How is the catalogue of measures for the Nordic Ecological Standard structured?

The NES is divided into six fields of action:
1. General requirements
2. Personnel and material transport
3. Energy use
4. Accommodation and catering
5. Use of materials
6. Biodiversity

Each field contains both mandatory requirements and target requirements. Mandatory requirements must always be followed. Target requirements are not strict regulations but an appeal for environmentally sustainable production methods.

Do I have to comply with all mandatory requirements?

In justified cases, it may not be possible to comply with all mandatory requirements. In such cases, deviations are allowed for up to five of the 23 mandatory requirements per production (the “5-of-23 rule”). The number of allowable deviations is expected to be reduced in the coming years.

The following mandatory requirements cannot be omitted under the 5-of-23 rule:
- 1.a Responsibility statement of the management and line producer(s)
- 1.b Green consultant/green manager
- 1.c Initial report and preliminary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation
- 1.d Final greenhouse gas (GHG) calculation
- 1.e Final report

What happens if a mandatory requirement of the ecological standard does not apply to my production?

Not all criteria are relevant for every production. If a mandatory requirement is justifiably not applicable, it is considered fulfilled and does not count toward the 5-of-23 exceptions.

Example: Animated films are usually produced in studios with a fixed electricity connection, so diesel generators are generally not needed. In this case, the production company can state in the initial and final report that the generator-related requirements are fulfilled.

What if it is impossible to fulfil a requirement in a specific production?

If a requirement cannot be fulfilled due to circumstances beyond the production’s control, the requirement is considered fulfilled. In such cases, the production should briefly document the reasons in its reporting, to ensure clarity and transparency.

Does the ecological standard only apply in the Nordic countries?

The standard applies to all parts of a production financed by the Nordic film institutes or by a company, broadcaster, or VoD service that has made a self-commitment—regardless of whether the production company is based in the Nordics or abroad.

How is compliance with the ecological standard monitored and verified?

At the end of the production, a final report must be submitted in accordance with mandatory requirement 1.e. This report must account for whether the mandatory and target requirements have been fulfilled. To check compliance, supporting documentation is required. The document “NES Final Report” specifies what documentation must be provided.

Additionally, detailed examinations may be carried out on a case-by-case basis or through random sampling. All necessary documentation should therefore be kept ready.

Who developed the concept of the ecological standard?

The NES is inspired by existing German ecological standards, developed by the German film and TV industry and introduced by the Federal Government Commissioner for Culture and Media at the Berlinale 2022. These standards also inspired the minimum ecological standards for Austrian cinema film productions.

In spring 2024, the Nordisk Film & TV Fond and The Five Nordics (the five Nordic film institutes) commissioned a study to investigate the feasibility of implementing a Nordic ecological standard based on the German and Austrian models. In autumn 2024, the final report of the study was presented to industry stakeholders and the concept of a common standard for film and TV production across the Nordic countries was well received.

For more information about the German ecological standards, see:
www.ffa.de/sustainability.html

Where can I get practical knowledge on sustainable production?

Detailed knowledge and useful tips are provided by various organisations:

www.elsa.film

www.ekosetti.fi

www.eurecafilm.eu/green-filming

www.greenproducers.club

www.greentoolkit-filmtv.eu

www.stepup.ecoprod.com

www.wearealbert.org

www.avaus.apfi.fi (FI, EN, SWE)

Section 1: General Requirements

Is there a pre-made form for the ”Responsibility statement of the management and line producer(s)” (mandatory requirement 1.a)?

Yes. A form for the declaration is available for download.

Can the management be represented by authorised signatories, for example in large production companies and broadcasters, in the ”Responsibility statement of the management and line producer(s)” (mandatory requirement 1.a)?

Yes, this is possible.

How should CO₂-eq emissions be recorded?

The ecological standard includes two mandatory requirements for CO₂-eq calculation under the general requirements:

- A preliminary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation must be submitted before the start of production. This helps assess compliance in advance and orients the production towards sustainable practices.
- A final greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions calculation with actual data must be submitted after production is completed.

How are CO₂-eq emissions recorded for serial formats?

For telenovelas, daily soaps, series, and other serial formats, CO₂-eq data for a season is assessed over a representative period of about 5–6 weeks. The prerequisite is that the ecological standards are followed throughout the season.

What is the process for the final report?

If the NES becomes a mandatory requirement for funding and a Nordic film institute has granted production support, that institute is responsible for auditing the final report. The report must be submitted no later than at the time of final cost reporting.

If a project is co-produced or financed by a regional film fund that requires NES compliance, the process must be clarified with the respective fund.
For non-publicly funded productions made according to the NES, the process must be agreed with the commissioning broadcaster, streaming service, or platform.

Section 2: Personnel and Material Transport

Should filming no longer take place at locations that are poorly accessible by public transport?

The statement that production or filming locations that are accessible by train/public transport or that have suitable accommodation options in the immediate vicinity should be preferred is intended as a guideline for the production process, so that - whenever possible - cast & crew should travel to filming locations by public transport.

When are flights not allowed according to mandatory requirement 2.b?

Domestic and international flights are not permitted if the corresponding train journey would take less than five hours. The fastest train connection on the relevant day (from the departure city’s main station to the destination city’s main station) must be used for comparison.

Private planes must not be used for production purposes, unless they appear on screen.

Do vehicles featured in the production also have to meet criterion 2.c (Use of low-emission vehicles)?

No. Vehicles featured in the production are exempt from this requirement.

Section 3: Energy Use 

Which premises are considered temporarily used sites in the sense of recommended requirement 3.b?

Temporarily used sites are those rented for a limited time within the production period.
Example: If filming takes place at several locations and offices or rooms (e.g. for makeup and costumes) are rented only for the duration of each shoot, these are considered temporary sites.

What happens if an external post-production house is commissioned and it does not use green electricity?

In that case, mandatory requirement 3.d is not fulfilled, and one of the five allowable exceptions is used. This requirement only applies in countries where it is possible to choose a green energy supplier.

Section 4: Accommodation and Catering

In regions with long transport routes or under harsh conditions (e.g. northern Scandinavia or Iceland), may vegetarian meals be replaced with locally sourced meat?

The requirement for vegetarian meals applies in all regions. The reason is that transportation accounts for only a very small part of the overall climate footprint of food. Even when transported long distances, plant-based food consistently has a lower environmental impact than meat, according to life cycle analyses of food production.

What if a requirement in the NES conflicts with national legislation (e.g. hygiene or safety rules)?

In cases where a requirement conflicts with legislation, the legislation always takes priority. In such situations, the NES requirement is considered fulfilled. Productions should briefly document these cases in their reporting, to ensure clarity and transparency.

Section 5: Use of materials

Which wood or wood-based materials must carry FSC or PEFC seals?

This includes construction wood, set decoration materials, wood panels, beams, parquet, and floorboards.

What does the required proportion of recycled paper refer to?

This requirement applies only to the production company, not to external service providers.

How is waste separation implemented in documentary films?

In all productions, including documentaries, waste must be separated at each production site (including on-location) into at least the following categories: paper and cardboard, glass, plastic, metal, wood, organic waste, residual waste, hazardous waste, electronic waste and textiles.

Production sites are defined as places with a certain production infrastructure where filming takes place for a period of time. In documentary productions without fixed sites, waste should still be separated to the extent possible.

C) SPECIAL QUESTIONS FOR FUNDING FROM THE NORDIC FILM INSTITUTES

To which types of funding from the Nordic film institutes do the ecological standards apply?

Starting in 2026, the ambition is that the Nordic Ecological Standard will be a funding requirement for project film funding (production support) from the Nordic film institutes.

Does the Nordic Ecological Standard also apply to the automated funding programs such as the tax incentives of the Nordic countries?

No. Compliance with the NES is currently not a requirement for automated funding systems such as tax incentives.

Process:

D) QUESTIONS ABOUT THE TEMPLATES FOR COMPLIANCE WITH THE ECOLOGICAL STANDARD

What is the purpose of the templates for compliance with the ecological standard?

The template is used to submit

·       the initial report

·       the final report, (created after the production is completed), in which fulfilment of the mandatory and target requirements must be documented.

Where can I find the reporting template?

The template (NES Report, excel) can be accessed via the website.