In 2021, every major UK broadcaster and streamer signed the Climate Content Pledge, uniting under a shared goal: to use their platforms to inspire audiences and help them navigate the path to a more sustainable future. Since then, climate storytelling has appeared across a wide range of genres, and in 2024, progress has continued to build momentum.
Posted on 12th November 2024
UK Broadcasters Take Major Step Forward on Climate Content
Three years after launching the Climate Content Pledge, the UK’s leading broadcasters are reaffirming their commitment to climate storytelling – and taking concrete action to support it.
Climate content sizzle reel
To mark the progress of the pledge, a new industry-produced sizzle reel has been released, showcasing the diversity and reach of recent climate-themed commissions. From factual titles to light entertainment, the reel highlights how shows like Love Island, Sex Education, Vinnie Jones in the Country, and Joe Lycett vs Sewage are finding creative ways to bring climate themes to the fore.
The sizzle reel is available to watch here and will also feature across albert’s social media channels. A refreshed Climate Content webpage is now live, featuring new guidance, updates and tools for anyone looking to embed climate into their storytelling.
A new approach to measurement
A core commitment of the Climate Content Pledge was to improve how climate storytelling is measured. In a significant step forward, six major UK broadcasters – BBC, Channel 4, Channel 5, ITV, Sky and UKTV – have collaborated to develop a standardised tracking process to better understand how, where and how often sustainability content appears on screen.
Launching in January 2025, the new on-screen sustainability tracking forms will allow broadcasters to record genre, key climate themes, and how prominently these ideas are featured within programmes. This new data will offer the most detailed picture yet of how climate content is evolving in UK television, and will help inform future editorial decisions.
BAFTA albert will receive broadcaster data annually and publish anonymised insights to support continued progress across the industry.
— Catherine Ellis, Head of Climate Content at BAFTA albert“Over the last three years the Climate Content Pledge has successfully brought together programme makers all over the UK to make a difference. In 2024 we have continued to see great progress and the introduction of a universal measurement process is a breakthrough that will allow the industry to deliver on its pledge to create more and better climate content. We can see how audiences react and engage and take those lessons to make even more impactful content in the future.
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