How can the entertainment industry be more sustainable following COP26?

With COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference, over, the entertainment industry has found itself with a lot to reflect on.

Only an hour of TV made in the UK produces 13 tonnes of carbon dioxide. A single soundstage can lead to 4,000 hectares of deforestation – an area equivalent to about 9,000 sports fields. British festivals alone generate 23,000 tonnes of waste a year, and it’s estimated less than a third is recycled.

The condition of our planet is at the forefront of global issues and many initiatives are trying to make the sector greener.

German firm 'Green Shooting Initiative' is a body enforcing environmental guidelines. They commit to using LED spotlights, have switched to vegetarian canteen food, submit sustainability reports, avoid short-haul flights, and opt for low-emission transport. Changes to German law in 2022 will see public money only given to film projects if they adhere to environmental standards.

In the UK, The Grid Project has set out to install a supply of green energy across eight popular filming locations in London. This is an alternative to the current air-polluting diesel generators, which use an average of 80 litres to provide power for 12 hours. It aims to reduce CO2 emissions and noise pollution in the surrounding areas.

The Green Production Guide called the industry to reduce its emissions by 50 per cent by 2030. In a COP26 statement they encouraged the use of electric vehicles, LED lighting, and responsibly-sourced products to reduce deforestation.

In the music sector, LIVE Green has committed to a goal of net zero emissions by 2030 for all its events and festivals. They’ve pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from travel, take responsibility for waste, energy and food usage, report progress annually, and provide climate literacy education.

Booking platform, Encore Musicians, has set the example for other sites by announcing it’s completely carbon negative, just days before the climate conference began. The agency double offsets the carbon emissions of every musician travelling to Encore events and will plant a tree for every booking. CEO, James McAulay, said: "If we can do this as a small startup, then there’s no reason why the bigger music companies can’t."

Coldplay is also trailblazing a ‘sustainable world’ tour that will be powered by 100 per cent renewable energy – from solar panels to using fans’ kinetic energy via the floor. They’ve committed to cutting CO2 emissions by 50 per cent and offering discounts to fans who use low-carbon travel, amongst other measures.

Though these initiatives are creating a positive environmental impact, it must be acknowledged that they’re voluntary and have no real power to enforce these standards. Perhaps more countries need to follow Germany’s lead and implement environmental requirements into law.

We see small scale initiatives holding themselves accountable, however larger organisations need to take note and realise how badly the entertainment industry damages our planet. The steps they can take to reduce this aren’t unreasonable and should be common practice with the urgency of the climate crisis.

Edited by Hannah Youds