Analysis of the greenhouse gas balances of austrian cinema film productions
The key figures developed in the Green Filming Report by the Austrian Filminstitute are intended to enable a direct comparison between productions. This allows productions to better classify their emission values, make targeted improvements and, if necessary, communicate them in a uniform manner.
Since travel and transport emissions account for the largest share of total emissions, measures to reduce these emissions should be further strengthened. This requires all stakeholders involved to work consistently to reduce mobility emissions.
In order to further increase comparability between projects, it makes sense to introduce uniform standards for calculating CO₂eq emissions.
The continuous reduction of emission intensity should be promoted in cooperation with producers, institutions, green film consultants and service providers. The film industry needs comprehensive technical alternatives such as alternative generators, cars with alternative drive systems and subsidies for service providers and funders.
Green Filming in Austria should be further strengthened through continuous development, international cooperation and targeted measures (e.g. in the area of mobility). The key figures help to make progress measurable, comparable and easier to communicate.
According to the The Emissions Database for Global Atmospheric Research of the European Commission (EDGAR), Austria’s per capita annual greenhouse gas emissions were 8 tonnes in 2024.
The currently available data collected by the Green Filming Report ÖFI shows that this is equivalent to:
- 100 minutes of an Austrian cinema documentary film
- 14 minutes of an Austrian cinema feature film
The CO₂ calculator, which was developed specifically for film productions, was created by KlimAktiv in cooperation with EVERGREEN PRISMA – Competence Centre for Green Filming Europe in 2021 and is made available free of charge by the institution to professionally trained Green Film Consultants Austria. The film-specific CO₂ calculator can be used to calculate the ecological footprint of each individual department of a film and TV production based on factors relevant to Austria.
As one of six mandatory basic criteria in the catalogue of ecological standards for Austrian cinema film production ÖFI/ÖFI+, greenhouse gas accounting has been an important pillar of data collection since the introduction of green filming at the Austrian Film Institute.
The EVERGREEN PRISMA CO₂ calculator for film and TV productions is updated annually in line with the latest scientific findings, so that all applications are calculated using the latest factors. Productions that have already been recorded remain unaffected by the annually updated factors, i.e. productions up to the new production year will continue to be calculated using the factors stored for that year.
Since 2025, there has been an institutional cooperation between the ÖFI Green Filming Department and the Evergreen Prisma CO₂ calculator for Film&TV Austria. The calculator is used to collect and analyse data for the Green Filming Report on Austrian feature films at a national level.
INTERNATIONAL BRIDGING TOOL FOR 4 COUNTRIES IN THE EU
The KlimAktiv CO₂ calculator is now widely recognised as an essential multilingual tool for international green co-productions. This film-specific calculator is an essential tool for professional green film consultants. It is the standard calculator and is becoming an essential tool for collecting and calculating data in film projects, enabling a comprehensive evaluation across national borders in Germany, Austria, Italy and Switzerland.
Since 2021, subsidised film projects have been required to produce greenhouse gas balances. These balances are calculated by the Green Film Consultant. The present analysis is based on the actual CO2eq footprint, which is submitted after completion of production.
DATA SET:
- Nine balances (13.85%) were sorted out of the data sample of 65 actual CO2eq balances. 56 data sets (86.15%) were used for the analysis and divided into 15 cinema documentary films and 41 cinema feature film projects according to film genre.
- Only film projects that had produced a complete actual CO2eq balance sheet, i.e. those that recorded the emissions actually generated, were taken into account. Balance sheets that only reflected mobility (Ö-UZ76) could not be included.
- The effects of air travel that exceed the system boundaries of the carbon footprint of a product in accordance with ISO 14067 – the so-called non-CO₂ effects or radiative forcing index (RFI) – are reported separately. This corresponds to the methodology of the KlimAktiv calculators, which quantify these effects separately.
When collecting and evaluating data, the analysis of non-CO₂ effects is based on the Öko-Institut’s study ‘100 Green Productions’. Accordingly, the non-CO₂ effects from air travel are added to the travel/transport category and are thus included in the overall result and in the key figures calculated from it.
- However, in line with KlimAktiv practice, non-CO₂ effects are not included in the percentage distribution of the individual emission categories (energy, travel/transport, catering, use of materials) in order to avoid distortions in the analysis.
- Exceptions to this approach are indicated separately.
COMPARABILITY:
To ensure comparability, only film projects that were accounted for with comparable results were used. Balances from other tools and those with missing data above a threshold of 5% were sorted out. For better comparability of the results, the analysis is based on film genre: 15 cinema documentary films and 41 cinema feature films.
