This document summarizes the achievements and best practices of Edison Green Movie, a protocol for environmentally friendly film production in Europe. It outlines how six films have applied strategies to reduce energy consumption, transportation emissions, waste, and promote sustainable catering and materials. Case studies show how productions chose local resources, public transit, and renewable energy to offset over 250 tons of carbon while saving over €37,000. The guidelines help streamline production processes and build cultural awareness of sustainable practices.

1. EDISON GREEN MOVIE
A NEW CINEMA IS COMING
ACHIEVEMENTS AND NEXT STEPS

2. What is it?
Created in 2011, Edison Green Movie is one of the first protocols in Europe for an
environmentally friendly film industry.
It is a PRACTICAL GUIDE outlining the best ways to achieve energy savings and
environmental sustainability in the organizational phase and in the shooting stage.
It is not just about carbon offsetting. The aim of Edison Green Movie is to
completely rethink the production of films by introducing strategies aimed at
saving, respecting, and using resources smartly.
Sustainability indicators are based on the following activities:
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
TRANSPORTATION
CHOICE AND USE OF MATERIALS
WASTE MANAGEMENT
CATERING
INTERNAL COORDINATION AND COMMUNICATION
GUEST ACCOMMODATION
CO2 EMISSION OFFSETTING
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3. KEY POINTS
• Free
• Open to any input or suggestion
• Network with producers, Film Commissions, organizations, institutions,
suppliers, Anica, Anci…..
• Reduces both environmental and economic impacts (savings!!!)
• Improve the efficiency of the whole process of production
• Easy to apply thanks to its own flexibility and to the check list
• Creates value for local communities
• Create a good mood in the staff and consensus about common
objectives
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4. Achievements
Films 6 (Virzì: Il Capitale Umano – Olmi: Torneranno i Prati – Aldo Giovanni e
Giacomo: Il Ricco, il Povero e il Maggiordomo - Cupellini: Alaska -
Archibugi: Il nome del Figlio, Morante: Assolo)
Collaborations in
production
7 (Indiana Production - Cinema Undici – Rai Cinema – Agidi – Medusa -
Tempesta – Ipotesi Cinema)
CO2 saved (tons) More than 250 tons – roughly 500 trees*
CO2 offset (kilos) More than 150 tons – more than 180 trees (during its life, a tree absorbs
on average 500 to 600 gr of CO2)
Non produced
waste
13,000 bottles of water
Disposable plates/cups/cutlery for 9,000 meals
Local economy
produced
Good. Local employment and employability, new competences ,
territorial improvement
Production
streamlining
The guidelines allow to rationalize the production process and increase
the efficiency in terms of economic savings and organizational aspects
Economic saving Good. An example: replacing an electric generator with a connection to
the grid leads to saving about €4,000 a week, not to mention lower fuel
costs and savings in paper, food, cars rental, etc.
Culture Awareness about sustainable development , the best practices can be
easily replicated and it is a good opportunity to generate virtuous
networks between cinema operators, institutions, private sector and
organizations
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5. CASE HISTORY
ENERGY CONSUMPTION
• Energy supply
Recommended actions:
Energy needs can be met, as it is often the case, by using electric
generators or by creating a temporary connection to the distribution grid.
Why going for a temporary connection?
Economic advantages:
Renting a generator costs about €5,400 per week (rental, consumption, and
staff.) Creating a temporary connection to the grid costs about €750 per
week. This translates into saving about €18,600 in a one-month
production.
Environmental advantages: given the same usage, a temporary
connection to the grid results in a 72 to 75% cut in emissions. Without
mentioning the emissions that are avoided by not having to transport
electric generators.
Other advantages: no sudden changes in voltage; energy available 24/7;
fixed costs; no background noise
• Efficient lighting
LED lighting results in a 93% saving compared to incandescent
lamps, 90% against halogen lamps, 70% against metallic iodide lamps,
and 66% against fluorescent lamps, which translates into obvious energy
and environmental advantages.
