Lights, camera, emissions: Oslo’s art sector tackles carbon footprints

The Purpose

The cultural sector in Norway has a significant carbon footprint, necessitating a response to the climate emergency. The Norwegian Government is in the process of establishing a statutory requirement for cultural organisations to report and decrease their carbon emissions. A collaboration of art production entities has partnered with climate research specialists to create a unified carbon footprint calculator specifically designed for the sector.

The Challenge

Developing a carbon footprint calculator tailored for use by cultural organisations.

In 2020, the Green Producers Club was nominated for the Oslo Climate Prize.

The Solution

Launched in 2021, the Green Producers Tool is an interactive web-based application that enables arts event producers to comprehensively calculate their carbon footprint from the initial stages of production to completion, encompassing the impact of all involved entities. Additionally, the tool provides recommendations for reducing the calculated carbon footprint.

The scientific research underpinning the calculator is sourced from CICERO, Norway’s leading institute for interdisciplinary climate research, recognised globally in the field. The calculator’s development involved collaborating with the film production company Babusjka, the Norwegian Opera & Ballet, Øyafestival (one of Norway’s largest music festivals), and the TV production company Strix. The Norwegian Federation of Enterprises (Virke), a membership organisation for arts entities, will disseminate the tool’s results to a broader audience within the sector.

Importantly, the tool was designed by producers for producers, enabling flexibility across a diverse range of events, spanning film and TV to stage productions and festivals. The ambition of the Green Producers Tool is to become the industry standard for measuring emissions in the Norwegian and Nordic cultural sectors. Its creation also serves as a starting point for a communication campaign aimed at raising awareness within the industry about environmental impact.

The Green Producers Tool also offers transparency to the public. Cultural consumers can readily assess the climate impacts of the productions they enjoy and choose to avoid experiences with high carbon costs.

The tool will also inform Oslo’s city-wide strategy for events and festivals, to facilitate programs that are as environmentally and climate-friendly as possible. Arts organisations adopting the tool will gain a competitive advantage when applying for public funding, creating a virtuous cycle of incentives for climate action.

The Impact

In 2021, the Green Producers Tool forged relationships with many organisations, including Virke (the Enterprise Federation of Norway), and web developers Innocode, all mapping and calculating the emissions of their theatre, film, and festival productions.

In 2020, the Green Producers Club was nominated for the Oslo Climate Prize.

The project recently secured EU funding to adapt the tool for use in other Nordic countries. The tool is available in local languages and will be based on the local energy combinations in Denmark and Sweden. EU partners in this endeavour include Nordisk Film Production in Norway, Sweden and Denmark, as well as the Down the Drain Group, organiser of NorthSide and Tinderbox, two of Denmark’s largest festivals.

Source: World Cities Culture Report 2022

Image Courtesy © City of Oslo