Greenhouse gas balances from the following film-specific Klimaktiv calculators were taken into account
- Evergreen Prisma CO₂ calculator for Film&TV Austria
- KlimAktiv CO2 calculator MFG Baden-Württemberg, SWR
- KlimAktiv CO2 calculator IDM South Tyrol
- SWISS CO2 calculator Film & Media
KEY FIGURES:
The key figures and ranges that have been established increase comparability and improve the uniform presentation of the emission intensity and emission reductions of cinema films. These key figures interact with each other and should therefore be considered in conjunction with each other.
For example, a project may have average emissions per minute of film in terms of emissions intensity, but when viewed in relation to production costs, it may be significantly more emission-intensive than other projects, perhaps due to a smaller budget.
Three key figures were considered:
The use of these ranges is intended to increase practical applicability and make it easier to assess whether the emissions generated by a production process are within the normal range or are unusually high or low.
Due to the wide dispersion of the data examined, the focus is not currently on the exact emission intensity per indicator. Instead, ranges are defined and established within which the middle 50% of the values of the film projects fall. The emission intensity of a cinema film project lies within these ranges.
The ranges can be used as a tool for monitoring and benchmarking.
Cinema documentary film – Key figures
CO2eq range per minute of film – cinema documentary film
Overview of typical GHG emissions per minute of film in kg CO2eq – cinema documentary film
CO2eq range per EUR 1,000 of production costs – cinema documentary film
Overview of typical GHG emissions per EUR 1,000 of production cost in kg CO2eq – cinema documentary film
CO2eq range per shooting day – cinema documentary film
Overview of typical GHG emissions per shooting day in kg CO2eq – cinema documentary film
Cinema feature film – Key figures
CO2eq range per minute of film – cinema feature film
Overview of typical GHG emissions per minute of film in kg CO2eq – cinema feature film
CO2eq range per EUR 1,000 of production costs – cinema feature film
Overview of typical GHG emissions per EUR 1,000 of production costs in kg CO2eq – cinema feature film
CO2eq range per shooting day – cinema feature film
Overview of typical GHG emissions per shooting day in kg CO2eq – cinema feature film
Overview table of bandwidths by key figures and film genre:
| Filmgenre | key figure | Lower end of the fluctuation range | Median | Upper end of the fluctuation range |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema documantary film | kg CO2eq per minute of film | 40.85 kg | 79.65 kg | 182.95 kg |
| Cinema documantary film | kg CO2eq per €1,000 production costs | 10.01 kg | 19.38 kg | 29.75 kg |
| Cinema documantary film | KG CO2eq per shooting day | 162.09 kg | 358.42 kg | 624.82 kg |
| Cinema feature film | kg CO2eq per minute of film | 397.17 kg | 561.18 kg | 927.72 kg |
| Cinema feature film | kg CO2eq per €1,000 production costs | 12.37 kg | 17.71 kg | 24.05 kg |
| Cinema feature film | KG CO2eq per shooting day | 1323.89 kg | 1916.86 kg | 2792.00 kg |
Greenhouse gas emissions per minute of film are the most widely used in previous research. Emissions are set in relation to film length. The value shows how many greenhouse gas emissions are generated per minute of film.
Descriptive statistics
In the analysis of greenhouse gas emissions per minute of Austrian cinema productions, the MEDIAN is:
- 15 cinema documentary film: 79.65 kg CO2eq per minute of film
- 41 cinema feature film: 561.18 kg CO2eq per minute of film
When looking at the reference values, the descriptive statistics do not show uniform values due to the large dispersion of the data. Nevertheless, the evaluated ranges can be used as a framework for estimating emission intensity:
- Cinema documantary film
For cinema documentaries, 50% of the values are in the range of 40.85 to 182.95 kg CO₂eq per minute of film.
- Cinema feature film
For cinema feature films, the values range from 397.17 to 927.72 kg CO₂eq per minute of film.e Filmminute.
Descriptive statistics: Greenhouse gas intensity per minute of film
| Descriptive statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| KG CO2eq/minute of film | ||
| Cinema documantary film | Cinema feature film | |
| valid | 15 | 41 |
| missing | 0 | 0 |
| median | 79.65 | 561.2 |
| mean value | 120.6 | 815.7 |
| standard deviation | 95.93 | 710.7 |
| variance | 9203 | 505100 |
| skewness | 0.888 | 1.863 |
| standard error skewness | 0.58 | 0.369 |
| minimum | 18.5 | 35.55 |
| maximum | 310.1 | 3009 |
| 25. percentile | 40.85 | 397.2 |
| 50. percentile | 79.65 | 561.2 |
| 75. percentile | 183 | 927.7 |
BOXPLOT analysis
The box plot analysis shows the distribution of greenhouse gas emissions per minute of film for cinema documentary films and cinema feature films.