• Rechargeable batteries: consumptions reduction (wastes,
energy and money)
IL CAPITALE UMANO
Il Capitale Umano was the
first film to apply the
protocol.
The energy needs were met by
creating a temporary
connection to the grid, which
resulted in a nearly 75% cut to
CO2 emissions (12 tons
against 44 which would have
resulted from using a regular
generator).
Using electricity from the grid,
along with battery-powered
neon banks for indoor
shooting has created savings
for over €37,000.
ASSOLO
Traditional batteries replaced
by rechargeable batteries
(saved 1000 batteries: less
wastes and money. Euro 5
generator and daily monitoring
of energy consumptions (too
many locations for temporary
connection).
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6. CASE HISTORY
TRANSPORTS
• Technical equipment
Recommended actions:
• Cutting down on vehicles by putting together different
functions, thus achieving a more rational
organization of space and optimization of the quantity
of transported materials and reducing excess as much
as possible
• Full load transport
• Use of newer, more efficient vehicles, with a lower
environmental impact, in line with the latest EU
regulation (Euro 5)
• People
Recommended actions:
• Use of hybrid car for short distances
• Use of shared cars
• Covering longer distances by train instead of using
other means of transport
Environmental advantages: cut in CO2 and other
emissions (e.g. in city traffic, hybrid cars produce a 30 to
50% cut in CO2 emissions).
Economic advantages: reduction in costs due to full-load
transport and to better fuel efficiency of new vehicles.
TORNERANNO I PRATI
All journalists reached the press conference
venue in Asiago by train.
IL RICCO, IL POVERO E IL MAGGIORDOMO
Choosing filming locations close to one
another ensured quick, low-carbon set transfers
due to the short distances.
Longer distances were covered by train, city
distances by public transportation.
The vehicles used by production staff were
mostly Euro 5 and Euro 4.
Production reached an agreement with a Milan-
based car sharing company to secure exclusive
use of three cars for unlimited distances.
Finally, the production made sure that all means
of transport used for the crew (including private
ones) were only used at their full capacity.
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7. CASE HISTORY
CHOICE, USE, AND DISPOSAL
OF MATERIALS
Choosing the right suppliers plays a key
role in planning sustainable film production.
Therefore, products should be evaluated
based on the following:
• Suppliers: choosing suppliers with an
environmental certification
(ISO14001, Ecolabel, etc.) and that are
based locally (0 kilometer)
• Environmental compatibility and
recycling potential
• Disposal guidelines, emphasizing the
importance of recycling waste on all
working locations.
TORNERANNO I PRATI
Excellent results achieved in terms of management of
materials and use of locally based workforce, with
obvious beneficial effects for the community of Asiago.
Cinema Undici and Ipotesi Cinema have worked with local
workforce and the Veneto Section of the National Forestry
Corps to build trenches and create special effects, such
as the bombs that were made out of peat, compressed
cork, and non-polluting, non-toxic colored powder.
Moreover, the trenches were reused by other productions,
and upon request by the Municipality of Asiago, they have
been integrated into an educational tourist path about
World War I.
Reuse and recycling of materials, along with the use of
biodegradable products, has achieved the lowest possible
amount of waste was produced during the making of the
film.
The production chose locally sourced products and
accommodation close to the set, which led to benefits in
terms of quality of life and employment in the local
community, so that the production of Torneranno i prati
was not perceived as some sort of invasion.
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8. CASE HISTORY
CATERING
Recommendation: replace the usual lunch
boxes and disposable plastic cutlery, as
they cannot be recycled and they are more
difficult to dispose of. You can do this by:
 Sorting waste and providing specific
containers;
 Using biodegradable or compostable
cutlery, cups, and plates (e.g. made
out of Mater-Bi or Poly). They can
easily be disposed of along with food
and organic waste, thus making the
overall disposal process easier and
reducing pollution.
 Handing out self-service meals
 Using big water containers instead of
traditional bottles
IL CAPITALE UMANO
A field kitchen was set up and reusable cutlery, cups,
and plates were used in order to avoid transportation of
pre-made food. This also helped reduce waste
significantly.
