Animation carbon calculator Carbulator 3.5 officially launches in Europe

AnimFrance board members Hanna Mouchez and<br />Jean-Baptiste Wery at the Carbulator 3.5 launch

Version 3.5 of animation carbon calculator Carbulator has officially launched online in Europe.

Developed in France and approved by the Centre national du cinéma et de l’image animée (CNC), Carbulator measures an animation studio’s overall energy consumption and then accurately allocates it to the carbon footprint calculation of each production made within the studio.

It also provides studio directors with valuable indicators to optimise energy and resource use throughout the production process.

Carbulator is supported by the CNC’s Commission for Technical Resources Support, Procirep, Magelis and the SPI. Announced at Cartoon Forum last week, version 3.5 localisations are being developed with the support of Animation Ireland and Screen Ireland, as well as Wallimage in French-speaking Belgium.

Available in international English, the tool has been designed to be technically adaptable from the outset to the specific requirements of all 27 EU countries, allowing it to be localised for each territory.

Ireland and French-speaking Belgium will be the first two countries to receive localised versions of Carbulator 3.5, with rollout scheduled for early 2027. Expansion will target every European country with an active animation industry.

Earlier versions of Carbulator have been in operation since last year, during which time 300 accounts have been created and 230 carbon assessments have been completed across series, specials, feature films and shorts.

Access to Carbulator 3.5 will move to a paid licensing model from October, in order to ensure the long-term sustainability of the tool and support its future development.

The ambition is to enable the industry to harmonise its energy consumption calculation methods and eco-production management practices across Europe by 2030 at the latest.