Hokum

Hokum was filmed in West Cork in February-March 2025.

The production was part funded by Screen Ireland which enabled the producers to access sustainability funding for a Sustainability Advisor and Sustainability Trainee and opened the possibility of obtaining funding for additional emissions reduction measures under the Screen Ireland Sustainable Innovation Fund.

The production utilised the BAFTA/albert carbon calculator.

An analysis was completed during prep to identify the potential sources of emissions on the production and to develop a strategy for minimising emissions to the greatest degree possible.

Scope 1 Emissions

Scope 1 are direct GHG emissions from sources controlled by an organisation. 

On a film production the Scope 1 emissions come from:

• Facilities Generators
• Catering Generators
• Lighting Generators
• Standby Generators
• Facilities/Tech Trucks
• Props Runaround Vans
• Action Vehicles
• Crew Fuel Reimbursement

Scope 2 Emissions

Scope 2 are indirect GHG emissions from mains electricity used by an organisation.

On a film production the Scope 2 emissions come from:

•  Mains electricity for Offices
• Mains electricity for stores and workshops
• Mains electricity for Studio spaces
• Mains electricity for LED volumes
• Mains electricity for Post Production

Scope 3 Emissions

Scope 3 are GHG emissions from upstream/downstream activities across an organisation’s value chain.

On a film production the Scope 3 emissions come from;

• Purchased goods and services
• Waste disposal
• Cast/Crew accommodation
• Cast/Crew travel

The analysis indicated a potential carbon footprint of 134 Tonnes, made up of 67 Tonnes (50%) in Scope 1, 1.3 Tonnes (1%) in Scope 2 and 66 Tonnes (49%) in Scope 3.

Based on this analysis, application was made to Screen Ireland for support from the Sustainability Innovation Fund.

The Screen Ireland Sustainability Innovation Fund offers support to promote the implementation of innovative emissions reduction practices and accelerate the uptake of low carbon technologies across four categories.

1. Energy/Emissions Reduction: Reducing the amount of energy consumed on the production or powering the production with renewable sources of energy.
2. Waste and Circular Economy: Designing out the need for new materials and maximising the value of all materials used on the production by applying circular economy principles.
3. Transport/Vehicles: Reducing the GHG/carbon emissions from transport related activities.
4. Protecting Nature: Adopting practices to protect nature and biodiversity on production sites.

The application was made for support for 4 measures;

1. The use of HVO fuel for the generators
2. The use of LED lighting panels
3. The use of lightweight battery packs
4. The installation of grid connection to reduce generator runtime

A set of Sustainability Policies were developed in order to guide the implementation of strategies to reduce carbon emissions and minimise the environmental impact of the production.

• Environmental Mission Statement
• Environmental Sustainability Policy
• Green Procurement Policy
• Sustainable Accommodation Policy 
• Sustainable Catering Policy
• Zero Waste Policy

The production adopted 10 sustainability goals in order to operationalise the objectives set out in the sustainability policies.

Use less energy

Guidelines were issued to all departments outlining measures which will result in less electricity being used, and being wasted. Measures include turning off lights when not needed, plugging out equipment when not in use, and turning down the thermostat to 19 Degrees C. 

Use less fuel

Guidelines were issued to all departments outlining measures that can be taken to reduce the amount of fuel burned on the production. Measures include a No Idling Policy, minimising journeys, car pooling, using the most efficient vehicle for a given purpose and switching off generators when not required. 

Use Renewable electricity & fuel

The generators were not fuelled with HVO which has an emissions profile of 20% of that of mineral diesel. 

On-screen Sustainability

Opportunities to highlight recycling and other green activities on-screen were investigated.

Sustainable Food

The Catering provider chosen has a very strong sustainability ethos which includes buying locally produced ingredients, favouring menus/dishes with a lower carbon footprint, minimising waste, and proactively finding ways to utilise excess meals and ingredients in order to minimise food waste to the maximum possible extent.

Efficient Transport

HODs were provided with guidance on measures they can take to manage the transport of people, goods and equipment more efficiently. 

Waste Avoidance

The production operated a Zero Waste Policy and guidance was provided to crew and suppliers on measures they can take in order to minimise waste creation, to ensure all waste is segregated properly, and to facilitate the adoption of circular economy thinking in the film industry. 

Sustainable Materials

Guidelines were issued to provide crew with support in finding ways to identify and implement opportunities to utilise more sustainable materials in line with the production's Green Procurement Policy. A key element of this approach is to rent items, to purchase secondhand items, and to prepare Asset Disposal Plans to identify the most appropriate ways to dispose of items at the end of their life on the production.

Use a Carbon Calculator

The production calculated its carbon footprint using the BAFTA/albert carbon calculator. 

Obtain Certification

The production sought certification as a sustainable production from BAFTA/albert. The BAFTA/albert Carbon Action Plan scored 87%. 

The emissions reduction measures undertaken led to a final carbon footprint of 119 Tonnes.

Scope 1 emissions were 49 Tonnes (41%)

Scope 2 emissions were 1.55 Tonnes (1.30%)

Scope 3 emissions were 69 Tonnes (58%)
 

Positives

• The production had a very light footprint with regards to vehicles and equipment
• The cast and crew engaged positively with sustainability initiatives
• The carbon footprint of lunches served was 0.456 Tonnes per 100 dishes against a target of 0.450 Tonnes per 100 dishes.
• The proportion of Vegan/Vegetarian dishes was significant at 19%.
• The carbon footprint of the production per hour of runtime was 66.76T/CO2e

Negatives

• There were 6 air travel journeys accounting for over 9 Tonnes of CO2, 7.60% of the total.
• The proportion of beef dishes was very high at 29%. 

Recommendations

• Fossil fuels should not qualify as eligible expenditure under Section 481
• Screen Ireland should set recommended targets for carbon footprint of lunches served on a production
• Screen Ireland should set recommended targets for carbon footprint per runtime hour