Toolbox for Green Innovation
A Practical Guide for Film Professionals
Ecosystems / Ireland
Ireland
Strong policy integration: National climate laws (Climate Action Plan & Act) legally bind the screen sector to emissions cuts and carbon neutrality by 2050.
Screen Ireland leadership: Mandatory Sustainability Advisors, carbon reporting, and enforceable production standards on funded projects.
Broadcaster involvement: Major networks (RTÉ, TG4, Virgin Media) require green certification (Albert or similar) for supported productions.
1. Overview
This territory profile is based on interviews with and contributions from the Director of Strategic Policy at Screen Producers Ireland (SPI), Anthony Muldoon.
The Irish film industry is very export-oriented, given its transnational and globalized culture. Their co-production and tax credit scheme helps with bringing international productions to Ireland. Irish fiction and animation have issues competing with other markets for the viewership of their domestic audience in the cinema, but have gained festival recognition internationally. They produce around 20-25 feature fiction films per year.
The Irish film industry has promoted sustainable investing in recent years. Political incentives such as CAP23 have helped pave the way for important measures such as the national screen agency - Fís Éireann/Screen Ireland’s ‘Sustainability Standards: Live-Action production’. Generally, Ireland’s commitment to changing the industry towards a greener future is comparatively more systemic and widespread than other European countries, whilst also having a longer history of backing the cause, including dedicated coalitions like ScreenGreening.
2. National Guidelines for Sustainable Film Production
Since 2023, Screen Ireland has required that productions engage a sustainability advisor (manager/coordinator). They are also required to use an approved carbon calculator and report an “emissions reduction plan for production” as well as an “emissions reduction report for production”.
The Sustainability Standards: Live-action production is a comprehensive tool and guideline available and now also mandatory for live-action feature and TV-drama productions if they get funding through Screen Ireland.
“The Standards are split into ‘General’ and ‘Topic Specific’ (e.g., energy, emissions, transport, waste disposal), and the actions within them are divided into ‘required’ and ‘recommended’. Required actions represent the minimum environmental standards that all productions must adhere to, while recommended actions represent measures that we strongly encourage productions to take but that we understand may not always be possible in every circumstance.”
The “Standards” also include detailed information on recommended actions that live action crew departments are encouraged to implement in the areas of emissions reduction, the circular economy, and the carbon calculator. The “Standards” update annually, making some of the recommendations into requirements.
To help the industry accommodate these requirements, Screen Ireland is offering the support of a Sustainability Advisor to Screen Ireland-supported live action scripted features and TV drama projects.
Screen Ireland has also implemented the Sustainability Innovation Fund, which is a pilot scheme designed to promote the implementation of emissions reduction practices and accelerate the uptake of low-carbon technologies.
The national broadcaster of Ireland, RTÉ, is also responsible for acting as a leader and driver for sustainable change in the screen industry of Ireland. They published their Climate Action Plan 2023-2025, committing them to objectives and targets which is in line with the national goal of becoming carbon neutral in 2025. They achieved the ISO 50001 standard for energy management in 2021 and promote the Albert Sustainable Production Certification for the productions they support and have in-house. Likewise, Irish broadcasters TG4 and Virgin Media Television take similar approaches in line with the national Climate Plan goals.
The regional WRAP Fund published the report: Towards a sustainable and diverse audiovisual sector in the regions in 2022; however, their focus is rather on sustainability in terms of social and cultural prevalence for their counties rather than ecological sustainability.
3. Legislation
In December 2022, the Irish Government published the Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23). The CAP23 is a roadmap for achieving the emission reduction targets set down in the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021.
This builds the ground for Ireland’s goal to transition to a climate-neutral economy by 2050. CAP23 is a cross-sectoral initiative, and it legally commits different sectors to act in accordance with the goals set. Screen Ireland has taken this challenge seriously by systematically implementing initiatives in the film industry, whilst also demanding carbon reporting and change of practices for productions.
In addition to Screen Ireland’s Climate Action Plan, environmental sustainability is also embedded in Irish media legislation. The Online Media Safety and Regulation Act (2022), which established Coimisiún na Meán as Ireland’s media regulator, requires public service media and other audiovisual providers to promote sustainability in programming and practices. The regulator also administers the Sound and Vision Fund (c. €15M annually), which can prioritise sustainability-related content. It is envisaged in the future, sustainable production practices will be a requirement to receive funding from the Fund as well. Public Service Media are reviewed regularly with sustainability included as part of these assessments, whereas Screen Ireland sets its own climate targets independently.
4. Handbook
The national broadcaster of Ireland, RTÉ, promotes the Albert Sustainable Production Certificate which also includes a production handbook.
5. Green Consultants & Managers
Screen Ireland employs the title of an Inward Production and Sustainability Executive. This position is held by Michael Byrne as of December 2024.
