According to the Sustainable Production Alliance’s study “Close Up: Carbon Emissions of Film and Television Production,” the carbon emissions of film and television production companies vary depending on several factors. A total of 161 feature films and 266 television series were investigated between 2016 and 2019.

According to the study, the carbon emissions of a single big-budget film can be as high as 1.081 million kilograms. On the other hand, a medium-budget film can emit around 0.75 million kilograms and a low-budget movie up to 0.39 million kilograms.

For TV series, the carbon emissions for a one-hour episode were around 0.77 million kilos. A half-hour episode emitted just under a third, approximately 0.26 million kilos. The study considered all direct emissions from fuel, electricity consumption, flying, and accommodation sources. Fuel was typically the most significant contributor to emissions, accounting for between 48% and 56%.

Estimating carbon emissions is nearly impossible without a proper tool

When comparing the figures with other carbon-emitting sectors, the audiovisual (AV) sector has a significant carbon footprint. For example, the total carbon emissions of all Finnish households in 2019 were around 54.9 million kilograms. Calculated per person, the average emissions in Finland were around 9,950 kilograms, which roughly translates into the equivalent of the carbon emissions of about 26 Finnish households from the production of one half-hour TV episode.

On the other hand, producing one medium-length film emits the annual carbon emissions of 75 Finnish households. A big-budget film’s carbon emissions are approximately half the annual emissions of all household emissions in Finland. 

However, it is difficult to estimate the Finnish audiovisual industry’s direct carbon emissions and carbon footprint without an effective metric and strategy. Furthermore, it goes without saying that at a global level, the carbon budgets of the carbon offset sector are more extensive than in Finland, so the above comparisons are only indicative. However, in 2021, Audiovisual Producers Finland (APFI) launched a project to provide a carbon footprint calculator for film productions.

Finnish audiovisual production has, in many respects, already moved towards more sustainable alternatives. Finnish filmmakers are used to limited budgets and circular economy principles: many productions are carried out by borrowing and renting expertise, equipment, and facilities.

The environmental impact of production can be calculated, for example, based on the number and quality of vehicles used and the amount of fuel, waste generated, food, the number of disposable products, and the cost of electricity and heating. Kajawood hopes that the upcoming APFI carbon footprint calculator will consider these factors appropriately.