Written by Kianna Best on Feb 3, 2023. Posted in General Interest

CAP plants trees to promote environmentally conscious productions

With 22,000 trees planted in the UK over the last 10 years and 12,869 planted in 2022 alone, CAP are working towards reinvesting into the land and contributing to holistic solution to an oversaturation of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The Location Guide spoke with CAP founder Algy Sloane on the intricacies of environmental consciousness in the production industry.

 

In 2020 it was reported that the average generated an estimated 500 tonnes of CO2 which the equivalent of running 108 cars for a year. Although many steps have been taken to rectifying this. carbon emissions still remain a major concern on film production sets, from the use of equipment to the running of vehicles and many other things in between. Amongst the number of initiatives and technologies aiming to create a shift in the amount of carbon dioxide emitted through production process, Carbon Aware Productions (CAP) are bringing it back to nature with their tree planting programme and Green CAP Guardians arranging all things green on set and on location.

 

 

Why is CAP an important presence in advocating for more environmentally conscious sets?

I am first and foremost a Supervising Location Manager - however my university degree was in  Environmental Management. When I first started Location Scouting in 1999 I was always aware of how dependant filming was on travel and power.  I spent several years trying to see how I could make productions aware of their carbon footprint.  I came up with the idea of making productions carbon aware by calculating their carbon footprint on productions through travel to location and power consumed on a filming day, then acknowledging those emissions by   planting trees in the UK.

 

 

What is a misconception that you think people have when it comes to environmentally conscious production practices?

Productions love the idea of making their productions environmentally sound but as the production demands get closer to the shooting date the green practises get pushed aside.  When first starting out with the idea of planting trees productions were more concerned spending money on coffee deliveries on the morning of the shoot then donating a small amount to planting trees.

 

 

Whilst there are some initiatives already aiming to tackle the climate crisis and the production world’s presence in that, what more do you think needs to be done to establish some immediacy in tackling the issues?

Productions need to try and action green initiatives from the outset of pre-production.  There are many alternative methods to the production process, we need to rethink, shake it up as it is always hard to change the traditional system.  If the system did change then I believe it could be far more efficient and cost less as there is so much waste in production.

 

 

For those who want to adopt a more environmentally conscious way of production, what are some small steps you would suggest to get started?

 

The best thing you can do is make green decision making the first thing you think about when starting your production, not the last.  When looking for crew, think local first. When you’re thinking about locations, think local first.  When you’re thinking caterers, make are they’re as green as they can be! Every business in the country is going to have to prove they are zero carbon over the coming years, get ahead and start doing it now. It will put your production ahead of others. And it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice all the things you want to make the shoot great.

 

 

CAP has worked with a number of companies who have contributed significant donations to the replanting of trees. In 2022 alone Stink Films, Merman, Iconoclast and Scout Productions planted a total of 2704 trees, with Fabio Mayer donating a GBP 500 Christmas donation, HETV Left Bank Pictures pledging a large donation for their production and Biscuit films continuing to donate for every production they do.

 

 

Images courtesy of Carbon Aware Productions