Developing an environmental strategy for UK film - BFI

The majority of Government polices will stem from the aforementioned principles and priority
areas.
Although all of the UK Government principles and priorities are relevant to any UKFC
sustainability strategy, principles 1 and 3, and priorities 1-3 are more specific to environmental
sustainability within the film industry, hence the proposed UKFC Environment Strategy.
One of the commitments in the UK Government sustainable development strategy was for all
government departments and their executive agencies to produce a Sustainable Development
(SD) Action Plan by December 2005. The DCMS has its own sustainable development action
plan 22 covering the period April 2007 to March 2010. The sustainable development action plan
sets targets for the DCMS and its NDPBs. The plan will be reviewed in the spring of 2008.
The DCMS’s primary focus 23 for 2007-08 is climate change and its possible effects on its
responsible sectors. The DCMS also has three high level Sustainable Development Action Plan
priorities:
1. To carry out a review of the contribution of the cultural and heritage sector to combat
climate change (in order to develop policy and measure progress, including a
measurement of DCMS HQ + NDPB HQ carbon footprint), resulting in an academic
literature review on the effects of climate change on DCMS sectors and a report on their
carbon footprint.
2. To lead the efforts of a key group of NDPBs to make the most of their significant
potential to influence public responses to sustainable development issues, in particular
climate change, resulting in a high level conference for all NDPBs to define a combined
and separate approach to sustainable development, and an invitation to each NDPB head
to sign a declaration of action on climate change, which the DCMS will support and
follow up.
3. To ensure that current policy development is consistent with wider government
sustainable development priorities.
The Sustainable Operations in Government Report (for 2006-07) will be published later this year
and will contain information relating to the DCMS’s environmental performance in waste, energy
and water use. The DCMS states in its sustainable development strategy that ‘it is highly likely
that NDPBs will be required to provide similar information within the next three years’.
The following DCMS sustainable development action plan targets specifically relate to NDPBs
include:-
• Target 2
o Invite CEOS of NDPBs to make a joint declaration of action on climate change:
Signed declaration from each sector (with DCMS to follow-up and support
action) by February 2008
• Target 4
o All NDPBs to be encouraged to produce plans that demonstrate their contribution
to sustainable development principles: a) Plans available for each NDPB, either
22 http://www.culture.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F9BA45DE-9E00-49AA-A7A5-7D06D65AC828/0/DCMS_SDActionPlan_07.pdf
23 alongside the other three Government agreed priority areas sustainable consumption and production, natural resource protection and
sustainable communities
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