Overview of role
The sustainability lead/manager/advisor, is responsible for strategically leading sustainability on a production. They work with the production team to interpret the creative brief and scope the sustainability solutions to be used for the production. They have to manage the balance between the creative output and carbon reduction, suggesting the most effective sustainability solutions to meet these. The sustainability lead/manager/advisor
works collaboratively with heads of department (HODs), the production manager and/or line producer; and they may also liaise with unit managers and suppliers. The sustainability lead puts into place the sustainability plans and processes for the production, gaining buy in from senior stakeholders and members of the cast, crew, contributors and suppliers. They may
also establish and oversee the reporting and sustainability certification process. Depending on the size, type and genre of production, they may also manage a sustainability team; delegating and overseeing tasks as required, and providing support and supervision for the team as applicable. The length of time they are contracted to work with a production may also vary.
Download the PDF version of this skills checklist.
Download the Sustainability for Productions National Occupational Standards 2025.
Core responsibilities
These core responsibilities are provided as a guide and are not exhaustive. The exact responsibilities in a particular job will vary depending on the scale/budget band/genre of the production.
- Interpret and breakdown a brief to identify areas of decarbonisation within the production, considering what is non-negotiable and what is aspirational
- Liaise with the heads of departments (HODs), the studio and facility management about the brief's requirements
- Oversee possible decarbonisation strategies and minimise the potential biodiversity impacts
- Consider the impact to both on-screen and off-screen actions, within the editorial parameter
- Suggest changes to the editorial to demonstrate sustainable behaviour on-screen where possible
- Attend the recces with relevant departments, and assess the set and location needs as agreed
- Oversee the research into the infrastructure and facilities proposed for the production, focusing on how sustainability can be effectively integrated into their planning and use
- Work with the key leads in production, HODs and senior production to identify key decarbonisation initiatives to apply to the production as a whole
- Work with senior production leads to produce an initial forecast of the carbon emissions in line with the shooting schedule and carbon budget allocation, if applicable / required
- Suggest alternative actions to production and those involved in overseeing sustainability, when original proposals have a high carbon impact on the production
- Confirm and negotiate with production how the sustainability requirements can be addressed within the budget
- Work with the production team on allocating the budget to sustainability and be responsible for managing that budget
- Oversee the selection of suppliers, vendors and facilities with the required expertise and equipment to fulfil sustainable requirements (including sustainable suppliers or suppliers of sustainable goods / services)
- Confirm and oversee wrap requirements and potential disposal of waste and circularity of materials including props, sets, costumes, equipment and assets
- Report problems and difficulties to the relevant people
- Establish measures to ensure compliance with policy, regulatory, organisational requirements and industry guidelines
- Communicate when compliance is required to decision makers
- Ensure local, regional and national legislation and policies are upheld
- Identify high-impact areas of decarbonisation to focus on within the production including energy, transport, materials, catering and circularity
- Ensure that the location manager has identified whether locations are protected sites and has sought permission
- Check and confirm that environmental impact, or other required assessments, are carried out when operating in natural spaces and biodiverse habitats
- Review the allocated sustainability budget for relevant departments with the senior production team, to enable you to implement sustainability measures
- Liaise with the HODs exploring decarbonisation strategies, sustainable choices and minimising potential biodiversity impacts
- Confirm the agreed sustainable solution, technology or supplier(s)
- Suggest amendments or alternative solutions to the production or relevant departments, and outline the impacts of not choosing the sustainable options
- Establish measures to ensure compliance with policy, regulatory and organisational requirements and industry guidelines
- Provide a business case for additional sustainability funding if available
- Undertake industry training and update knowledge of sustainability practice,as required
- Have an overview and understanding of different industry and stakeholders' sustainability policies
- Liaise with HODs to review and plan decarbonisation strategies and
sustainable solutions - Identify pressure points between the creative and the sustainable requirements both on-screen and behind the screen
- Explore and ensure potential biodiversity impacts are minimised
- Suggest amendments or alternative sustainability solutions for the proposed plans
- Work with production leads or HODs on sustainability planning
- Agree and finalise the sustainability plan, bringing key decision makers up to speed on the how and why of the proposed sustainability solutions
- Present the plan to production, cast, crew, contributors and suppliers at HOD meetings and / or cast read throughs
- Incorporate feedback and suggestions on the plan for sustainable practices
- Find opportunities to engage with cast, crew and contributors on the
decarbonisation plans for the production, e.g. attending pre-production meetings - Oversee the production of the green memo, clearly communicating the key sustainability goals for the production, and the responsibilities for the team
- Ensure updates and changes to sustainability plans are communicated to departments, cast, crew, contributors and suppliers
