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Albert launches carbon offset scheme

BBC series A Perfect Planet has been certified carbon-neutral

Albert, the UK body set up to help the screen industry tackle the climate emergency, has launched a scheme to enable productions to offset their carbon impact.

The organisation has started the Creative Offsets initiative ahead of making offsetting a mandatory part of achieving Albert certification in the UK from next year.

From 2021, any UK production that wants to achieve Albert certification and add the Albert credit to their production’s endboard will need to offset the remainder of their carbon footprint after first reducing it as much as possible.

ITV’s Dancing on Thin Ice with Torvill & Dean and the BBC’s A Perfect Planet are the first productions to be certified through the scheme as carbon-neutral, with ITV having committed to make all its programming carbon-neutral from next year.

Natural Capital Partners, which specialises in carbon neutrality and climate finance, is working with Albert to run the scheme, which is launching ahead of the roll-out of an updated, international version of Albert’s carbon calculator and certification toolkit.

The update will allow users to accurately measure their impact when filming outside of the UK, using enhanced reporting features to help identify carbon reduction opportunities.

Michelle Whitehead, project manager for Albert, said: “We searched far and wide to find the right offset scheme, one which we felt confident could deliver to the standard we required but which also went further, offsetting our industry’s carbon impact and, at the same time, delivering on the UN’s global goals for maximum impact.”

Roser Canela-Mas, Albert’s industry sustainability manager, added: “As an industry, our goal has to be net zero. The updated calculator and certification toolkit is part of a package of solutions we’re offering to the industry to help them achieve this. These tools, alongside our Creative Energy and Creative Offset schemes, will help our industry to achieve the UK’s target of net zero by 2050.”

Silverback Films’ Huw Cordey, series producer on A Perfect Planet, said: “Over the four years of production, across 86 shoots in 34 countries, we recorded all of our carbon usage: every flight and car journey, every hotel stay and edit suite – everything from generators to office waste disposal.

“By using the Albert calculator, we were able to very accurately measure our carbon footprint and reduce our impact as much as possible. And by using the Creative Offsets scheme, we were able to offset our remaining footprint in full.”

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