Sustainability

We are now delighted to announce that we are now officially A Greener Festival!

L’Alternativa is staunchly committed to sustainable, environmentally friendly practices to encourage responsible consumption, circular economy and reuse in all of our year-round activities.

In 2019 the talk on Beyond the Green Shooting Card at the 10th Industry Day explored the environmental impact of the filmmaking and audiovisual industry, with input from a range of agents from the audiovisual and cultural sectors. In collaboration with Javier Alexandre (Spanish Ministry of Culture), a panel of international experts discussed new ways of shooting movies designed to reduce environmental impacts in different areas of filmmaking.

In 2022 an environmental audit and diagnosis of the festival identified the strengths and weaknesses of our festival activities and led to changes in areas such as energy, consumption, purchases, hiring, mobility, waste production and management, communication, team training and raising festivalgoers’ awareness.

Also in 2022, one of the 13th Industry Days was given over to Sustainable Logic (watch a recording of the session). This event included a presentation of ICEC’s Pla_C* Cultura para el Clima and the Catalunya Film Commission’s push for Green Film certification through its Sustainable Filmmaking Guide, as well as a practical introduction to developing sustainability plans for projects in development. Finally, Basque Green Film analysed sustainability in the processes of creating, producing, distributing and consuming films through perspectives such as circular economy or triple bottom line.

In 2023 we have been working on A Greener Festival certification, awarded by A Greener Future, a nonprofit organisation that awards specific environmental certification to cultural industries in general and festivals in particular. AGF Certification Assessment is based on audits before and during the festival, followed by a post-festival report with suggestions for improvement and a calculation of the festival’s carbon footprint. In the process, we received the local support of consultant Giada Calvano from Chloe Sustainability, who is also a teacher and senior adviser at A Greener Future and an eco-assistant at different festivals.

In addition to receiving two stars (out of four) as a Greener Event, we were praised for our management, our concern for the environment and our efforts to go the extra mile by providing the tools to bring about positive change. None of this would be possible without the keen collaboration of everyone involved in the festival in general and all our festivalgoers in particular. Many thanks for making this possible!

At l’Alternativa 2023 our Pro activities included the Green Manager workshop for independent filmmakers, run by Eneko Muruzabal Elezcano from Basque Green Film. Aimed at professionals working in independent film production, it provided a practical approach to understanding the environmental impacts of audiovisual production and set out strategies for reducing carbon footprints. Participants were equipped with the necessary skills to assess environmental impacts and draw up and implement sustainability plans in a practical way adapted to the particular needs of independent filmmaking.

The idea for the future is to continue developing a sustainability plan for the festival by 2024.

Further examples of good practice in line with Sustainable Development Goals:

• Film transportation: L’Alternativa makes use of several virtual space accounts to avoid the need to transport copies of films, including Google Drive and our technological sponsor and transfer partner MyAirBridge, which has reduced spending on national and international courier services, which have a significant impact on climate change, promoted digital management of films and avoiding unnecessary uploading and downloading.
• Call for entries: All submissions (approximately 1,500 entries every year) are made in completely done in digital format, thus avoiding the need to transport physical copies of films and thereby reducing their climate impact.
• Equipment hire and screenings. Screening venues are not always equipped with the necessary technology to ensure the required screening quality, which is why equipment such as sound systems and monitors is usually hired. Projectors (DCP), opening and closing events (musical performances), and monitors are hired.
• Ticketing: Spectators with an online ticket can go directly to the venue with their mobile device (saving paper). Box office equipment (computers, printers, scanners) is hired.
• Proximity: l’Alternativa's main venues are nearby (CCCB, Filmoteca de Catalunya, Cinema Maldà, MACBA, Zumzeig), well-connected on foot or by public transport on the same metro line. For years, various hotels in the Raval neighborhood (Ciutat Vella) have been established as official hotels, promoting mobility on foot to avoid the use of private transportation.
• Guest allowances: The festival restaurant is CCCB's own (Terracccita), with local and organic products. Likewise, agreements are also established with restaurants in Raval, such as El Magraner Boig, to organize dinners as meeting points for guests and attending professionals. Meeting points and parties always feature local products, with cup and tableware rentals and paper trays or recyclable materials.
• Travel and transportation. For team and guest travel, we prioritize the use of trains (mainly within Spain and to France) over planes. We offset emissions for each flight and transport mode where possible. Likewise, when public transport cannot be used for guest transfers, we use the sustainable provider Taxi Ecològic.
• Scenography and ambiance material is usually rented from specialized stores. Only what is strictly necessary is purchased, and then reuse is encouraged. The scenography carpet is usually 100% recycled from other activities, as well as different elements each year (bar, carpets, cushions, etc.). Furniture from CCCB, such as chairs, carpets, poufs, and armchairs, is reused as much as possible. Natural plants are rented for decoration.
• Value chain. Awareness of impact: systematization of responsible purchasing criteria, prioritizing suppliers with ethical commitments.
• Printing of materials (programs, brochures, posters) has been minimized. Online dissemination material (mailings, social networks, etc.) is always prioritized, and there is an online catalogue that is not printed (accessible on the website). Only what is strictly necessary is printed (some hand programs, brochures, posters, and boards) editing the minimum to avoid excess. Additionally, printing is done on certified sustainable paper.
• The only regular merchandising item is high-quality tote bags (100% cotton, 240g, 1 ink) that ensure their use by recipients and avoid unnecessary waste.
• Good governance. The management of the entity is done through transparency and professional ethics practices: decision-making is aligned with the best governance practices, as well as aspects of economic sustainability. L’Alternativa is committed to established economic performance, under transparency and professional ethics criteria.