Torbjörn Olofsson, Global Head of Sustainability

Sorry, but if the film industry cancels a few flights and starts throwing garbage in the right bin, it doesn’t mean a thing. As long as the industry recoils from true actions nothing will change. We have the knowledge and we have the technology. What is missing is the courage.

The film and advertising industry have woken up from an inexplicably deep sleep. It's almost like sustainability applies to everyone but us. After all, we only do what the clients ask us to do, right? Now the entire industry has realised that we have our own responsibility.

It turns out that our clients often have a much better understanding of sustainability than we do. Many of them already have a mature process and closely follow the changes in key indicators within sustainability. The problem is rather the gap between the production companies and their clients.

Many strategic agencies have learned to manage the dialogue and come up with ideas that also capture their clients’ view on sustainability. But when the assignment rolls into production, those aspects are often lost.

What remains is a price-pressured process. Or a demand for shooting the film at sun-dappled beaches, preferably with an unjustified number of participants. It’s here the lack of courage arises. How do we get everyone involved to realise that there are better and more efficient ways to solve the production? Ways that are much more sustainable.

Maybe it's time to skip the whole circus of travel to warm regions and invest in virtual production instead? It doesn't need to be more expensive, especially if the material and equipment can be reused. The technology is in place, the will to try—not quite.

Abandon the luxury formats. Think modular and build the communication from the smallest units upwards. It provides maximum flexibility and significantly more bang for your buck.

Invest in sustainable production. Not sorting individual banana peels, but the entire process - from pre-production to post-production. And make sure that everyone involved is on board.

These are just a few examples of changed behaviour that makes a real difference. But this requires courage from both the client and agency. It's not business as usual, it's a new way of thinking and taking actions.

As Winston Churchill said, “fear is a reaction. Courage is a decision.”