More so, Screen Ireland provides live action scripted features and TV drama projects with the possibility of receiving funding directed at hiring a sustainability advisor on the production. The productions can get funding from €3,000-€5,000, depending on how long the production shoots in Ireland. The role of the sustainability advisor includes, but is not limited to:
Completing the carbon emissions report
Implementing a strategy for lowering emissions, waste management, energy use, recycling, and travel
Establishing dialogue with Head of Departments to align sustainability initiatives
6. Green Education
There are different ways of obtaining practical know-how on sustainable film production in Ireland. The National Talent Academies sporadically offer free sustainability courses available to crews working with sustainability in the screen industries. The content of the courses is to provide information on the role of the sustainability advisor for Irish productions and to teach best practices in relation to Screen Ireland’s Sustainability Advisor Initiative and the Sustainability Innovation Fund.
Screen Ireland and Trentino Green Film have also collaborated on educating the Irish screen industry on best practices for sustainability. In 2023, Green Film Lab was invited to conduct a 3-day workshop for film professionals to get a hands-on approach to making productions more sustainable.
7. Co-Production
Productions funded by Screen Ireland will have access to a Sustainability Advisor as well as the Sustainability Innovation Fund if the feature or TV-series has actual production days in Ireland.
8. Prospects & Plans
Screen Ireland aims to position Ireland as a leader in sustainable film and TV production. With the growing urgency of the climate and biodiversity crises, reducing emissions and moving toward a circular economy are increasingly important. Ireland has set ambitious climate goals, targeting a 51% cut in carbon emissions by 2030 and achieving climate neutrality by 2050, in line with global and EU commitments. Screen Ireland is dedicated to helping the screen industry contribute to these targets and is committed to supporting and encouraging the sector’s efforts. (Screen Ireland 2023)
Screen Ireland's requirements on the industry include a concrete action plan that could help reach Ireland's 2030 and 2050 carbon emission goals.
Foregoing the new production standards from Screen Ireland, the Irish film industry has also come together to create a coalition, ScreenGreening, which is committed to the cause of making the industry greener. The coalition includes TG4, RTE, Virgin Media Television, Screen Ireland, Screen Producers Ireland, and the BAI (Broadcasting Authority of Ireland).
9. Links
About Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment) Act 2021: https://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2021/act/32/section/15/enacted/en/html
Climate Action Plan 2023 (CAP23):
https://assets.gov.ie/243585/9942d689-2490-4ccf-9dc8-f50166bab0e7.pdf
About Green Links:
https://www.screenireland.ie/filming/sustainable-filmmaking/green-links
About ISO 50001:
https://www.iso.org/iso-50001-energy-management.html
About RTÈ Climate Action Plan 2023-2025:
https://about.rte.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/RTE-Climate-Action-Screen.pdf
About RTÈ and sustainability:
https://about.rte.ie/sustaining-rte/rte-and-sustainability/
About Sustainability Advisor Initiative for Film & TV- Pilot: https://www.screenireland.ie/funding/production-loans/new-sustainability-advisor-initiative-for-film-tv-production-pilot
About the Sustainability Innovation Fund:
https://www.screenireland.ie/funding/production-loans/sustainability-innovation-fund-pilot
About Sustainability Standards: Live-action production context: https://www.screenireland.ie/filming/sustainability-standards-live-action-production
About Sustainability Standards: Live-action production V1.4: https://www.screenireland.ie/images/uploads/general/V1.4_Sustainability_Standards_-_Live_Action_Production_-_08_.12.2023.pdf
About Sustainability Training:
https://www.nationaltalentacademies.ie/courses-activities-programmes/sustainability-advisor-training
About Sustainable Media Ireland: “Screen Ireland’s Sustainability Advisor Programme: Practical support to help production companies become more sustainable”:
About TG4 commits to sustainable practices:
https://www.tg4.ie/en/information/press/press-releases/2021-2/tg4-commits-to-sustainable-practices-with-introduction-of-mandatory-use-of-albert-carbon-calculator-on-all-productions/
About The Climate Action and Low Carbon Development (Amendment): https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/984d2-climate-action-and-low-carbon-development-amendment-bill-2020/
Trentino Green Film workshops in Ireland:
https://www.green.film/news/green-film-lab-in-ireland/
About Virgin Media Television:
https://www.virginmedia.ie/about-us/press/2021/virgin-medias-path-forward-sustainable-living/
About Albert and Production Handbook:
https://wearealbert.org/ + https://wearealbert.org/production-handbook/
About Michael Byrne:
http://linkedin.com/in/michael-byrne-161253132/?originalSubdomain=ie
About WRAP Fund Towards a sustainable and diverse audiovisual sector:
https://wrapfund.ie/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/Towards-a-sustainable-and-diverse-audiovisual-sector-1.pdf
WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM
