The Norwegian Film Institute (NFI) is now releasing a proposal for consultation regarding the introduction of a joint Nordic Ecological Standard (NES) for those applying for funding for film, TV, and series production. "A common Nordic sustainability standard will be a significant contribution to the transformation of the film and TV industry," says Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery.
The standard can also be used for film and TV productions that have not received public funding, as it is intended to be as inclusive as possible.
"The government has ambitious climate goals, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55 percent by 2030. We will do this in collaboration with the EU. A common Nordic sustainability standard will be a major contribution to transforming the film and TV industry. In the cultural sector, film and TV production is by far the highest emitter and is a natural place to start standardization efforts. That is why this is an important initiative now being led by the NFI," says Minister of Culture and Equality Lubna Jaffery.
"Sustainability and Nordic cooperation are high priorities at the Norwegian Film Institute. Together with our Nordic sister institutes, we have trained sustainability advisors through The Five Nordics – and now we are taking the next natural step: to develop a common Nordic sustainability standard. We are seeing great willingness in the industry to collaborate and implement, and we look forward to many good contributions during this consultation," says Kjersti Mo, Director of the Norwegian Film Institute.
The proposal to introduce a joint Nordic sustainability standard is based on an initiative among the Nordic film institutes, Nordic public broadcasters, and other TV channels, and follows feedback, initiatives, and input from the industry. The goal is to enable the industry to make green choices and grow sustainably. The initiative is also supported by the Nordic producers' associations, film regions, and regional funds in the Nordic countries.
There is broad support for the need and desire to adopt such a sustainability standard, which in English has been named the Nordic Ecological Standard (NES). It is based on a similar German sustainability standard that has been in use there since 2022. By basing the work on a standard already tested and in use in Germany and Austria, the industry can get started more quickly with measuring, rather than waiting for a new solution to be developed. This will ensure predictability and make it easier for film workers to report, regardless of which production they work on—nationally, in the Nordics, in Germany, Austria, or in other markets that adopt the standard.
The purpose of the consultation is to gather feedback and input from the audiovisual industry and their organizations in Norway on the proposed requirements and expectations, and how they may apply to different productions. The standard is scheduled to be implemented starting January 2026.
The government now proposes to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 percent by 2030. As a public agency and administrator of state funding schemes, the NFI is expected to implement measures that help achieve the sustainability goals Norway has committed to. This kind of sustainability standard is a concrete contribution to this effort.
On September 2 last year, a dialogue meeting on environmental sustainability was held at Kulturtanken, organized by the Ministry of Culture and with support from subordinate agencies, including the Norwegian Film Institute. There, a strong desire for concrete and rapidly implementable measures was clearly expressed.
In a time of growing need for Nordic and European cooperation, such a standard also promotes greater collaboration and harmonized working methods. The Five Nordics is also in dialogue with the International Sámi Film Institute and the Baltic film institutes about eventually adopting the Nordic sustainability standard.
