Sustainable Screens Australia partners UK collective albert on climate change action

Emerging screen industry-led group Sustainable Screens Australia (SSA) has been bolstered by new funding and a global partnership with UK-based screen sustainability collective albert.

Maree Cochrane

SSA, which soft-launched late last year, aims to address the need to reduce the Australian screen sector’s environmental impact and providing solutions to manage the change.

The group appointed seasoned media executive Maree Cochrane as its inaugural executive director in April.

Cochrane has a background in production, working with the BBC, Endemol Shine and the London Film Festival and innovation via work at RMIT. Most recently she was a strategic leader at digital learning provider Innovation Network.

“I’m thrilled to be joining the ranks of passionate women behind Sustainable Screens Australia. Returning to an industry I know and love to help it shift in thinking and practice is a dream role – one I wouldn’t have without an incredible industry-led collective,” she said.

Cochrane has finalised the partnership deal with BAFTA-owned albert, which will enable SSA to create and adapt tools, resources and training to build the local industry’s capacity to measure and reduce environmental impact. The partnership is the first of its kind to be rolled out internationally by albert.

The group has received fresh funding from Screen Australia and seed funding from Minderoo Pictures, in addition to adding ITV Studios Australia, Nine, Stan, Lingo Pictures, Lune Media and the National Film and Sound Archive as foundational members.

Other early industry backers include Paramount +, BBC Studios Australia, Cordell Jigsaw, Shark Island and Film Art Media and official partners Screen NSW, Screen Tasmania and ScreenVic.

SSA will officially launch on June 13 as part of the Sydney Film Festival.