What is a Green Memo?

A Green Memo is an official document issued by production leadership to the entire team at the start of a project to outline sustainability intentions and expectations. This directive serves as a signal that sustainability is a core project priority, providing a mandate for all departments to embed low carbon practices into daily operations from the very beginning.

Sustainability requires a collective effort, so the memo should invite contributions from the entire crew to help identify innovative and practical solutions. Incentivising those who champion the most impactful changes builds momentum and keeps the team engaged in reaching carbon reduction targets. See below for some examples – credit to Icon Film, Mammoth Screen, Hungry Gap Productions, and Vico Films for sharing their Green Memos.

Sending out a Final Green Memo

A final green memo is a summary document distributed to the entire production team at the conclusion of a project to celebrate and record all sustainability achievements. It builds upon initial environmental goals by outlining the measures that were successfully implemented and identifying specific opportunities for greater reductions in future productions. This serves as a vital foundation for continuous improvement and long term sustainable practice.

Including draft and final carbon footprints from the albert calculator provides concrete evidence of the production impact and highlights the effectiveness of specific reduction strategies. The document should also solicit feedback regarding what went well and where processes can be improved for future work. Reviewing the examples provided serves as inspiration for drafting a comprehensive and insightful final memo. See below for some examples – credit to Sky Arts and BBC Studios for sharing their Final Green Memos.