Lady Whistledown's secret is green hydrogen

Caring about sustainability is becoming increasingly common when filming TV shows and movies, as they try to reduce their carbon footprint and increase respect for the environment.

Source: Colpisa

Secrets are one of the most valuable things in the Bridgerton universe, the period series on Netflix that has become a global phenomenon. The greatest secret of all is the identity of Lady Whistledown, the social chronicler who reveals to the public everything that others want to hide. But perhaps the most valuable of her secrets is a sustainable one that viewers do not see on their screens: she uses green hydrogen.

When thinking about the world of movies and TV, one thinks of glamour, red carpets, and the plots that keep viewers glued to the screen. We don’t usually think about sustainability or the carbon footprint. However, if we automatically think that a factory should be greener, shouldn't we also think that way when it comes to audiovisual productions? “Absolutely,” responds Victoria Gutiérrez, business line manager for sustainability at TÜV SÜD.

Her company, in collaboration with the consulting firm Mrs. Greenfilm has a “Sustainable Filming Certificate” in Spain. Gutiérrez points out that we should be aware of the “preventive nature” of implementing environmental strategies in processes. “If we do it in a factory—which already seems quite normal to us—we should also bring it to the service sector,” she says. “It is a job that requires a lot of consciousness, a lot of awareness,” she says. “The time we're living in is pushing us in that direction,” she adds.

The industry's major names usually act as drivers for trends. This is true of the type of content that is produced, how we watch that content, and even business decisions. In terms of sustainability, the giants are already talking about promises to decarbonize and to make changes in how things are done.

Objective: decarbonize the audiovisual industry

In 2021, Netflix set the goal of halving its carbon emissions by 2030. In 2022, they undertook to offset the remaining emissions with natural solutions. “Three years later, we are on our way to fulfilling both goals,” says Emma Stewart, sustainability manager of the streaming giant, in line with the presentation of their latest annual report, the 2023 Environment, Social & Governance Report.

The three main lines they are working on are showing sustainability on screen (content also has an impact: they say that 90% of productions already feature electric vehicles on screen), reducing the emissions generated by their offices and studios, and decarbonizing their productions.

Right now, their emissions pie is divided into 61% corporate, 35% production, and 5% streaming (compared to 38%, 59%, and 3% respectively, in 2022). These data are influenced, however—as the company itself notes in the report—by the effects of industry strikes on filming in the US, Canada, and the UK. If recording is stopped, related emissions will obviously fall.

Making film shoots green and more environmentally friendly goes beyond eliminating disposable cups from catering. Gutiérrez talks about “implementing a series of measures within production” to lower its footprint. Things are done in pre- and post-production, she explains, but the bulk of the work is in the production itself. In other words, when the cameras turn on and the next episode of your favorite series is filmed.

Film greener

Of course, she confirms, minimizing plastics is important, but that’s not the only thing. The list includes reusing products, controlling emissions, and the impact of the activity on resource consumption, among others. Something as simple as changing the type of energy used or using only hybrid or electric vehicles already allows for greater sustainable efficiency, the expert notes.

Those are some of the measures that Netflix takes, referring back to the data from their study and returning to that green “secret” of Lady Whistledown. Replacing diesel generators with ones powered by clean energy, such as hydrogen, helps eliminate emissions. In the last season of Bridgerton, they tested out powering trailers and work trucks with hydrogen. In addition to Bridgerton, they have also done so on the sets for the last season of Lupin and The Diplomat.

In The Decameron, which premieres in July, the “base camp” used batteries to store solar energy. Solar is also the key to achieving the use of clean energy at its new studios in Alburquerque, United States, where they also manage heating and cooling with geothermal systems to reduce the buildings’ footprint.

Green efficiency does not end with energy, no matter who is filming. “We also talk about issues such as accommodation, which is important because when we do a shoot, a lot of people have to travel,” adds Gutiérrez. They prioritize searching for accommodations with responsible policies, locating them near the workplace to reduce travel or, if necessary, using public or collective transportation.

“There are endless tasks and measures associated with production that make it more or less sustainable,” summarizes the expert. Their accounts also include social and governance aspects. TÜV SÜD’s seal does not measure it yet, but they are working on it.

The change is underway. When asked if there is interest, she answers, “yes, there is an undeniable growth.” In Spain, the calls for proposals from the Institute of Cinematography and Audiovisual Arts (ICAA)—and the requirements they demand—have an important effect on promoting change.