Greening the Audiovisual Sector: Towards a New Understanding through Innovation Practices in Wales and Beyond

Abstract

Despite efforts towards reducing the negative environmental impact of the audiovisual sector, sustainability remains challenging. In this paper we address environmental sustainability in the Welsh audiovisual sector through the lens of green innovation. The mixed method study combines quantitative research measuring the adoption levels of green innovation inside businesses with qualitative analysis of selected case studies of green innovation. In doing so, the paper explores the extent of developing green innovation, as well as how research and development (R&D) as a specific roadmap to innovation leads to different forms of innovative outcomes. Based on this evidence, we propose an extended framework for considering green innovation in the audiovisual sector, one that differentiates between solution-driven, content-driven and mindset-driven innovation. By providing evidence of the extent and nature of green innovation in the audiovisual sector, the paper makes an important contribution to the underexplored field of green innovation research.

The COVID-19 Pandemic and the Adoption Factors of Film Distribution Business Models in the Context of Sustainability

“…After all, the industry lives from overproduction, which allows for failure and provides viewers with huge opportunities to choose media content [55]. The lack of clarity about the carbon costs of audiovisual production and the hidden environmental costs spread over different locations allow stakeholders to see carbon emissions as someone else's problem [58]. This may explain why environmental issues are still not perceived as significant enough to base changes in the film distribution business model on them.…”