Lights, Camera, Low-Carbon Action!
Every blockbuster has a dirty secret. It's not even the on-screen drama - it's what's happening behind the scenes. Here's what's fuelling the film industry.
One filming day can exceed the annual carbon footprint of a typical person.
One hour of filming rivals a return flight from London to New York.
Where Diesel Hides on a Set
Walk onto any major location shoot and you'll find diesel doing the heavy lifting - quietly, constantly and at massive scale.
Carbon Emissions from Film & TV Production
The Sustainable Production Alliance (SPA), a consortium including Amazon Studios, Disney, Netflix, Sony Pictures and NBCUniversal, analysed member company productions and found the average carbon footprint of 3,370 metric tonnes from tentpole productions. The largest contributing factor being fuel consumption with transport and generators alone accounted for roughly 65% of a production's carbon footprint.
Average Emissions per Feature Film. Source: Carbon Emissions of Film & TV Production (SPA 2021)
Why Does HVO Flip the Script?
HVO (Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil), also called Renewable Diesel, is made from waste feedstocks: used cooking oil, waste animal fats, and agricultural residues. It's not biodiesel. It's a true paraffinic drop-in: same specification as fossil diesel, same engine, same performance.
So what’s the difference? A drastically reduced emissions profile and a much healthier working environment.
- High lifecycle CO₂
- Significant particulate matter
- NOx & SOx emissions
- Community noise & fumes
- Reliance on crude oil supply
- Volatile pricing
- Up to 90% less CO₂
- Up to 40% less particulate matter
- Near zero sulphur content
- Can be used at 100% purity without loss of performance
- Same engine, zero modifications
- ISCC certified sustainability
More Information comparing HVO and Fossil Diesel:
Who is Already Committed to Change
The BBC, ITV, Channel 4, Sky, Netflix, Fremantle and Universal International Studios have all signed a joint Statement of Intent to phase out fossil fuel generators in production by 2030, supported by BAFTA albert's SPARK: Clean Temporary Power by 2030 roadmap.
Netflix and Disney co-founded the Clean Mobile Power Initiative with nonprofit RMI - an accelerator testing battery, hydrogen and hybrid solar systems on active productions. HVO is named as the critical bridge technology while longer-term alternatives scale up.
In Australia, Sustainable Screens Australia (SSA) was founded to change the climate of screen production in Australia through collaboration, education, tools and resources. Partnered with BAFTA albert, SSA has localised the world-leading carbon calculator for the Australian market and in 2025 launched the country's first Sustainability Supervisor training program, backed by Netflix and Screen Australia. Its founding members represent the full breadth of the Australian industry.
Real Productions, Real Results
These are real productions, real numbers and real results from local and international productions championing HVO, renewable diesel and sustainability in film and TV production.