Box plot analysis in detail:
- The analysis shows a clear distinction in emission intensity according to film format.
- Cinema documentary films have a significantly lower median greenhouse gas footprint per minute of film than cinema feature films.
- At the same time, the spread is much greater for cinema feature films. These also include outliers with very high emission intensity per minute of film (over 2.5 tonnes of CO2eq per minute of film).
Box plots of CO2eq emissions per minute of film by film genre
CO2eq per minute of film
Comparative box plot representation of CO2eq emissions per minute of film for cinema documentary films and cinema feature film
Separate presentation of CO2eq per minute of film by film genre:
CO2eq per minute of film – cinema documentary film
CO2eq per minute of film – cinema feature film
Frequency distribution
A detailed analysis of the frequency distribution yields the following results:
- Most of the projects included in the analysis have low emission intensity. Only a few projects have higher values that significantly raise the frequency distribution.
- In addition, the visualisations illustrate that the highest emission intensities are significantly higher for cinema feature films than for cinema documentary films.
The ranges of kg CO₂eq per minute of film, in which 50% of the films fall, are as follows:
- Cinema documentary film: 40.85 to 182.95 kg CO₂eq per minute of film
- Cinema feature film: 397.17 to 927.72 kg CO₂eq per minute of film
Frequency of cinema film productions per minute of film:
Cinema documentary film: kg CO2eq per minute of film
Cinema feature film: KG CO2eq per minute of film
This indicator compares greenhouse gas emissions with production costs. This is where the greatest overlap between feature films and cinema documentaries can be seen. Every euro spent on production costs is associated with a certain amount of emissions.
Descriptive statistics
In the analysis of greenhouse gas emissions per euro of manufacturing costs, most projects range between 10 and 30 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 of manufacturing costs.
The MEDIAN of Austrian cinema productions is:
- 15 cinema documentary films: 19.38 kg CO2eq per EUR of production costs
- 41 cinema feature films: 17.71 kg CO2eq per EUR of production costs
When looking at the reference values, the descriptive statistics do not show uniform values due to the large dispersion of the data. Nevertheless, the evaluated ranges in which 50% of the projects occur can be used as a frame of reference for estimating emission intensity:
- Cinema documentary film: between 10.01 and 29.75 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 production cost
- Cinema feature film: between 12.37 and 24.05 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 production cost
Greenhouse gas intensity per EUR 1,000 of production costs
| Descriptive statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| KG CO2eq/TSD Euro production costs | ||
| Cinema documantary film | Cinema feature film | |
| valid | 15 | 41 |
| missing | 0 | 0 |
| median | 19.38 | 17.71 |
| mean value | 22.38 | 21.61 |
| standard deviation | 16.27 | 15.13 |
| variance | 264.6 | 228.9 |
| skewness | 0.971 | 2.608 |
| standard error skewness | 0.58 | 0.369 |
| minimum | 2.832 | 6.06 |
| maximum | 55.96 | 90.08 |
| 25. percentile | 10.01 | 12.37 |
| 50. percentile | 19.38 | 17.71 |
| 75. percentile | 29.75 | 24.05 |
BOXPLOT analysis
The box plot analysis shows the distribution of greenhouse gas emissions per EUR 1,000 of production costs for cinema documentary films and cinema feature films. There is no statistically significant difference between the two film genres in terms of this indicator.
The emission intensity of greenhouse gas emissions per EUR 1,000 of production costs is comparable for cinema documentary films and cinema feature films.
Box plot analysis in detail:
- The analysis shows that the emission intensity of cinema documentary films and cinema feature films is similar.
- The median values are close together. This also applies to mean values and standard deviations.
MEDIAN:
Cinema documentary film: 19.38 CO2eq emissions per EUR 1,000 production costs
Cinema feature film: 17.71 CO2eq emissions per EUR 1,000 production costs
- Mann-Whitney U test:
A Mann-Whitney U test was performed for the key figure, as the data is not normally distributed. This test checks whether there is a significant difference in emission intensity between cinema documentary films and cinema feature films (U value: 306.00 ; p value: 0.99). The p value is well above the usual threshold of 0.05.
CO2eq emissions per EUR 1,000 production costs by film genre
Comparative box plot representation of CO2eq emissions per EUR 1,000 production costs for cinema documentary film and cinema feature film
Separate presentation of CO2eq per EUR 1,000 of production costs:
CO2eq emissions per EUR 1,000 of production costs – cinema documentary film
CO2eq emissions per EUR 1,000 production costs – cinema feature film
Frequency distribution
When analysing the frequency distribution, the emission intensities of cinema documentary films and cinema feature films are also comparable with each other for this indicator.
