Barriers to Change

Time and money are universal barriers. Many barriers that producers will face in pursuing climate action are systemic and require dedicated collective action to break down.

Sometimes the creative vision or a project’s genre gets in the way. Good luck to the producer who wants to reduce travel on a travel show.

We call on producers and other industry interest-holders to prioritise collaboration and partnership to address the systemic barriers that stand in the way of building a net-zero industry, including:

Funding systems aren’t designed for climate change. For example, regional tax credits incentivize shooting further out from city centres, increasing fuel spends; the lack of financial incentives to adopt sustainable practices hold back adoption;
Lack of market prioritisation: many funders and buyers rank sustainability far below other priorities and don’t require sustainable production or climate content;
Commercial influence: Consumerism is a dominant force in our economy and media which is in direct conflict with sustainability values. Climate messages are vulnerable to the influence of commercial interests;
Lack of shared standards: Up to now sustainability has been approached in a fragmented manner, leading to a patchwork of solutions and compliance criteria facing producers. A single set of standards can help unify the industry under a single approach;
Workforce shortages: There is a shortage of experienced sustainability professionals knowledgeable in production processes and more training programs are needed to meet future labour needs;
Limited solutions and infrastructure: EV’s and associated infrastructure are a major challenge even in the filming centres of Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver. Infrastructure such as grid tie-in’s are not yet widely available. More support is needed to bring solutions to market that are practical, affordable and widely available;
Regional differences: Even on a warming planet, most areas in Canada deal with extreme cold which presents challenges to battery technology. Solutions need to be addressed for all regions of Canada.
Limited data: A harmonized approach to data collection across the industry is sorely needed. Good data helps producers benchmark their performance, and helps industry interest-holders to gauge progress and address barriers.
More-is-better culture: The culture of more-is-better in the motion picture industry works against sustainability efforts which call for using only what we need.
Lack of climate literacy: While awareness of climate change is growing, climate literacy (understanding of the science and solutions) is low. Climate literacy should be a priority for both inside and outside of our industry.

Together, we can build a resilient, net zero motion picture industry and move the world towards a more sustainable future.

Producing for the Planet is headquartered in British Columbia, Canada and we acknowledge that we operate on the unceded, traditional and ancestral territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh(Tsleil-Waututh), q̓ʷɑ:n̓ƛ̓ən̓ (Kwantlen), q̓ic̓əy̓ (Katzie), Máthxwi (Matsqui), and se'mya'me (Semiahmoo) Nations.

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Barriers to Change

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