Sustainable programme making at the BBC and beyond

Sometimes programmes change the world when they are broadcast. Unfortunately, all programmes change the world during the course of production, because of the negative impact programme making has on the environment.



Making programmes requires energy to light studios, power catering trucks, fuel vehicles etc, and consuming energy usually creates carbon emissions which the overwhelming majority of climate scientists believe are heating up our planet. Not good.



Then there’s the waste. Last week’s scripts, that old set, unwanted costumes, the food, plates and cups needed to feed the cast and crew on location. All usually heading for landfill when production is over. Until now.



Over the past year we’ve been looking at what it would take to make programme production more “sustainable”. In a perfect world, a sustainable production would leave the world a better place than it found it. In reality, we want to do everything we possibly can to minimise our environmental impact - burn less energy, use less stuff, throw less away.



That’s a tall order for any programme maker, on top of all the other demands the production process puts on them, so we’ve done some things to make it easier for them.



For starters, we've built Albert, the world’s first carbon calculator specifically for programme production. It’s called Albert for no particular reason, it's easy to use, and shows production teams their carbon impact and where they can put in the most effort to reduce it. We've been piloting Albert in recent months and in future, all programmes made by BBC Vision Productions will now have to use him/it.



My colleague, Richard Smith, has also written a guide on how to make productions more sustainable, stuffed with tips on how to make things better. For example, low-energy lighting could lead to big cuts in the amount of energy we use in studios, whilst solar-powered generators will one day replace the noise, smell and rising cost of diesel on location. And from cameras to cutlery, we’ll be working with our suppliers to ensure that they share our values – so the next time a production books a caterer, hopefully they’ll know the polystyrene cups have to stay at home.



This is all happening right now in Vision Productions. Dragons’ Den was lit by a solar-powered generator earlier this year. The award winning drama, Five Daughters, banned disposable plates on location and saved money on waste disposal. Casualty plans to switch to low-energy lighting when they move to the new drama village in Wales next year. Our colleagues in the Nations, English Regions, Children’s and Audio & Music are also on board with piloting the calculator. Next year we hope to share Albert with the rest of the UK broadcasting industry, because this is an issue for everyone, not just the BBC.



Ultimately we want every programme made by the BBC to be as sustainable as it can be. There are challenges everywhere. The main one is cost and sustainability doesn’t come with a blank cheque. We have a duty to spend the licence fee wisely and teams will have to make tough decisions as to when the green option is or isn’t worth it.



And this can’t get in the way of creativity. So what to do when a show has an ambitious but do-able idea that’ll make their carbon footprint grow not shrink? My best guess is to go with the idea but pedal hard to make reductions elsewhere.



Sustainability is already business-as-usual in many industries, but it’s new in ours and as early adopters, we will face the biggest hurdles. We certainly don't have all the answers, but then again, nor does anyone else, and where we get it right the environment wins big.



Ultimately I believe that sustainable production can and will become commonplace because the only alternative is un-sustainable production – and that’s not an option for our business, our audiences or the planet.



Patrick Younge is Chief Creative Officer, BBC Vision Productions

• Press release - BBC launches UK's first carbon calculator for television.

• Alec McGivan, Head of BBC Outreach, has also blogged today about why the BBC is launching a new sustainability strategy.
  
  

• Read Alec McGivan's previous blog about the BBC's annualCorporate Responsibility Report and the accompanying Press Release.
  
  

• More about the BBC's commitment to working with partners.