Sustainability On‑screen in Practice
Practical tools to help you integrate ecological themes and environmental responsibility into film and TV content.
Sustainability on-screen in practice presents tools, guides, and research bases that film and TV professionals can use when integrating ecological themes into content. Both Finnish and international materials provide guidance for creating more sustainable fictional and factual content, and help address ecological aspects from small details to larger structures. The materials also clarify how sustainability on-screen can influence the audiences and viewers, while contributing to the sustainability of the entire production process.
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Guides
These guides provide concrete tips for creating more ecological scripts and integrating eco-content naturally.
albert (UK)
Telling Climate Stories Pocket Guide, 2023
Planet Placement Guide, 2019BBC (UK)
BIT (UK)
The Power of TV: Nudging Viewers to Decarbonise their Lifestyles, 2021
Climate Spring (UK)
A Storytelling Guide from Dystopia to Regenerative Futures, 2024
Futerra (UK+US)
Stories to Save the World, 2023
Good Energy (US)
A Playbook for Screenwriting in the Age of Climate Change, 2022
SAIL (UK)
From Imagination to Action, 2024
Screens of Tomorrow (FRA)
The Writing Questionnaire, 2023
Muut
Astikainen & Puolanne (Suomi): Ekosetti – a guidebook to sustainable production in Finland, 2019
Channel4 (UK): On-Screen Sustainability Tracking Climate Content, 2025
Doc Society (international): The Impact Field Guide & Toolkit, 2019
Habits of Waste (US): Easy Swaps for Sustainable Scenes
Harmony Labs (US): How to Reach New Climate Audiences
Hollywood Climate Summit (US): Climate Storytelling Prompts & Pitfalls
RARE (US): Scripting the Change, 2023
ROC + RARE (US): Climate Storytelling tip sheet
Sustainable Entertainment Alliance (international): Sustainability Onscreen Tipsheet, 2023
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Tools and research banks
The tools help to examine different ecological choices on-screen from your own role, e.g. through interactive surveys. The research banks include a wide range of international sources.
albert (UK): Editorial Tool
Green Storytelling Initiative (DE): Green Storytelling Checklist, 2024
Screens of Tomorrow (UK): the Planet Test
EMA (US): EMA Green Seal (especially Greening Plotlines & Characters)
Sustainable Entertainment Alliance (international): Climate on Screen – research
Sustainable Entertainment Alliance (international): Sustainability on Screen: A Research Database
Climate Fiction Writers League (international): homepage
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Showreels
Showreels present moments demonstrating how eco-content can be showcased in different genres.
APFI (FI): Sustainability on-screen in Finland 2025
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albert (UK): Climate Content Showreel, 2024
Netflix (US): Sustainability on the Slate, 2023
RARE (US): Climate Clips Archive
Sustainable Entertainment Alliance (WW): Climate on Screen, 2024
This page has been compiled in APFI’s ”The Green Transition of the AV Industry in Finland” project (2024–2025), which included two studies on eco-content in films and television, as well as the production of additional related materials. The project was funded by NextGenerationEU from the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture’s Structural Support for the Renewal of the Cultural and Creative Sectors.