Screen Cornwall is committed to embedding sustainable practice across all production activity across the region.
Cornwall’s landscapes, coastline, marine environments, and diverse habitats are central to its creative identity, and protecting these assets is essential to maintaining a resilient, future-focused production environment.
The film and television industry is responsible for causing significant environmental damage, with a single tentpole production generating an average of 2,840 tonnes of CO2e, equivalent to the amount absorbed by 3,709 acres of forest in a year.
Transport accounts for approximately 51% of carbon emissions, mains electricity and gas use for 34%, and diesel generators for 15% (albert, a screen new deal). Traditionally, our industry has operated in a way that often overlooks its environmental impact, resulting in a significant amount of waste and resource consumption.
A greener future for the sector isn’t just a goal, it’s already in motion. Driven by screen body-backed initiatives like A Screen New Deal. Productions are currently pivoting toward a zero-carbon, zero-waste models as a standard practice rather than an exception. Crucially, this transition is supported by commissioning changes that mandate Power Management planning. Tracking and carbon calculating is evolving, shifting the momentum, placing a fresh enthusiasm on production planning to proactively identify and reduce environmental impact.
In 2025, we partnered with Leverage Point Entertainment, a leading sustainability agency for the film, TV, and advertising sectors.
This collaboration has allowed us to integrate the latest industry best practices and embed them directly into our workflow. Recognising the growing demand for these skills, we now use these insights to help our production partners navigate future developments, providing clear, practical guidance on how to implement sustainable practices from day one. Our full policy can be read here:
To deliver these insights locally, we hosted a three-day intensive workshop for our regional line producers, location managers, and production coordinators, alongside Falmouth University and Screen Devon. This group exercise proved invaluable, fostering the collaborative dialogue needed to future-proof our local knowledge base. By upskilling in critical areas including ecology, power management, carbon calculation, and climate storytelling.
In November 2025 we launched an Equity Production Investment Initiative to support high-end TV and film shooting in the region, making a dedicated sustainability co-ordinator intrinsic to the criteria.
We believe that by building a stronger foundation for the local sector, we ensure our local talent is equipped with the practical expertise to support production partners as the industry continues to adapt and evolve.
Screen Cornwall is dedicated to translating this expertise into long-term action. We offer practical guidance on sustainability standards while connecting partners with the local resources and suppliers needed to achieve them.
As a regional agency, we hold ourselves accountable to the highest operational standards, using our platform to facilitate continuous learning and communication across the sector. We welcome ongoing collaboration and feedback to ensure our regional support remains at the forefront of sustainable production.
Whether you’re planning an independent feature, short film or documentary, the BFI Independent Film Sustainability Handbook offers practical guidance on reducing environmental impact throughout production, from pre-production planning to post.
Working with Leverage Point, we created a “handshake” document outlining what we, our partners and individuals working in the sector can do:
To read about Screen Cornwall’s wider sustainability policy, CLICK HERE
