Bectu appoints new Screen Sustainability Manager to make Scottish screen sector a leader in sustainable filmmaking

Bectu has appointed screen practitioner Mairi Claire Bowser to the newly created role of Screen Sustainability Manager for Scotland. The role will be based within the union’s skills and training department in Scotland, Bectu Vision.

The new role will bring together policy makers and industry on sustainability issues that affect the screen sector in Scotland, helping the industry make the transition to a net zero waste and carbon economy.

Mairi Claire will embed sustainability practices across film and TV production in Scotland by supporting productions and practitioners to develop and implement new ways of working. She has worked in props and set decoration departments across the UK for the past decade. She holds an MSc in Environmental Management and is committed to reducing the environmental impacts of film and TV production.

With this appointment, Bectu will develop a strategy for improving sustainability practices in the film and TV industries in Scotland, covering:

• Screen content: how we protect Scotland’s natural landscapes through their promotion in Scottish film and TV programmes, and the connection between screen content in Scotland and its relationship to inclusive societies.
• Infrastructure: how we best welcome and house screen production in Scotland in a way that is both low impact and leaves a positive legacy for the industry and economy overall.
• Production processes: equipping productions with training and resources of low impact suppliers and services, benefiting both production companies, crew, and low impact enterprise in Scotland.

The post has been created with support from agencies across Scotland including Screen Scotland, Scottish Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Glasgow City Council.

In 2019/2020, Mairi Claire led the research of Creative Carbon Scotland’s report ‘Greening Scotland’s Screen Industry’ for Screen Scotland. In the summer of 2020, she helped to start the unionisation of environmental issues in the screen sector, through setting up the Sustainability Sub Committee for Bectu’s London Production Division and has since been a co-chair of the group.

Bectu Negotiations Officer for Scotland, Paul McManus, said: “Bectu is delighted that Screen Scotland and the other partners have entrusted us with taking the lead on such a massively important challenge, which everyone in the industry and across wider society needs to embrace wholeheartedly. With her practical industry experience, impressive knowledge and track record on sustainability Mari Claire is a great addition to the Bectu Vision team here in Scotland and we have no doubt that her appointment will deliver huge benefits to workers across our industry.”

Screen Scotland’s Scott Donaldson, commented: “It’s fantastic to be welcoming Mairi Claire to this critically important new role, established to support and guide Scotland’s screen industries in their reduction of emissions and environmental impact. We look forward to working together as we move towards achieving net zero, adapting to the challenges that climate change is bringing to screen production and addressing how screen content influences our attitudes towards climate change.”

Ben Twist, Director of Creative Carbon Scotland said: “We at Creative Carbon Scotland are thrilled both that Screen Scotland, Bectu Vision and partners are committed to ensuring the sustainability of Scotland’s screen industry and that Mairi Claire Bowser, whose great work in this area we have long known and admired, is taking up the new role of Screen Sustainability Manager. We look forward to working with her and Bectu Vision on this exciting and important project.”

Mairi Claire commented on her appointment: “As a practitioner in the film and TV industry myself, I am aware of the barriers faced by crew and production companies in drastically reducing the waste and carbon emissions of the film and TV production process overnight.

This new role will allow me to put forward the perspective of crew on the ground of film and TV production to allow for policy to be both practical to the production process, as well as radical, in order for us to take responsibility for our contributions to the climate crisis and reduce our impact.

I’m looking forward to working with colleagues across the film and TV production landscape in Scotland on this transition and would love to hear from any other individuals or organisations who are interested in collaborating on this work.”

Mairi Claire can be contacted at [email protected]

ADDITIONAL QUOTES

Elaine Morrison, Scottish Enterprise Director of Place said: “Scottish Enterprise’s net zero framework is supporting the Scottish Government’s net zero 2045 targets across the business environment and our just transition to a strong, green economy requires the full participation of our industries, so I applaud BECTU for creating this significant role.

“The screen sector is hugely important to Scotland’s economy and how we are presented to the rest of the world. Reducing the environmental impact of the sector will be extremely influential to our other industries, but also in communities across Scotland.

“With the world watching Scotland’s approach following COP26, BECTU is showing great leadership to the screen industry across the world in taking real steps towards greater sustainability.”

Graham Smith, Chief Executive’s Department, Glasgow City Council: “This is a pivotal appointment and one the Council is keen to support as it aligns with the city’s commitment to addressing the climate emergency and realising our ambitions around net-zero.

“There are huge growth opportunities in the screen sector in Glasgow through the addition of the Kelvinhall studio and drama space, and this appointment will bring a much-needed focus on sustainability.  We look forward to working in partnership with BECTU to help the sector achieve this.”

Jane Morrison-Ross, Chief Executive of South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) said: “We welcome the new post of Screen Sustainability Manager which fits perfectly with our core values and will help protect our natural assets.

“The South of Scotland has a long history of attracting location filming, so we are really delighted to be a partner in this initiative as we continue to develop our approach to the Screen Industries sector.

“This is another valuable resource to encourage our local filmmakers to be more sustainable and contribute towards our journey to Net Zero, which is at the heart of everything we do at SOSE.”