Water bottles were replaced with one 18 litre container;
during the two-month production phase, 170 water
containers were used instead of 6,120 bottles.
Moreover, products and accommodation were chosen
locally and close to the set, which had positive
repercussions on the quality of life and also benefited the
local economy.
TORNERANNO I PRATI
Again, water containers were used instead of traditional
bottles (85 containers instead of 3,400 bottles) and
products were sourced locally.
An agreement was reached with a company producing
Mater-bi cutlery and plates for free of charge supply of
those products.
IL RICCO, IL POVERO E IL MAGGIORDOMO
In this case, along with what was implemented by
previous productions, the coffee pods used throughout
the making of the film were not only sustainable but also
had a Fairtrade certification. Plastic water bottles were
replaced with aluminum bottles. 8

9. CASE HISTORY
INTERNAL COORDINATION AND
COMMUNICATION
The team can implement communication
procedures aimed at minimizing their
impact. Reducing emissions must be a
shared mission, so that everyone can do
their part.
It is therefore important to:
• Reduce, where possible, the number
of survey visits and meetings with
suppliers, or organizing them close
together to minimize travel;
• Inform staff members about eco-
friendly practices to be applied on
set (recycling, transport optimization,
etc.). This may be done by sending an
e-mail with detailed guidelines for each
shooting location;
• Use less paper in communication.
TORNERANNO I PRATI
Adopting the protocol in a pre-organization phase
ensured that useful actions were fully planned ahead, and
widespread consensus was created in order to allow for
correct and effective implementation of the protocol, despite
the adverse weather conditions. This had an positive effect
at a local level.
Very few people received the script. The director informed
the individual departments and the actors orally about the
film, and then handed out the dialogues and technical
information day by day.
IL RICCO, IL POVERO E IL MAGGIORDOMO
Paper consumption was cut drastically (15,000 paper
sheets saved, equal to about 85 350-page books, i.e. 42
kilos of CO2 saved). The crew was immediately informed by
the production about the protocol. On the first day, each crew
member received an aluminum bottle, a portable ashtray,
and detailed information about environmental
awareness. Compliance with the protocol was one of the
points of the agenda every day, and staff received a weekly
reminder via e-mail. Printed information was printed on
recycled, ECOLABEL certified paper, in ink-saving
Garamond font.
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10. CASE HISTORY
CO2 OFFSETTING
Offsetting CO2 emissions means balancing out the amount of
carbon dioxide released in the atmosphere by planting
enough trees to absorb the exact same amount of CO2, or by
producing clean energy from renewable sources, thus
avoiding to release carbon.
How do you offset emissions?
ESCos offset the emissions produced by a facility, a product, a
service by purchasing credits on a voluntary market. The
credits are generated by reforestation action and/or
development of renewable energy sources.
One credit = one tons of CO2.
The emission offsetting procedure requires:
 Analysis and quantification of emissions to be reduced;
 Certification (CO2 credits) of actual CO2 absorption for
reforestation, or CO2 savings in case of use of renewable
sources, to be issued by a qualified independent third party.
 Credits certified by the third party are given a unique,
unmistakable serial number, and they are filed in an official
register.
CO2 emissions from energy
consumption and transportation
was entirely offset by Edison with
the purchase of the so-called
green certificates.
Il CAPITALE UMANO
Offset emissions
94 tons of CO2
TORNERANNO I PRATI
Offset emissions
67 tons of CO2
IL RICCO, IL POVERO E IL
MAGGIORDOMO
Offset emissions:
21 tons of CO2
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11. • Edison and Italian Films Commissions signed an agreement with the goal of promoting
sustainability-oriented actions connected with all aspects of film production.
• Edison, in particular, will share the know-how they have developed in creating and
implementing Edison Green Movie, while IFC will focus its efforts on raising awareness
and activating its network of associates to promote good practices for green filmmaking at
a local level as well.
