Finding opportunities to feature subtle but accurate examples of home decarbonisation on-screen, across all different genres and content types, is key to normalising climate-positive lifestyle changes for all audiences. And normalising sustainable choices and actions through their representation in our favourite TV shows can, in turn, have huge real-world impact. But what might these home decarbonisation measures actually look like on-screen?
Heat pumps
According to the DESNZ Public Attitudes Tracker, heat pumps are the low-carbon heating system with the highest level of overall awareness in the UK. Three quarters of people say they are ‘aware’ of air source heat pumps – but awareness doesn’t always equal change. We all need to feel confident when it comes to engaging with new technologies, and this is where the TV industry can step in. Heat pump units can easily be made visible on our screens, in a non-invasive way; attached to the outside wall of a character’s home, for example. The more we see heat pumps on our screens the less alien they will feel to our audiences, and the more likely it is that they might choose to explore the technology for their own homes.
Solar power
Solar power continues to be a popular choice of renewable technology – more than 183,000 solar panel installations took place across the UK in 2023 alone; a third more than in 2022, and numbers are steadily continuing to rise. In the UK, 1.28 million homes already have solar panels installed, so it’s entirely plausible that they might feature in exterior or drone shots of people’s homes, in our favourite TV dramas.
Electric vehicle chargers
The UK has installed a record number of public electric vehicle chargers this year, as companies race to keep up with the growing number of battery vehicles on British roads. Nearly 6,000 new chargers were installed during the first three months of 2024, and in January of 2024, Britain’s millionth EV was registered. It’s increasingly common to see EVs on our roads and to spot EV chargers in residential areas, places of work and at petrol stations. This growing interest in EVs is something we can reflect, in an understated way, in our TV programming. Scroll down to check out General Motors’ EV campaign featuring Will Ferrell, for inspiration on how the TV industry can take the lead.
Induction hobs
The general public is increasingly aware of the negative impacts that cooking on gas can have – not only for the planet, but for our health. The facts are alarming, with a recent study finding that children who live in homes with a gas stove are 42% more likely to have asthma. Government plans to ban gas boilers in all new homes by 2025 will result in a big increase in the number of induction hobs that are installed. With such significant changes on the way, the appearance of gas hobs in our TV content will soon feel outdated – including induction hobs incidentally in our production design is just one example of the many ways the TV industry can stay current in reflecting our lives on-screen.
Smart meters
Smart meters are increasingly commonplace in our homes, with installations in homes and small businesses across Great Britain having reached 35.5 million at the end of March 2024. The in-home-displays (IHDs) which track our energy usage and show us how much we’re spending can be placed anywhere, making it easy to imagine an IHD subtly placed in the background of a scene in a character’s home – by a front door, on a kitchen counter or on a coffee table.
Everybody In
Everybody In
YouTube
General Motors EV campaign – ‘Everybody In’
In 2021, General Motors enlisted Will Ferrell as part of its ‘Everybody In‘ campaign, announcing its launch of 30 new EVS by the end of 2025. The commercials included a Super Bowl spot made in partnership with Netflix, who pledged to increase the visibility of EVs as much as possible across the Netflix universe. The ad sees Will Ferrell driving in, or walking next to, EVs placed on the sets of shows like Squid Game, Queer Eye, Stranger Things and Bridgerton. While EVs may not belong on all of these shows, the ad highlights the value of including them where it makes sense to do so.
General Motors also created a further series of Super Bowl spots with Will Ferrell and fellow comedians Kenan Thompson and Awkwafina. In the ads, Ferrell is furious to learn the fact that Norway sells more EVs per capita than the US – the three then head out on a mission to get even, showcasing General Motors’ range of EVs and their Ultium batteries, on the way.
Emmerdale
The Emmerdale production site is powered by renewable energy, with EV charging stations for a growing fleet of Electric Cars. All production paperwork has been digitised, saving approximately 3 million sheets of paper per year. All studios have been upgraded to LEDs, the energy savings have allowed for Solar Panel installation. There’s also smart meters, clothing banks, recycling bins, reusable cups, bags, food waste composting, an anaerobic digester, an ethical outdoor pursuits centre, allotments, bug hotels and wildflower meadows.
There are good sustainable practices for the well-heeled Home Farmers to the desperate Dingles. Rober Swan said “the greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.” Car sharing, meat free menu days and sets, props and costumes are re-loved, resold or rehomed. The production made a “Green Onscreen Pledge” to try and include a sustainable moment or mention in every single episode. This will either be scripted dialogue or action and Emmerdale’s 50th Anniversary Storm week centred around climate change and impact of severe weather on rural communities.
At a higher-level ITV signed the Climate Content Pledge, uniting major broadcasters to only commission sustainable programming and drive 100% sustainable supply chains. With so many hard to hear messages around climate change, the production tries to create a sense of optimism too and find ways for the audience to fall in love with the future again.
Image: Emmerdale, courtesy of ITV
