GREENIFYING OB
The sheer extent of OB company EMG’s sustainability progress is impressive. Among other highlights, 2021 saw it become the first OB and facilities company in the UK to install its own HVO (hydrotreated vegetable oil) Green D+ fuel station. This fuel has up to a 90% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to regular diesel. Then, earlier this year, the company introduced six new golf-focused OB trucks featuring Volvo FH tractor units. These engines deliver a 7.5% increase in fuel efficiency and adhere to the Euro 6 standard for clean exhausts. Also in 2023, EMG announced that it had become the first OB specialist to achieve the DPP Committed to Sustainability mark, which confirms adherence to the Digital Production Partnership’s scheme for improving environmental sustainability across the media industry. Rohan Mitchell, group ESG director at EMG, says the company has been ‘engaged in conversations with our clients for years, identifying the most cost-effective and energy- efficient solutions for each type of production’ – leading to significant
infrastructure investment to support more sustainable productions. For the sector as a whole, he believes that broadcasters and production companies have become ‘more engaged in the sustainability discussion and are much more questioning of facilities companies and the scope of emissions.’ More systematic, sector-wide reporting of emissions is the next big hurdle for the industry, he claims. GHG Scope 3 – a standard that accounts for and reports emissions from companies of all sectors globally – should be a focus for broadcast, Mitchell adds. EMG itself is currently in the process of compiling a baseline carbon emissions report that will include Scope 3. Since 2022, EMG has reported its carbon emissions to the CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project), one of the preferred reporting frameworks for clients within the media industry. Mitchell adds: “For each OB, we can supply data such as number of crew
attending (including rig and TX day), crew travel to the OB, fuel used onsite, accommodation and movement of vehicles to the OB. For example, we worked closely with BT Sport on their submissions for Albert regarding the rugby union and Uefa Champions League, as well as with Sky Sports on its own certifications.”
KEEP TRUCKING EMG’s Nova 52 OB truck, engineered for sustainability
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