• The collaboration with the World Bank: it started with the Action4Climate project (a contest
for documentaries on climate change) and continues with Film4Climate. This is a global
initiative aimed at developing a plan for the mitigation of the environmental impact of film
production, while promoting and encouraging action on climate change by using films.
Next steps
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12. How does Edison Green Movie work?
Energy consumption
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
1.A
Connection to national distribution grid replacing
electric generator
3 0
0%
1.B
Use of as few high-voltage electric generators as
possible instead of as many lower-voltage ones as
possible
1 0
0%
1.C Use of Euro 4 or Euro 5 electric generators 1 0 0%
1.D Purchase of green energy 3 0 0%
1.E Use of photovoltaic systems 3 0 0%
1.F
Use of efficient lighting devices, such as fluorescent
lights and/or LED lights
3 0
0%
Transportation
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
2.A
Load optimization for transportation of technical
equipment
2 0
0%
2.B Use of Euro 4 or Euro 5 vehicles 1 0 0%
2.C Use of public transport (trains) for staff 1 0
0%
2.D Use of hybrid vehicles 3 0 0%
2.E Use of methane/LPG-powered vehicles 2 0 0%
ASSESSMENT FORM
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13. Choice, use, and disposal of material
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
3.A Reuse of previously used materials 2 0 0 0%
3.B
Choice of materials with Standard type I or II
certification
2 0 0
0%
3.C Choice of environmentally certified suppliers 2 0 0 0%
3.D Made in Italy materials 1.5 0 0 0%
3.E Made in Europe materials 1.5 0 0 0%
3.F Choice of materials from recycling 3 0 0 0%
3.G Choice of biodegradable materials 3 0 0 0%
3.H Choice of compostable materials 3 0 0 0%
3.I Choice of recyclable materials 2 0 0 0%
3.L
Paints and thinners contain as little chemicals as
possible
1 0 0
0%
3.M
Coupled materials are easy to uncouple to make
recycling easier
3 0 0
0%
3.N
Proper disposal of materials and set equipment
owned by production
2 0 0
0%
3.O Materials will be reused 2 0 0 0%
3.P Set waste is sorted and recycled 1.5 0 0 0%
3.Q Studio waste is sorted and recycled 1.5 0 0 0%
How does Edison Green Movie work?
ASSESSMENT FORM
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14. Catering
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
4.A Collection and disposal of food waste 3 0 0 0%
4.B Recycling 3 0 0 0%
4.C Water containers 1.5 0 0 0%
4.D Use of biodegradable cups, cutlery, and plates 2 0 0 0%
4.E Use of compostable cups, cutlery, and plates 3 0 0 0%
4.F
Reduction in the number of packed lunches to
promote self-service distribution
2.5 0 0
0%
Internal coordination and communication
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
5.A Draft sustainability plan 3 0 0 0%
5.B
Optimization of transports for meetings, on-site visits,
etc.
1 0 0
0%
5.C E-mail over paper 1 0 0 0%
5.D Staff involvement in good practices 3 0 0
0%
How does Edison Green Movie work?
ASSESSMENT FORM
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15. Guest accommodation
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
6.A
Accommodation solutions meet sustainability criteria
(e.g. Ecolabel certified hotels)
1 0 0
0%
6.B Accommodation is chosen within 15 km of the set 3 0 0 0%
Further actions – CO2 OFFSETTING
Action
Multiplication
coefficient (1 to 3)
Evaluation Total Performance
7.A Offsetting of residual emissions 3 0 0 0%
How does Edison Green Movie work?
ASSESSMENT FORM
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16. 16
Francesca Magliulo
Corporate Responsibility Manager
francesca.magliulo@edison.it
Gianluca Della Campa
Project Manager Edison Green Movie
Gianluca.dellacampa@gmail.com
Laura Savoia
CSR Department
laura.savoia@edison.it
Edison Green Movie on Facebook
And Twitter: Edisongen
www.edisongeneration.it
Contacts