- Establish and agree clear lines of communication with all departments
- Establish a plan to tailor communication methods and timelines to the needs of the production
- Create and direct a plan for communicating sustainability goals, updates and ongoing objectives to the production, cast, crew and contributors, and relevant stakeholders including funders, commissioners and broadcasters
- Work in collaboration with the production to schedule sustainability communication
- Visit all production spaces to share and collate information on sustainability implementation in all departments
- Plan for the communication of mitigations and positive actions and learnings, celebrating success with cast, crew, suppliers and contributors
- Liaise with the relevant teams to check the feasibility and achievability of the sustainability solution
- Confirm the budget for sustainability-related costs and manage them through monitoring and reporting on spends as required
- Work with the finance department to agree on templates, invoice models and requirements of sustainability monitoring
- Oversee research and propose alternatives when original plans aren't feasible
- Establish systems to monitor and record the success of trials and solutions adopted
- Analyse the success of the selected solutions
- Assess and communicate the wider positive impacts of sustainable solutions
- Ensure compliance with policy, regulatory and organisational requirements and industry guidelines
- Confirm the system and reporting tools to be used, for recording and monitoring sustainability on the production
- Confirm with all departments and production finance, the data to be collected, and aspects of the production to be monitored in line with the confirmed toolkit
- Cross-check the data between accounts data provided and department data provided
- Oversee collaborative working with the production finance team to complete carbon budget and carbon cost reporting processes
- Implement measures to ensure that the final carbon footprint sign-off by the finance team aligns with the final ledger
- Check and confirm the sustainability certification requirements for the production
- Oversee the completion and submission of the required documentation for the sustainability certification
- Oversee the compilation of the evidence file for production auditability,
as required - Provide reports on certification progress to the production and the
sustainability team - Obtain the sustainability certification for the production once certification is complete
- Provide sustainability certification, with the usage guidelines of certification and associated bespoke certifier logos, to the responsible person
- Analyse the emission report to understand the carbon emission impact of the production
- Assess and analyse the impact of actions taken to reduce the carbon footprint of the production
- Oversee the collation of information and production of the sustainability wrap report, final green memo or final newsletter
- Provide recommendations highlighting cost impacts, achievements and positive case studies
- Present the sustainability wrap report, final green memo or final newsletter to cast, crew and contributors
- Communicate mitigations, positive actions and learnings, celebrating success with cast, crew, suppliers and contributors
- Report lessons learnt to those responsible for future or ongoing productions, as required
- Develop a work plan with sustainability team members
- Check that team members understand the requirements of the sustainability plan, their own work plan and the production schedule
- Prioritise the team's workload depending on changes in priorities and deadlines
- Provide advice and guidance as appropriate to meet the needs of the production
- Confirm team members know how to liaise with the production team and suppliers
- Check team members are using the specified recording systems
- Monitor work is being completed correctly and in line with the work schedule
- Provide individual feedback to team members on their work
Skills
Check out role specific skills, transferable skills and attributes for the role of sustainability lead/manager/advisor.
- Provide strategic advice and guidance on sustainability policies, regulations and industry guidelines
- Collaborate with production and other departments to determine the parameters of the production and prioritise influence on areas of high emission
- Take responsibility to manage and deliver the sustainability solutions for a production
- Monitor and report on impacts for compliance and auditing
- Management and leadership: lead the sustainability team, upholding ethics and maintaining respect when dealing with others. Supporting and developing junior members of the team
- Communication: interpreting other’s requirements and communicating sustainability objectives to cast, crew, contributors and suppliers in an engaging, motivational manner
- Team-working: collaboration within own and with other departments
- Working closely with key stakeholders
- Negotiation: agreeing sustainable approaches and solutions with production and suppliers
- Research and analytical: developing detailed sustainability plans and offering solutions on sustainability within the production. Providing alternatives in line with brief breakdown and production creative vision
- Problem-solving: contingency planning and resolving sustainability issues so that the production remains on schedule
- Resilience and enthusiasm: adapts positively to changing work priorities and patterns, ensuring deadlines continue to be met.
- Proactive and explores new ideas and sustainability initiatives which will enhance and deliver the best results for the production
- Productivity: organises work effectively and achieves required results within deadlines.
- Demonstrates the drive and energy to get things done in pressurised situations and escalates appropriately when necessary
- Ethics and integrity: honest and principled in all of their actions and interactions.
- Respectful and inclusive of others, and meets the ethical requirements of their profession
- Flexibility: willing to both listen and learn and to accept changing priorities and working requirements, and has the flexibility to maintain high standards in a changing production environment