What the pledge means to the industry
Climate Content
The Climate Content Pledge

What is the Climate Content Pledge?
Broadcasters and streamers signed the Climate Content Pledge at COP 26 in November 2021, committing to using their content* to help audiences understand what tackling climate change might mean for them, as well as inspire and inform sustainable choices.
*For the purposes of this pledge, “content” is all programming with the exception of news.

The Pledge
Climate change presents enormous challenges which will affect us all.
With the Paris Climate Agreement, nations all over the world have committed to undertake ambitious efforts to combat climate change and adapt to its effects. To limit global warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels and avoid catastrophic runaway climate change, carbon emissions must be halved by 2030. The decisions that governments, businesses and individuals make now and over the next five years are crucial to setting a sustainable climate trajectory. While the situation is urgent and grave, it is not without hope – every tonne of emissions avoided or removed can prevent further damage.
We, as members of the global screen industry, have a crucial responsibility to help our audiences engage with these challenges.
Therefore, we commit to the following principles:
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We will reach more of our audiences with content that helps everyone understand and navigate the path to net zero, and inspires them to make greener choices.
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We will develop processes that help us to consider climate themes when we are commissioning, developing and producing content*.
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We will ensure that our efforts are informed by the science.
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We will recognise the importance of fair and balanced representations of visions for a sustainable future.
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We will work together:
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learning from and inspiring each other
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sharing relevant industry and audience insights and developing relevant metrics
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improving how we measure our impact.
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We will communicate regularly with our colleagues, partners, and audiences so that we can all play our part in meeting this shared challenge.
*For the purposes of this pledge, “content” is all programming with the exception of news.
BBC
“I’m incredibly proud of what content makers have achieved since we signed the Climate Content Pledge, but there’s more to do and everyone in the industry has a role to play. The BBC’s purpose is to inform, educate and entertain and the all-encompassing topic of climate change provides a huge creative opportunity in this respect. We will continue to raise the issues, highlight the facts and use compelling storytelling in our programming.”
Tim Davie, Director-General
UKTV
“We are fully committed to the Climate Content Pledge with sustainability meetings embedded throughout our commissioning workflow. Having pioneered climate content tracking three years ago, we’re delighted to be part of the new BAFTA albert on-screen sustainability tracking and are now looking to take our understanding to the next level with a research project in train to study the value of specific climate references. This will allow us to tailor our climate content to maximise its impact.”
Richard Watsham, Chief Creative Officer, UKTV & Global Director of Acquisitions
ITV
“ITV is deeply committed to the Climate Content Pledge, and we’re proud of the significant progress made over the past year. From continuing to normalise sustainable behaviours across our output from soaps to more explicit green commissions, ITV is dedicated to shaping and reflecting culture for good. Through our diverse content and meaningful storytelling, we aim to inspire positive change, normalising environmentally-friendly choices as we all navigate the journey toward a sustainable future.”
Dame Carolyn McCall, CEO
Sky
“We are increasingly embedding our commitment to the Climate Content Pledge into every stage of the Television and Film production process. This approach motivates us to create authentic, climate-related content that can inspire, educate, and make meaningful change in society.” Meghan Lyvers, Executive Director of Original Scripted UK & Ireland

The Signatories
As the UK’s largest media brands, the signatories represent over 70% of time UK audiences spend watching TV and film.
