A film set can be a chaotic and crowded place, and when it’s time to literally get this show on the road, a lot of skilled professionals are needed to make sure the whole team (and their gear) is where they need to be when they need to be. Media Flights, a UK-based travel management company, specializes in providing expert travel services to clients in the media sector, encompassing TV, film, entertainment, production, and broadcasting industries. If everything goes according to plan, we will never know about the herculean efforts that took place behind the scenes when we watch our favorite shows or movies, but as Media Flights can attest, a lot of work goes into moving these crews from one place to another. And wherever there is travel, there is an opportunity to travel sustainably.
Earlier this year, Media Flights teamed up with us to reach their sustainability goals and help their end users to achieve theirs, specifically through achieving Albert Sustainable Supplier status (more on this later). This would involve mapping their largest areas of environmental impact, creating a forward-thinking environmental policy, and developing and implementing decarbonization strategies.
So, How Exactly Did Thrust Carbon Help?
The sustainability experts at Thrust Carbon conducted an emissions scoping exercise with Media Flights, in accordance with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, to identify their most significant sources of impact. This exercise revealed that Scope 3.11 - the Use of Sold Products, specifically flights sold to the media industry - was their most substantial emissions source. We also identified significant environmental impacts in Scope 3.7, which pertains to employee commuting, and Scope 3.8, which addresses upstream leased assets from Media Flights' coworking space. With all the major sources identified, the stage was set for us to take the next step: developing an environmental policy that was tailored specifically to MediaFlights. We made the following recommendations:
- Scope 3.11: To reduce emissions from sold products, Media Flights needed to devise a sustainable procurement approach, an area in which we are well-positioned to help as experts in sustainable travel. We ensured that each Media Flights travel proposal includes and highlights a more sustainable option, featuring airlines that are early adopters of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and hotels committed to various sustainability initiatives, such as setting net-zero targets, using renewable energy, and reducing single-use plastics. This initiative builds on the knowledge from our Thrust Carbon Hotel Sustainability Index (TC-HSI) experts. We also collaborated on a Thrust Shop which was integrated into the booking flow, allowing Media Flights customers to easily measure and offset their emissions with quality offset projects.
- Scope 3.8: To mitigate emissions from their office space, Media Flights chose to co-work in a space that ran on 100% renewable energy and is committed to net-zero emissions by 2030 in alignment with Science Based Targets Initiative (SBTI).
- Scope 3.7: To reduce commuting emissions and promote work-life balance, Media Flights adopted a hybrid work model of three days in the office. On office days employees are encouraged to walk or take public transportation and to car share if not possible. This is supported by scientific research, which shows that by switching one daily car commute to walking or cycling can save half a tonne of carbon dioxide a year.
The Results
The project yielded great results, landing Media Flights a spot in the Sustainable Suppliers directory by Albert. Albert is the leading screen industry organization for environmental sustainability, supporting productions and suppliers to achieve their net zero targets. Albert is a spinout of BAFTA, which is best known for its prestigious BAFTA Award, but what you may not know is that it is also one of Britain’s oldest independent arts charities. We love to see that sustainability is a major part of their mission! Next time you’re watching your favorite TV show, keep watching through the credits; you may see Albert's Sustainable Production certification featured in the credits. This certification represents the production’s commitment to reducing the environmental impact of film and TV production and promoting a sustainable future for the industry.
It’s a tough job to organize travel for the entertainment industry, and we were impressed by the expertise of Media Flights in bringing order to the chaos. By joining forces with us, they were able to lean on our expertise in meeting critical sustainability goals while they focused on what they do best: making sure that the show goes on. Together, we have come one step closer to making travel effortlessly green for Media Flights' clients and the TV industry as a whole through tailored education and targeted collective action.
Interested in decarbonizing your businesses travel emissions? Get in touch at hello@thrustcarbon.com, and our experts would be happy to advise.