The analysis shows that the highest emission intensities for cinema feature films are significantly higher than those for cinema documentary films. At the same time, the emission intensity remains low for most productions, while individual projects are responsible for higher average values.
Cinema documentary film
An analysis of 15 cinema documentaries shows that the majority have low emission intensity.
Most projects are in the range of up to 20 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 of production costs.
Only a few cinema documentary films achieve higher ratings.
Cinema feature film
An analysis of 41 feature films shows that most productions have low to medium emission intensity.
The frequency distribution is unimodal, meaning that there is a pronounced peak in the range of 10 to 30 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 of production costs.
Individual feature films achieve significantly higher emission intensities (up to 90 kg CO₂eq per €1,000 production cost). These few outliers significantly raise the average.
The ranges of CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 of production costs, within which 50% of films fall, are as follows:
- Cinema documentary film: 10.01 to 29.75 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 production costs
- Cinema feature film: 12.37 to 24.05 kg CO₂eq per EUR 1,000 production costs
Cinema documentary film
Cinema feature film
This indicator considers greenhouse gas emissions per shooting day.
The analysis of emissions per day of filming shows the greatest variation, in contrast to CO2eq per minute of film or CO2eq per EUR 1,000 of production costs.
The emissions show high variance and thus widely differing results. This could be due, among other things, to differences in production technology.
Nevertheless, the differences are clearly evident: cinema feature films generate significantly higher greenhouse gas emissions per day of filming on average than cinema documentary films.
Descriptive statistics
When analysing greenhouse gas emissions per filming day, the number of shooting days varies greatly.
Cinema documentary film: 11 to 66 shooting days
Cinema feature film: 14 to 80 shooting days
Greenhousegas intensity per shooting day
| Descriptive statistics | ||
|---|---|---|
| KG CO2eq/per shooting day | ||
| Cinema documantary film | Cinema feature film | |
| valid | 15 | 41 |
| missing | 0 | 0 |
| median | 358.4 | 1917 |
| mean value | 463.8 | 2484 |
| standard deviation | 385.3 | 1989 |
| variance | 148400 | 3956×10+6 |
| skewness | 1.073 | 2.009 |
| standard error skewness | 0.58 | 0.369 |
| minimum | 55.5 | 35.55 |
| maximum | 1301 | 9458 |
| 25. percentile | 162.1 | 1324 |
| 50. percentile | 358.4 | 1917 |
| 75. percentile | 624.8 | 2792 |
BOXPLOT analysis
Even though the emissions per shooting day vary greatly between the two film genres examined, this indicator is still suitable for analysing production-specific characteristics. These include, for example, the number of shooting days or long shooting periods, etc.
The range of CO₂eq per shooting day for 50% of the films is as follows:
- Cinema documentary film: 162.09 to 358.42 kg CO₂eq per shooting day
- Cinema feature film: 1,323.89 to 2,792.00 kg CO₂eq per shooting day
kg CO2eq per shooting day
Comparative box plot representation of CO2eq emissions per shooting day
Separate presentation of CO2eq per shooting day
CO2eq per shooting day – cinema documentary film
CO2eq per shooting day – cinema feature film
Frequency analysis
Frequency of CO2eq per shooting day by film genre in KG
Cinema documentary film
Cinema feature film
The greenhouse gas balances examined were considered according to four categories.
For the analysis, the average greenhouse gas emissions per category were calculated. In line with KlimAktiv practice, non-CO₂ effects (RFI) are not included in the percentage distribution of emission categories in order to avoid distortions in the analysis. CO₂ offsets were not taken into account in the analysis.
Relative distribution of CO2eq emissions – cinema documentary film
Relative distribution of CO2eq emissions – cinema feature film
The figure shows the relative distribution of emissions from both film genres. The diagrams show that travel/transport accounts for the largest share of emissions in both film genres, followed by energy. Catering and material use are comparatively low.
The analysis provides a clear distribution for cinema documentary films rather than cinema feature films:
Travel and transport is by far the biggest driver of emissions, including emissions from passenger and freight transport, air travel and overnight stays:
- Cinema documentary films: 84.1%
- Cinema feature films: 72.9%
Energy comes second, including energy consumption for filming locations, technical equipment, post-production, office supplies and studio recordings:
- Cinema documentary films: 9,7%
- Cinema feature films: 10,2%
After the two largest emission drivers, travel/transport and energy, the relative distribution is divided into cinema documentary films and cinema feature films.
For cinema documentaries, catering is the third largest area, while the use of materials is low:
Catering 5.3% ; use of materials 0.9%
For feature films, the use of materials is the third largest area, ahead of catering:
Use of materials 9.1% ; catering 7.7%