The makers of the movie ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ spent $200,000 to plant trees to help make up for the estimated 10,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions that they produced while filming.

“Poacher”, a fictional investigative crime series inspired by true events on ivory trafficking and conservation, was widely acclaimed at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. It covered the dark underbelly of ivory poaching besides delving into the complex relationship between humans and other species, making a bold statement about co-existence. The series also showcased the prowess of Indian storytelling on a global stage.

Another international series “Y: The Last Man” gained attention for a not-so-usual reason. It emphasised sustainability with the use of solar-powered trailers during shoots, segregated separate bins for compost and recycling, uneaten meals redirected to charities, costume department sourcing and donating secondhand clothes, and so on. 

These two shows– one from India (Global South) and another from the United States (Global North) – highlight how climate storytelling is moving forward– one where strong narratives drive home the urgency for action and another where the filmmaking in itself is charting a sustainable path.  For an industry where numbers mean either budgets or box-office collections, their actual worrisome numbers are their carbon footprint problem.