Press Releases

Vancouver Film Studios Goes Green
January 27, 2008

Effective January 1, 2008, Vancouver Film Studios and its subsidiary Pacific Backlot Services has become Canada’s first certified Carbon Neutral film and television production facility. This announcement comes after more than a year of planning and on-site preparation. It heralds a new opportunity for all members of the film & television industry to reduce and neutralize the collective greenhouse gas emissions created from filmmaking activity in BC.

“We’re doing this for three reasons,” said VFS Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer, Pete Mitchell. “First, because we feel a personal and corporate responsibility to help mitigate the effect of our operations on the environment. Second, because the government of BC, a staunch supporter of our industry as shown by their recent action on labour-based tax credits, has repeatedly asked all British Columbians to support their environmental initiatives. And third – because our key customers have asked for it.”

To achieve Carbon Neutral status, an analysis of VFS Corporate practices was conducted by Green House Gas Accountant, Paul Harding, of Go Neutral Now using World Resources Institute standards. This analysis lead to VFS’s decision to purchase their carbon offset credits from Offsetters Climate Neutral Society which is involved in projects focused on energy efficiency such as efficient lighting, ground-source heat pumps, and renewable energy. For example, the Semiamhoo House Society provides a facility for the acquisition of life skills needed for semi-independent living. A ground-source heat pump (GSHP) system was installed in 2002. Since then, it has reduced the operational cost of heating the facility by 75% relative to conventional approaches to heating and cooling service provision.

Additionally, VFS has established a wide-scale series of on-site initiatives to reduce the impact of its day-to-day operations on the environment. To that end, VFS, together with Pacific Backlot Services has implemented the following measures:

Energy efficient light replacement programs for offices
Energy efficient HPL lighting for productions
Reduced temperatures in vacant stages
Locked out thermostats to minimize temperature fluctuations in all stages
The exchange of plasma screens for LCD technology
Lot-wide recycling of paper, cardboard and composting of organic kitchen waste
The use of 100% post-consumer recycled paper
Double-sided printing and more efficient hard-copy document management
Computers that go into ‘sleep mode’ when not in use
Use of Carbon Neutral suppliers where available

Located on almost 30 acres of land just fifteen minutes from downtown Vancouver, British Columbia, Vancouver Film Studios (VFS) is Canada’s premier motion picture production complex. With 10 purpose-built sound stages, offices, construction shops, ample parking, gym, and working helipad on a fully secured lot, VFS can accommodate the needs of any production, large or small.

Recent productions at VFS include Night at the Museum, X-Men 2, X-Men 3, Fantastic Four, Fantastic Four 2, and I, Robot. Currently in production at VFS are the feature films, Travelling and The Day the Earth Stood Still. VFS has been the home of Battlestar Galactica for four years and Eureka for three.

“Our customers want to know,” says Mitchell, “that when they book production facilities & services at Vancouver Film Studios, they have chosen an organization that meets the same carbon-neutral objectives of their own companies. And at VFS, they can now be assured of that.