Sustainable Production Needs Surgery, Not a Band-Aid
Photo by Amjith S on Unplash.
Sustainability shouldn’t be a conversation limited to Earth Day. That’s why production company Lucky Luciano has gathered together some of the production world’s leading voices to discuss a topic close to their hearts: sustainable production.
Moving beyond the traditional rhetoric, we asked these production experts to explore the sustainability movement from the perspective of the past, present, and future, with the hope of unpacking what works and what doesn’t. More than ever, this moment requires measures that have impact – ideas upheld by action, plans supported by strong foundations. With this, of course, comes pressure, but the time is up for virtue signalling.
Looking Back
Marcin Nowak, head of service production at Lucky Luciano
In advertising, as well as generally, sustainability has a long track record of leaning into solutions that seem very revolutionary, but eventually come under scrutiny for being insufficient.
We used to think that recycling would solve our problems with waste, and electric cars would solve climate change. In hindsight, we see that these were only band aids on an issue that required surgery.
Pooja Dindigal, global head of impact at DEPT
Advertising quickly adapted to the emerging world of sustainability in the early days. Brands were eager to distinguish themselves from one another and respond to what their customers were telling them – that they cared about sustainability, impact, and ethics. This, of course, led to the proliferation of ‘green’ or ‘eco-friendly’ claims – not entirely ill-intentioned or just a ‘money-grab’, but a reflection of both a genuine excitement to be able to speak about doing good alongside emerging – but not yet widely adopted or settled – social and environmental standards.
In 2025, it is certainly outdated, if not unacceptable, to advertise sustainability claims without the science, data, and third-party substantiation. What has not gone out of fashion is the brand's enthusiasm for leading with sustainability messaging and doing so in a positive way.
While some of the early attempts were surface-level and somewhat buzzword-y, they paved the way for a deeper conversation about adopting credible sustainability practices and representing them authentically in advertising.
Clémentine Buren, green producer & certified sustainability consultant at LA\PAC
My early impression of sustainability in advertising was that it was a chore – something a bit dull, restrictive, and definitely not creative. It felt like a checkbox to tick rather than an inspiring brief. The word ‘sustainability’ brought to mind rules, limitations, and guilt trips – not the kind of energy that sparks bold ideas or emotional storytelling.
Today, more and more people see it could actually fuel creativity, not kill it. By weaving sustainable practices into the creative process and fostering a culture of sustainability, we can turn responsibility into something desirable.
I've noticed there’s often some resistance to change – especially when it affects budgets. Sustainability introduces a new set of constraints, both creative and financial, which can feel daunting at first. Production companies have been under significant pressure to adapt quickly to these evolving demands. But things are starting to shift. There's a growing understanding of the stakes, and more and more clients are now including eco-production guidelines as a standard part of their process.
Eco-production guidelines are becoming more widespread, and even without them, many production teams have already adopted sustainable habits as second nature – like cutting out red meat, reusing sets, or prioritising rentals. It’s an encouraging shift!
Jack Newman, managing director at Bullion
It used to be all about not using plastic bottles and recycling paper. Although these have endured and are a good thing – I believe everyone is now more educated about what really does make an impact on the wider world with large climate emissions from oil and gas industries greenwashing the wider agenda that has been fooling us all for years.
Today’s Landscape
Marcin Nowak, head of service production at Lucky Luciano
The industry at present is more interested in sustainability than ever. That’s a very good thing. Solutions are being discussed and analysed. New ideas are being explored every day that contribute to the overall momentum of the movement.
We’re focusing on reusing set build materials and costumes, limiting to absolute minimum single-use plastics, and opting for more sustainable catering options. More often, brands require certain solutions and certifications like B Corp or EcoVadis.
We’re just getting the latter processed at Lucky Luciano. We believe that they can be a real game changer, as they aren’t just a form that you fill out, but ensure a more thorough approach, including vetting the supply chain and measuring the company’s social impact.
That said, I feel like our tendency to over-rely on easy fixes has not changed much. The current trend is carbon calculators. A very useful tool – that we can absolutely use to lower our negative influence – but we must never forget that climate change isn’t the only issue that we need to tackle.
It’s important not to be satisfied by trendy actions, or stop at the bare minimum – those being the client’s or regulatory requirements. All of us have the power to go a step further and innovate.
Pooja Dindigal, global head of impact at DEPT
Sustainability topics are becoming increasingly politicised, complex, sensitive and fragmented. Advertisers have long experienced fragmentation across different audience groups, tailoring their marketing accordingly. They are likely already experiencing fragmentation across countries, regions, or political lines – both in terms of audience desires and within the regulatory landscape.
The upcoming EU Green Claims Directive, for example, will require companies to substantiate their green claims within the EU, allowing those that do so to speak confidently about sustainability, while others may quiet down. Similarly, the FTC Green Guides provided oversight and accountability, though their enforcement remains an open question. Advertisers are having to adapt to these fragmented regulatory environments, all while continuing to deliver a credible message based on sustainable transformation that still resonates with their audience.
