Sustainable Production: Responsible Filmmaking at ARTE

Sustainable production is one of ARTE’s strategic objectives. The channel is committed to the environmental transition of the audiovisual sector on both sides of the Rhine – whether for in-house productions, co-productions or projects commissioned from partners and production companies.

Why take action?

Like any industrial activity, audiovisual production generates carbon emissions, waste, and consumes resources. Studies show the significant environmental impact of the sector. Recognizing this, ARTE is adapting its practices and collaborating with industry stakeholders to minimize its environmental footprint throughout the entire production lifecycle, from pre-production to distribution. ARTE is a member of Ecoprod, a recognized organization dedicated to promoting sustainable practices in the French audiovisual industry.

ARTE productions: 70 % sustainable by 2028

ARTE aims to make 70 % of its productions eco-responsible by 2028. This involves:

• training teams in sustainable filmmaking practices,
• integrating environmental criteria into all stages of production, including transport, set design, catering or file storage,
• labelling productions, with the support of the Ecoprod association.

The magazine programmes Karambolage, Mapping the World and The World in Images, produced by ARTE Studio in Vanves, have already achieved Ecoprod certification. An ecoproduction charter sets out the work ARTE is doing to reduce the environmental impact of its productions, and is appended to all contracts and displayed on set.

Other programmes, such as ARTE Journal and ARTE Reportage, are also committed to this approach. The long-term aim is to extend eco-production to all in-house programmes.

 

Co-productions: carbon footprint calculation mandatory

ARTE also encourages its co-production partners to measure their environmental impact by requiring carbon footprint assessments in contracts. This aligns with broader industry trends to quantify and reduce the carbon footprint of audiovisual projects.

Documentary co-productions such as “Borneo: the Miraculous Forest” (ARTE/Nomades) and “Climate Justice” (ARTE France/Seppia) are examples of this commitment, having both obtained the “Ecoprod-Pioneer” label (certified by French standardisation organisation AFNOR and recognised by French ecological transition agency ADEME). The report “Kenya: Giraffes of Peace” (ARTE/Medienkontor) has been labelled “Green Motion” in Germany. These labels are a guarantee of eco-responsible production standards.

ARTE-supported films are also regularly recognized at the Cannes Film Festival’s Ecoprod Awards, which reward productions that are exemplary in terms of their environmental approach or subject matter. Past winners include “Drifting Laurent” by Anton Balekdjian, Léo Couture and Mattéo Eustachon (ArteKino Productions 2025), “Jim’s Story” by Arnaud and Jean-Marie Larrieu (ARTE France Cinéma 2024) and “La Chimera” by Alice Rohrwacher (ARTE France Cinéma 2023).

ARTE’s German shareholders, ARD and ZDF, which provide 40 % of ARTE’s programming, are also stepping up their commitment to the environment:

• ARD is steadily working to align its in-house productions and commissioned programmes with ecological standards, promoting resource efficiency and environmental responsibility.
• Since 2022, ZDF has been producing more than half of its fiction programmes according to recognised environmental standards. The channel is a founding member of the Green Shooting working group, which pioneered uniform ecological standards for German film and audiovisual productions.