INTRODUCTION

In this section of our website, you will find a variety of resources that can help you apply sustainability principles to your productions.

You can start by directly consulting our company directory to search for suppliers that offer services in a sustainable manner.

The Barcelona Film Commission and the Catalunya Film Commission are committed to sustainability in audiovisual productions and have been working for years to make this goal easier to achieve in film shoots. For this reason, we are dedicating more and more effort and resources to supporting production companies in the implementation of more responsible practices and actions in the shoots taking place in the city of Barcelona and throughout Catalonia.

We firmly believe in the potential of making the audiovisual sector more sustainable — environmentally, socially, and economically. For this reason, we encourage all productions to develop strategies and implement measures in this field, helping us respond to the rapid evolution of sector policies while tackling the current climate crisis and improving our quality of life.

Our Role in Relation to the SDGs: 

Given the cross-cutting nature of the sectors involved in film productions — such as energy consumption, mobility, waste management, diversity and equal opportunities, the use of materials and water, among others — many different stakeholders are directly or indirectly connected to the work of the Barcelona and Catalunya Film Commissions.

For this reason, there are several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to which we contribute, but we particularly highlight the following in a broader sense:

TOOLS AND RESOURCES

• GUIDES AND DECALOGUES OF THE BARCELONA AND CATALUNYA FILM COMMISSIONS

As a free resource, both institutions offer on this page the Guide to Good Practices in Audiovisual Production in the City of Barcelona and the Guide for the Incorporation of Sustainability Criteria in Filming and Shoots, aimed at all productions taking place throughout Catalonia.

• Guide to Good Practice in Audiovisual Production by the Barcelona Film Commission
• Decalogue of Good Practice for Audiovisual Production by the Barcelona Film Commission
• Guide to implementing sustainability criteria in filming and film shoots by Catalunya Film Commission

The guides outline and detail the criteria that the city of Barcelona and the rest of Catalonia wish production companies to apply in their film shoots, in order to work in a more sustainable way from both an environmental and social perspective. The guide summarizes the most relevant key topics:

• The consumption of materials, energy, and water
• Waste generation
• Mobility
• Atmospheric emissions
• Noise
• Promotion of the local economy
• Diversity and equal opportunities
• Relationship with the community

The guide from the Catalunya Film Commission also expands on the criteria aligned with the European Green Film certification system and includes specific references to film shoots and productions carried out in natural and agricultural environments.

Additionally, the guide includes a self-assessment questionnaire that helps track the application of sustainability criteria throughout the production process.

Discover other tools and resources to film in a sustainable way in Catalonia in this landing page: GREEN FILMING IN CATALONIA.

• SUSTAINABILITY SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST FOR PRODUCTIONS 
  

  

Every production is different and has its own needs, but all can apply good practices to move toward a more responsible shoot. This checklist (available in Catalan, Spanish, and English), inspired by the guides of the Barcelona Film Commission and the Catalunya Film Commission, allows you to select the sustainability measures you want to implement, organized by area of action, track their progress during the production and review, at the end of the project, which measures were ultimately implemented.

It is a practical tool for generating ideas, setting commitments, and seeing the positive impact of your production.

SELF-ASSESSMENT CHECKLIST

• POSTERS FOR THE FILM SET

During shoots, many measures can be taken to ensure proper waste management and encourage more sustainable practices among all participants.

Here you will find various informative and motivating posters that you can download, print, and place on your set to inform all personnel.

TIP: IF YOU PRINT THEM, LAMINATE AND REUSE THEM FOR OTHER PROJECTS!

WASTE:

• PLASTIC
• PAPER AND CARDBOARD
• ORGANIC
• GLASS

*These informative posters show the most common types of waste generated during a shoot, but each production uses different materials and produces its own waste. Adapt the poster to the types of waste you expect to generate (you can cross out items, add new ones, etc.).

