minimise waste at training events by reducing single-use plastics, implementing recycling schemes, and choosing sustainable materials for event collateral.
- Energy: In your training spaces or venues, implement or work with building management on energy-saving measures, reducing waste, and choosing sustainable materials for projects.
Examples
- Edinburgh 2050 project by Screen Education Edinburgh
- Nature in your Neighbourhood by Into Film
Where would you like to go next?
SCENE SETTING
Why we need action on the climate, nature and justice crisis, and why screen sector organisations are powerful agents for change.
Getting Started
Where to start in developing environmental commitment, understanding and action.
TAKING ACTION
The kind of action organisations can take in different areas from energy and travel to food and digital.
Banner image: Colin Tonks, Electric Pedals