Our activities
Audiences are at the heart of everything we do. The BBC is the first-choice media brand for content about environmental topics and issues
Bringing industry together
The BBC hosts events including our annual Green Sport Awards and Supplier Symposium and our new The Future of Storytelling in Our Changing World event in partnership with BBC Academy Live.
These events help bring people together to share learnings and invite collaboration on industry-wide challenges.
Award winning events and content
Radio 1’s Big Weekend 2025 in Liverpool marked a step change in the BBC’s commitment to delivering lower-impact live events. Liverpool is the world’s first Accelerator City for climate action, as part of a UN programme. The BBC, working with partners and suppliers, produced the event to reduce emissions, minimise waste, and engage audiences in sustainable choices.
Key successes include a 25% increase in low carbon food options selected, and a redesigned waste management approach, which supported a 40% reduction in waste from 2024. Our efforts set a new benchmark for sustainable delivery and earned the event the UK festivals Green Award 2025.
Maintaining TV and film industry standards
For non-News TV production, we continued to mandate the submission of a carbon footprint and carbon action plan via BAFTA Albert during 2025/26. 744 productions are expected to complete a carbon action plan for 2025/26 (2024/25: 701), with 100% mandatory carbon footprint calculation also expected (2024/25: 97%).
Case study: Sustainable production
In 2025, we launched our Strengthened Approach to Sustainable Production for TV. It focuses on reducing emissions from energy and travel, and we now require suppliers to have company-level sustainability policies. We will also continue to provide one-to-one decarbonisation support for selected productions in 2026/27.
A key change is the phase out of diesel generators on all UK based shoots, applicable from September 2025. Lower carbon alternatives include mains electricity supply, battery systems and certified alternative fuels. This complements BAFTA Albert’s SPARK: Clean Temporary Power plan, a pan industry roadmap for transitioning to clean temporary power. Together, the measures are expected to drive significantly decarbonisation by 2030, directly supporting our Net Zero strategy.
Case Study: The War Between Land and Sea
The War Between the Land and the Sea follows an ordinary man, Barclay, as an ancient species rises from the sea, threatening humanity. The story foregrounds environmental themes including pollution, overconsumption and habitat destruction, as tensions escalate with Homo Aqua.
Sustainability was in action off-screen as well, with the production team focused on four key areas including travel, energy, food and waste. To eliminate fossil fuel consumption for power generation, the production made use of LED lighting rigs, renewable mains power and hybrid generators – as well as placing greater focus on train travel, lower-impact catering choices and the reuse of sets.
The show exemplifies how sustainability can come together both on-screen and off-screen and, in April 2026, won the first ever Sustainable Production RTS Cymru Award
