Environmental impact study
An assessment of the day-to-day operations of the Eurimages Fund
Introduction
Eurimages, the Council of Europe's fund for cooperation in the field of cinema, has commissioned a study to evaluate the environmental impact of its functioning and make proposals to reduce the impact of changes in its working methods and practices.
Reduction of environmental impact is now clearly stated as an objective in the Fund’s statutory text. High-level commitment to this goal is reflected in the Board of Management’s decision in 2018 to form a Study Group and in 2021 to engage an external consultant.
This study puts Eurimage’s commitment into action by taking a key initial next step of measuring the Fund’s current environmental impact using globally comparable, data-backed and science-based methodologies.
Measurement is critical - both to understand the overall scope of impact and to gain insight on the relative impact of different activities. Without measurement, people often underestimate the scale of environmental impacts and where the main impacts lie.
This environmental assessment aims to equip the Eurimages Fund to make informed decisions on designing an effective roadmap forward to improve its own environmental impact and take on a leadership role to drive sustainability across the film and cinema sector.
Methodology
This study undertakes a quantitative assessment of the Eurimages Fund's environmental impact, aligned with the GHG Protocol and best practices of the United Nations.
Measurements focus on 2019, selected as representative of "normal operations" prior to COVID restrictions. This assessment provides a "baseline" from which actions taken to improve impact can be measured and compared.
The study also offers detailed analyses that showcase the impact of environmentally-friendly choices made to date and assess scenarios to inform future improvements.
Activities Assessed
This assessment focuses on Eurimages' internal working methods and practices in three main areas:
- Organized stands, goodies and receptions at the Berlin, Cannes, and Venice Film Festivals;
- Attended several other film festivals and industry events;
- Offered sponsorships and awards to notable film talents.
- Organized 4 Board of Management meetings, 8 Evaluation Study Group meetings and several thematic working groups with participation from 40 Member States (including Argentina & the Russian Federation).
- Awarded 18.8 million € co-production support to 73 projects and managed repayments from past projects;
- Coordinated support programs for distribution, cinemas, promotions and communication, and gender equality.
Total GHG Emissions
in 2019
144
tCO2e
This is equivalent to:
650
return car trips from Strasbourg to Paris
20,000
steak dinners
5,500
smartphones
2
7.5
7
tCO2e
tCO2e*
tCO2e
per million € expenditure
per production supported
per Eurimages staff
* Average emissions for a French office worker is 3tCO2e per year
Assessment Results
Emissions by Category
Scope 1
0.34
0.2%
Office air conditioning
Scope 2
3.2
2.2%
Office electricity
Scope 3
141
97.6%
tCO2e
tCO2e
tCO2e
Travel, Purchases, Commuting, Teleworking
Key Findings:
- 96% of total emissions comes from purchased goods & services (68%), business travel (23%) & hotels (5.5%).
- Within purchased goods & services, most emissions come from festival stands & goodies, catering & receptions, and IT services & software subscriptions.
- < 4% of emissions (5 tCO2e) comes from activities related to office operations in the Agora Building in Strasbourg (electricity, cooling, commute, waste). While small, changes can make a significant impact if done in collaboration across the Council of Europe.
- Travel by representatives of member states to Governance Meetings are outside the scope of Eurimages' footprint - but have been estimated separately as generating 97 tCO2e.
Focus on Business Travel
Business Travel
tCO2e
33
9.6
kgCO2e/
100 km travelled
Scope 3
97.6%
tCO2e
141
159
trips
58
cities
350,000
total km travelled
Key Findings:
- Over 50% of emissions from Air Travel come from Missions and attendance at Film Festivals (other than Berlin, Cannes and Venice) - many of these flights are offered to Eurimages (paid for by partners).
- Every 100 km of business travel by Eurimages emits 9.6 kgCO2e on average. Trips to Venice and Cannes result in the highest emissions at 13-14 kgCO2e/100 km. Travel to Geneva and Berlin emit lower average emissions at 5.5-8 kgCO2e/100 km.
- Travel by regional trains in Europe can reduce emissions by 70% on average. Taking the TGV can reduce emissions by 98%.
Focus on Purchased Goods & Services
2019 Purchases
98
€ 527,000
tCO2e
2021 Purchases
104
€ 737,000
Key Findings:
- In 2019, emissions were mainly generated from experts, stands, ICT, catering/receptions and goodies.
- In 2021, the main emission source was ICT equipment and services, as well as KUDO virtual interpretation services. As digitalization processes continue, increasing attention will be needed to adopt Green IT practices.
tCO2e
Emissions by Activity Area
67
46%
Promotions, Missions & Festivals
tCO2e
30
21%
Governance Meetings
tCO2e*
47
33%
Programs & Administration
tCO2e
Note: Emissions from travel by representatives of member states are outside of Eurimage's footprint, estimated at 97 tCO2e in 2019.
Key Findings:
- The Top 5 Emission Sources in 2019 are:
- Air Travel (28 tCO2e)
- Festival Stands & Goodies (24 tCO2e)
- Catering & Receptions (19 tCO2e)
- IT & Software (14 tCO2e)
- Hotel Stays (8 tCO2e)
- Activities related to "Promotions, Missions & Festivals" generate the most emissions at 67 tCO2e. However, if travel by member states is accounted for, activities related to "Governance Meetings" results in 127 tCO2e.
- Other key GHG sources: train travel (4.2 tCO2e), electricity use (3.2 tCO2e), printing (2.3 tCO2e) and office supplies (1.6 tCO2e).
- The engagement of experts and interpreters results in an estimated 26 tCO2e, but few greening options exists for these services.
tCO2e
33%
Key Achievements to date
Eco-friendly stands & goodies
The Festivals team has preferentially purchased goodies that a) do not contain plastic, b) are sourced locally and c) are in reduced quantities.
A 5 -year framework agreement has been signed with a company committed to eco-friendly stand installations for the Cannes Film Festival.
Shift to hybrid & online meetings
Since the COVID restrictions in March 2020, all Governance meetings have been held in full online or hybrid mode. Board meetings have been reduced from four times to twice annually.
This shift saves an estimated 108 tCO2e of emissions annually from travel and hotel stays - 20 tCO2e per Board meeting and 5 tCO2e per Working Group meeting.
E-signature & digital records systems
The onset of COVID restrictions in 2020 also catalyzed the adoption of an e-signature system and digital records filing system.
Office printing reduced by 50% between 2019 and 2020 with 115,000 fewer pages printed. In addition, 0.6 tCO2e was saved due to shipping being eliminated for co-production agreements across Europe for signature.
Green facilities at the Agora Building
The Agora Building in Strasbourg has many eco-friendly aspects including:
- high-efficiency heat pumps for heating and cooling
- waste separation systems with reuse by industrial sectors
- 87% staff commuting by biking or walking
- biodiversity-friendly practices in landscaping and building design
- Green IT strategy under development
Based on the environmental impact study, eight key recommendations are made to improve the Eurimages Fund's environmental impact:
Operational recommendations
1. Minimize travel and prefer eco-friendly options
2. Develop a sustainable procurement commitment
3. Host sustainable events (catering, waste, water)
4. Continue to reduce paper consumption
5. Promote green IT practices
Strategic recommendations
6. Foster an eco-friendly workplace culture
7. Measure and manage environmental impact
8. Commit to reducing environmental impact
Recommendations
Council of Europe
Eurimages
Agora Building
Allée des Droits de l'Homme
F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex
+33 3 88 41 26 40 (switchboard)
eurimages@coe.int
Study completed by