Clémentine Buren, green producer & certified sustainability consultant at LA\PAC
We’re committed to discovering and supporting emerging talent – spotting potential, nurturing creative vision, and giving new voices room to grow. As producers, we blend craft, innovation, and sustainability – bridging tradition with future-facing tools like AI to shape the next generation of storytelling. From music videos to fiction, docs, and ads, we believe in bold, responsible, and enduring creative expression.
AI is part of our creative toolbox – not a replacement, but a powerful companion. It can push ideas further and amplify creativity, but only when guided by human intention. It doesn’t create meaning on its own. As a green producer, I also feel a responsibility to raise awareness about the environmental impact of AI. Like any tool, it must be used with intention – to bring value, not just efficiency.
The fear of being accused of greenwashing has made many brands reluctant to speak about their sustainability efforts. But staying silent isn’t the answer. The real challenge is to communicate with honesty, clarity, and transparency – sharing real actions and genuine intentions. In today’s sceptical landscape, credibility is built through proof, not promises.
That’s what allows for stronger, more meaningful, and inspiring stories to emerge.
Jack Newman, managing director at Bullion
We are finally seeing brands and agencies bring real sustainability goals into the work they do and the briefs they put out and we really welcome this! Audiences are smarter than they once were – we can all see through the greenwashing agendas the oil and gas companies want to put out, and I believe fewer people are willing to work with them.
As a certified B Corp production company, we steer clear of working with them. The clients we do work with, we always try to encourage and mandate policies that really do have an impact on carbon emissions. The obvious one is reducing air travel, using sustainable electricity suppliers, and tracking your carbon footprint, but we have also been implementing vegetarian only film sets. We have flipped the narrative and have shown the crew how much of a carbon impact eating meat can have. By swapping it out for some of your meals, you can both be healthier and more sustainable. ‘Meat free Mondays’ is now ‘Meat free shoot day’.
Future Focus
Marcin Nowak, head of service production at Lucky Luciano
The future is eclectic, as Graham Conway said a few years back in his TED talk. The most important challenge, in my opinion, is to keep an open mind and keep a holistic approach.
Our resources are naturally limited, but apart from actions that require extra budget, we can do a lot that doesn’t. For example, our positive impact on the overall, worldwide environment can be exponentially increased by promoting sustainable life choices with so-called ‘Planet Placement’.
We need to remember at all the stages of production and everyday operations that saving the Earth is like saving money. If we choose the reasonable options in 90% of the stores, but have a blowout out at the remaining 10% – we will still be broke at the end of the day.
Pooja Dindigal, global head of impact at DEPT
One of the biggest challenges of discussing sustainability and social impact is conveying the message in an actionable and engaging way that, simply put, does not depress people. The advertising industry has a tremendous opportunity to help brands and consumers reimagine the future that we will all need to co-create together, from discussing both the brand and consumer relationship on topics like plastic waste, the circular economy, and carbon emissions. If brands substantiate their sustainability work and pursue real transformation, the future of our communications should focus on empowering consumers and society at large to co-invest in strategies that foster long-term change and build trust.
Clémentine Buren, green producer & certified sustainability consultant at LA\PAC
At the crossroads of talent, innovation, and sustainability, we’re trying to build a creative future that makes sense – artistically and ethically. As a production company, we bridge the gap between ideas and visuals. We firmly believe that creativity and responsibility are not mutually exclusive. Sustainable production is an artistic direction. Today's consumers seek stories that resonate with their reality – cinematic yet grounded in sustainable values. Now more than ever, we have the power to uphold ideas, embody perspectives, and defend meaningful narratives without imposing them. There will always be space to subtly introduce new ways of seeing the world and doing business.
At LA\PAC, we value one key principle: thinking ahead about what we do and why. Staying authentic, avoiding shortcuts, and refusing to conform to a system that no longer reflects us. Advertising is at a turning point. It’s not just staging – it shapes collective imagination. It has the power to influence narratives and myths. So why not use it to create new, meaningful stories? We have no choice but to shift from ego to heart, from individualism to altruism – it’s simply the direction life is pushing us. These values are increasingly reflected in advertising today.
At LA\PAC we call it “leading with the heart”, where vulnerability becomes a strength and real change comes from stepping back from the problem rather than obsessing over solutions.
Jack Newman, managing director at Bullion
Climate change will be the major challenge – you can't rely on weather seasons or the best times of year to visit and film somewhere. You may fly across the world, clocking up your carbon emissions to get the summer-looking shots for the campaign and then find that you may as well have stayed at home, as it's raining and cold.
Maybe virtual production stages will help this – but they also use a large amount of power and are maybe not as sustainable as we might all currently think.
We should prioritise our limited resources as an industry into working with companies that are businesses for good and promote positive change. It's all about educating audiences as best we can. That’s why we at Bullion became a B Corp.
