Sustainable film enjoyment

Director, producer and actor Michael Bully Herbig took care to observe the principles of sustainability in film production as long ago as 2013: for his feature film Buddy he set out to economise on resources as far as possible and save CO2 emissions. He also sourced from regional manufacturers, and his team used biodegradable paints, for example. Ecological materials were deployed for the set and props, while importance was attached to sustainably produced items when purchasing. Serving a total of 11,000 meals during the making of the film, the catering operation largely dispensed with plastic tableware. In the case of unavoidable emissions such as those caused by overnight stays and production vehicles, Herbig offset these by supporting regional sustainability projects, for example. 

Despite these efforts, the making of his film still generated some 400 tonnes of CO2. That sounds a lot, but it’s not much compared to a Hollywood blockbuster, which can easily generate several thousand tonnes of CO2 emissions. Some 10,000 tonnes of CO2 were released during the filming of the action drama “The Day After Tomorrow”, for example, which was first shown in cinemas in 2004. But this was also the first Hollywood movie where the emissions were completely offset. German director Roland Emmerich paid the CO2 compensation of 200,000 US dollars out of his own pocket. 

The “green motion” label for films 

Nowadays, more and more German filmmakers are opting for climate-friendly productions. In 2022, the working group Green Shooting and the initiative Changemakers.film developed 22 key ecological standards for audiovisual productions in Germany which form the basis for the “green motion” film label. They concern the use of green electric power and the reuse of costumes, and there are also standards for overnight stays, too. Mobility is a factor here as well: rail travel is to be used rather than a plane if a journey takes less than five hours. Regional food is to be used for catering, and there is to be at least one meal a week that is meat-free.  

Since mid-2023, these standards have been a requirement for obtaining public funding for audiovisual productions. If 17 of the 22 key requirements are met, the project is awarded the “green motion” label; 19 out of 22 will be required from mid-2024 onwards.