Sustainability

"Surely we all have a responsibility to care for our blue planet. The future of humanity and indeed, all life on earth, now depends on us."

Sir David Attenborough's Blue Planet inspired people around the world to start making changes to look after our planet.

Sir David Attenborough at the 2018 NTAs receiving the Impact Award for Blue Planet II

Sir David's unforgettable words inspired us at the NTAs to start to make our own changes that will help the environment.

In 2020 the NTAs joined Albert, the screen industry organisation which assists programmes like the NTAs to work together with suppliers to reduce their carbon footprint.

Albert provides a carbon footprint measurement process involving these steps:

  1. Data Collection: Gathering detailed data on all aspects of production, including travel, energy use, materials, and waste.
  2. Calculation: Using the Albert Calculator, the collected data is converted into carbon emissions figures.
  3. Analysis: The results are analyzed to identify high-emission areas.
  4. Reporting: A report is generated summarizing the carbon footprint.
  5. Reduction Planning: Strategies are developed to reduce emissions based on the findings.

This helps us look for ways to reduce carbon footprint with our partners who help us produce the NTAs - our venue The O2 in London and the suppliers and teams in television production and event hospitality.

More details on Albert


The NTA journey towards sustainability


"Nobody’s perfect, everybody has an impact - the thing is, are you on the journey and do you really intend to get better?"

Deborah Meaden, advising a start-up business wanting to do the right things on Dragons' Den - encouraging words!


Here's a snapshot of just some of the things happening at the 2024 NTAs

NTA venue - Lauren Kiernan at The O2:

"The O2 London prides itself on being a Greener Arena, here are some details of the efforts to achieve net zero and reduce environmental impact"

  • Electric vehicles and EV charging stations are used on-site
  • Paper cups are compostable, plastic bags and non-biodegradable confetti are banned
  • The O2 uses certified green energy and LED lighting, saving 300,000 kWh in 2023
  • No waste goes to landfill, and recycling methods are improved
  • The Urban Garden houses bees and repurposed materials
  • In 2019 The O2 launched Good Vibes All Round


More information on sustainability at The O2


Lighting - Mark Davies at PRG UK

"As NTA lighting suppliers we have made a major investment to replace traditional equipment with energy efficient LED lights - not only do they consume much less power but they can be kept in power saving standby mode when not in active use, and the reduced heat created during operation has an indirect energy saving for air-conditioning"

Broadcast Facilities - Rohan Mitchell at EMG

"HVO Green D+ fuel being used on EMG UK fleet vehicles and the first Outside Broadcast and facilities company to install our own HVO Green D+ fuel station. Generators run on HVO fuel as standard supply, no single use plastics are used on site for our location operations, and rechargeable batteries installed on all equipment where fitted"

Signage - Adam Whiteley at Verve Display

"Backstage passes, logo boards and banners behind the stars now use recycled materials, from 100% sustainable fabrics wrapped to reusable frames, with Red Carpet boards printed on board made from certified sustainable paper. All materials used are recyclable and at the end of the event we take them away to be collected by our recycling partner - in 2023 nearly 80% of our waste was recycled, with 20% being either repurposed or burnt for energy" 

Food and Drink - Jayne Ashman at Global Infusion Group

"The food menus at the NTAs (for nominees, guests and crew) are using a lot more seasonal local produce which means reduced transport. Food choices include reduced quantities of meat and fish which are balanced by increased pulse proteins. Quantities of food are estimated carefully for less wastage and then any waste is recycled. Storage and transport of food uses reusable containers, and local staff who can use local transport are used as a priority. Menu planning targets include reducing the volume of cling film, foil and parchment as some dishes need less than others. Menus are designed to encourage increased take up of vegetarian options. Plastic bottles will no longer be used for water and other drinks"