OTHER:

• NO SMOKING — SMOKE-FREE SHOOT
• FILL WATER BOTTLES AT THE WATER FOUNTAINS
• BRING YOUR OWN BOTTLE TO THE SHOOT
• REMEMBER TO TURN OFF THE LIGHTS BEFORE LEAVING
• SILENCE — WE ARE SHARING THIS SPACE WITH NATURE AND ITS ANIMALS

• PREVENTING FOOD WASTE 
  

  

On an audiovisual shoot, many people are often involved, and long working days are common. This means preparing large amounts of food to meet the needs of the entire crew. However, lack of planning, schedule changes, scene cancellations, or logistical requirements often lead to leftover food. For this reason, careful planning of catering services is essential to prevent food waste.

This infographic provides practical tips, ideas, and resources for effective food waste management:

FOOD WASTE ON SET INFOGRAPHIC

• TRAVELING SUSTAINABLY 
  

  

When productions need to travel off-site, it is crucial to minimize the environmental and social impact of those trips. Adopting responsible habits before and during travel helps reduce emissions, save resources, and create a more positive footprint in the places we visit.

This infographic provides practical tips for traveling more sustainably:

TRAVEL SUSTAINABLY INFOGRAPHIC

If you would like to personalize it with your logo, simply send it to us at filmcommission6@bcn.cat and we will adapt it in Catalan, Spanish, and English so you can share it with your entire team before traveling.

NEWS 

Do you want to stay up to date with what’s happening in the audiovisual world in Barcelona and Catalonia regarding sustainability? Here you will find news connecting the audiovisual sector with sustainability from different perspectives, such as equality and diversity, the environment, professional support services, as well as interviews, training opportunities, and notable events… A dynamic space to discover projects that responsibly transform and enrich the cultural and audiovisual sector.

Check the link HERE.

You can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter to receive all updates. The subscription option is located at the bottom right of the homepage.

DICTIONARY 

This AUDIOVISUAL SUSTAINABILITY DICTIONARY is a collection of key concepts and terms related to environmental, social, and economic sustainability within the audiovisual sector, designed to help you better understand what it means to produce and consume audiovisual content responsibly.

• Sustainability Seal, Badge, or Certificate in the Audiovisual World: An official recognition certifying that an audiovisual production has followed sustainable and eco-friendly practices throughout its process. It also serves to give visibility and recognition to the production’s sustainability commitment before the public and institutions.
• Sustainable Production: Production practices that minimize environmental and social impact while ensuring the economic viability of the project. This includes measures such as reducing natural resource use, lowering carbon emissions, efficient waste management, social responsibility, and optimizing economic resources to ensure project continuity.
• Responsible Consumption in a Production: Conscious choices of products, services, and consumption habits that reduce environmental and social impact, both in audiovisual production (local suppliers, recycled materials, renewable energy) and in the consumption of content.
• Carbon Footprint of a Production: A standardized measure of the total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions generated by audiovisual project activities, covering pre-production, shooting, and post-production, including transport, energy, materials, and waste.
• Carbon Footprint Compensation: Economic investment to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated by an audiovisual project, for example by investing in reforestation projects, renewable energy, or other initiatives that reduce or capture CO₂. This does not replace emission reduction but complements it.
• Carbon-Neutral Productions: Productions that achieve a net-zero balance of greenhouse gas emissions through reduction and compensation measures, so that emitted emissions are equivalent to those absorbed or offset.
• Environmental Education: Initiatives to raise awareness among the production team and the audience about the importance of sustainability and ecological practices.
• Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): The voluntary commitment of audiovisual production companies to integrate environmental, social, and economic criteria into their activities, beyond immediate profit, contributing to societal well-being and sustainable development.
• Climate Change: Global climate alteration caused by natural factors and human activity, such as greenhouse gas emissions, leading to global warming and significant environmental impacts with direct effects on biodiversity, ecosystems, and human communities.

CONTACT US!!!

For any inquiries, you can get in touch with the Sustainability Officer of the Barcelona Film Commission.