Network of Nordic Film Commissions launch sustainability pledge

With their Sustainability Pledge, the 19 regional and national film commissions in the Nordics have committed to collectively influencing decision-makers and production companies to turn the Nordic region into a sustainable film production haven.

As part of their pledge, the partners have set five specific objectives:

• to create a common understanding in sustainability in film & TV,
• to foster knowledge sharing,
• information dissemination,
• educational support,
• strengthen the NFC’s sustainability efforts through external communication and branding.

The overall aim for the Nordic Film Commissions (NFC) is to encourage and support national as well as international productions, so that they will adopt sustainable practices when filming in the Nordic region, using notably tools and guidelines.

The NFC pledge is meant to align with existing Nordic and European sustainable initiatives such as Green Producers Club, Green Film, We Are Albert and the European Booklet for Green Productions.

"NFC’s advantage is our strong collaboration”, said Solveig Sigmond Ræstad, Midgard Film Commission Norway, President of NFC. “Despite the fact that we, in many ways, are competitors, we help each other, share knowledge and join forces at events, like at Focus London”, she said.

For her, having a common platform is important since film commissioners are the first contact points for producers planning to film in the Nordics. The information given by the NFC is therefore essential, as it contributes to setting the standards for what producers can expect from the Nordic industry - and vice versa - notably regarding working hours, waste management or how to behave in vulnerable environment.

“The Nordics have values that we want to fight for and promote. Taking care of our supreme nature and the people living and working here is at the top of our list,” she stressed.

Caroline Gjerulff, head of the NFC Green Group and Project manager BFTP/Film Commissioner at Vision Denmark, says that the pledge is “a common agreement and a framework on how to work together both as a group, with the transition to a more sustainable industry, doing it in a systematic way, and to be an active partner in a more climate-friendly eco-system of film and TV-production.”

She feels however that different industry actors have different roles to play in this green transition. “It’s important that we don’t think we can all do the same thing and split the tasks between us,” she underlined. But sharing knowledge, discussing cross industry initiatives in sustainability is “part of the overall green movement”. Ultimately for Gjerulff, the aim is to create common pan-Nordic initiatives, something which is being implemented with Nordisk Film & TV Fond.

During its Nordic Green theme year 2023, Nordisk Film & TV Fond has indeed, worked in close collaboration with pan-Nordic players, such ad the NFC for coordinating, inspiring and creating pan-Nordic sustainable strategies. More information on this will follow on December 15.

For further information on the NFC Sustainability pledge, CLICK HERE.