German film, TV and VoD industry launches sustainability initiative

The production of cinema, TV and online/VoD productions causes high CO2 emissions and resource consumption. A relevant proportion of these CO2 emissions can be avoided by switching to a more environmentally friendly and resource-saving production method. A broad alliance of key industry representatives from the German film, TV and VoD market has therefore decided to produce a large proportion of their content in a climate- and resource-friendly way in future.

In the joint "Green Shooting" working group, representatives of broadcasters, production companies, VoD services and film funders have developed uniform minimum ecological standards for sustainable productions for the first time and have committed to complying with them in a sustainability initiative from 1 January 2022 (https://oekologische-mindeststandards-greenmotion.de). The self-commitment to the standards, which are very progressive by international standards, is voluntary and not based on legal requirements. In future, productions made in this way can be labelled with the specially developed "green motion" label in the credits or on promotional material.

Speaker and head of the working group, MFG CEO Carl Bergengruen: "The minimum ecological standards and the 'green motion' label are a strong, voluntary commitment by the German film, TV and VoD industry to greater climate protection. The standards we have developed in the industry are ambitious and at the same time can be implemented in practice. This is an important first step, combined with the aim of continuously developing the minimum ecological standards. We also want to gain further partners for this initiative. Germany needs a common ecological standard for all its film, TV and VoD productions."

Switching to LED headlights, more train journeys, more environmentally friendly vehicles, vegetarian food; abandoning diesel generators, short-haul flights, disposable crockery; drawing up a CO2-footprint, advice from a sustainability expert, etc.: The minimum ecological standards cover all areas of production and were developed based on the experience and findings from the "100 Green Productions" sustainability project organised by the "Green Shooting" working group. In this project, all German daily soaps, 22 series and numerous individual films and TV programmes were converted to a more ecologically sustainable production method in 2020 and 2021.

The minimum standards stipulate 21 "must requirements". For a production to be awarded the "green motion" label, at least 18 of these requirements must be met. The final report to be submitted by the production company is reviewed by the funding organisation, broadcaster or VoD service involved in the production. Alternatively, they can delegate the audit to an external audit centre, which the working group has set up with the auditing firm PwC. All approved final reports are filed with the review body for statistical purposes.

After one year, the "Green Shooting" working group will evaluate the minimum ecological standards and their practicability. The standards are to be adapted with a view to new technical developments and possibilities for sustainable production methods.

The minimum ecological standards were developed by the "Green Shooting" working group together with the film and TV sustainability expert Philip Gassmann, the filmmakers' initiative "Changemakers.film", the climate researcher Prof Dirk Notz and the environmental scientist Nils König. The following production companies, broadcasters, film funding organisations, VoD services and associations are participating in the "green motion" initiative. From 2022, they will comply with the minimum ecological standards for all or significant parts of their productions, make them a prerequisite for the awarding of contracts or funding or recommend that their members comply with the minimum standards:

The film and TV production companies:

• Bavaria Film (mit allen Tochterfirmen)

• Constantin Film (mit allen Tochterfirmen)

• Studio Hamburg (mit allen Tochterfirmen)

• UFA (mit allen Tochterfirmen)

• We Are Era

• Ziegler Film (bei allen Kino- und Koproduktionen)

The channels/VoD services:

• Bayerischer Rundfunk (bei allen fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

• Degeto Film (bei mehr als 60 Prozent aller Produktionsvolumina)

• Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (bei mehr als der Hälfte aller fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

• Netflix (bei allen in Deutschland in Auftrag gegebenen Netflix-Produktionen)

• Norddeutscher Rundfunk (bei mehr als der Hälfte aller fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

• ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE (mindestens 75% der Show-, Fiction-, Factual und Reality-Produktionen)

• RTL Deutschland (bei mehr als der Hälfte aller fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

• Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (bei allen fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

• Sky Deutschland und Österreich

• Südwestrundfunk (bei allen fiktionalen Auftrags-, Ko- und Eigenproduktionen)

• Westdeutscher Rundfunk (bei mehr als 80 Prozent aller fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

• ZDF (bei mehr als der Hälfte aller fiktionalen Produktionsvolumina)

The film subsidies:

• HessenFilm und Medien

• MDM Mitteldeutsche Medienförderung (vorbehaltlich der Zustimmung der Aufsichtsgremien)

• MFG Medien- und Filmgesellschaft Baden-Württemberg

• MOIN Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein

• MV Filmförderung Mecklenburg-Vorpommern

• nordmedia - Film- und Mediengesellschaft Niedersachsen/Bremen

The initiative is supported by the Federal Association of German Actors and the Federal Association of Film Editors. "The Alliance of German Executive Producers and the German Film Academy recommend that their members comply with the minimum standards in the firm expectation that broadcasters and funders will provide the necessary funds in accordance with their funding shares." The Association of Technical Companies for Film & Television supports the initiative in the firm expectation that the necessary technical investments and technological innovations will be supported by suitable public funding programmes.

Press contacts:

Green Shooting" working group c/o MFG Press Office, Alexandra Leibfried Phone +49 (0)711-90715-407 leibfried@mfg.de

Schmidt Schumacher Press Agency GmbH Marten Schumacher, Phone +49 (0) 30 263913-11 Alexandra Engel, Phone +49 (0) 30 263913 -23 info@schmidtschumacher.de