Great exchange of good practices on second steering group meeting in Brussels
In November, the Green Screen Steering Group met in Brussels for the second steering group meeting. We did not only discuss project management (project results, project planning, financial declaration), but also created a great opportunity for networking and sharing good practices in our joint mission to green the film industry in eight different European regions.
Our host, Flanders Audiovisual Fund (VAF), has come a long way on green production. Since 2013 they have encouraged all film and media productions to adopt sustainable practice with the support of a sustainability coordinator. The results are impressive: CO2 emissions from Flemish productions have been reduced from 83 tonnes in 2013 to 73 tonnes in 2016.
“I strive for common sense and encourage people to think before they act. To be aware of what impact your decisions have on the environment is a good start”, says Tim Wagendorp, sustainability coordinator at VAF.
According to Tim Wagendorp, transport accounts for as much as 40 percent of the CO2 emissions in an average film production. Here are some of his good suggestions for better practice:
- Strategic location choice to minimise long-distance travel
- Planning time schedules to minimise each person’s need to travel and enabling carpooling
- Creating opportunities for green transport choices:
- shuttle bus
- group transport
- rental bikes for short journeys
- rent eco-friendly vehicles
- hotel accomodation – staying on-site to reduce daily commuting
- Promote carpooling & use of public transport
- Leave trucks on site
Stakeholders workshop
Knowledge exchange plays an important role within the project: Green Screen project partners, Cine Regio members and regional stakeholders took part of the workshop. Based on the experience of VAF, we focused on material and waste management. The local stakeholders represented Flemish waste and material management and circular economy principles. They gave inspiring examples and strategies on circular economy.
The group also made a study visit to the reuse centre Kringwinkel outside Brussels, where film production companies can possibly save money when renting or buying props. This is a very practical solution that helps reduce waste.
Joint meeting with Cine-Regio
Following our two-day meeting, we held a joint discussion with the Green sub-group of Cine Regio, the European network of regional film funds www.cineregio.org. Some Green Screen partners are also members of Cine Regio. This partnership will be an important part of our wider dissemination of learning from the project. We shared key learning points from our work to date and planned future exchanges at the Berlinale and Cannes film festivals in 2018. 
