"As a small company, we haven't really come up with a "top-down" policy toward environmental issues that we've imposed upon our staff, saying you MUST comply.  Rather, all of our various green initiatives (recycling paper, then plastic; getting big reusable water bottles instead of small ones, turning lights off,  etc.) have come from staff members, in a "bottom up" way.  To me, that indicates that this is an issue that is not esoteric or abstract... people, even in polluted Hong Kong, still care enough about environmental issues to take the initiative in their workplaces.  So while I'm impressed with what big media companies are doing with their staff initiatives, I'm actually even more impressed with the awareness and commitment the staff in our little company has shown.

Some of the technological developments in our industry have also brought with them a more environmentally-friendly approach to production... even though that wasn't really a driver of innovation.  The ability to go tape-less -- or, at least, drastically reduce the amount of videotape we use on an ongoing basis -- stems from technological advances and changing industry standards, specifically with the Panasonic P2 system and Sony's XDCAM technology, combined with non-linear editing systems like Final Cut Pro.  More and more of our output is strictly in zeroes and ones, instead of tape masters, which means a lot less plastic is changing hands.

That goes for field kit too... moving away from classic TV "hot" lights to fluorescent "cold" lights like KinoFlo lamps can reduce power consumption significantly.  Even though that wasn't the reason the lights were developed, there's no doubt that a reduced carbon footprint is a nice ancillary benefit we enjoy from using better gear.

Furthermore, in a way, our company is an "enabler"... by providing local services across Asia to other production companies worldwide, we are able to reduce the amount of air travel required for their staff and equipment when they have productions here in the region.  This is true for our own productions, as well... rather than flying a crew in someplace, sourcing materials and technical support locally is both fiscally and environmentally prudent.

From an editorial perspective, we also make a contribution... by pitching "green" stories to news editors overseas and documentary commissioning editors. Keeping environmental stories on the programming agenda is another way of raising awareness, and in that sense, we play an important role."