Liverpool film studio “The Depot”recognised among UK’s leading sustainable studios

A Liverpool film and television studio has been recognised for its commitment to sustainability with a prestigious rating from the UK’s screen industry.

The DEPOT, owned by Liverpool City Council and managed by the Liverpool Film Office, has been awarded a ‘Very Good’ rating under BAFTA’s Albert Studio Sustainability Standard—a benchmark scheme designed to assess and support environmental best practices in the film and TV sector.

Having hosted a range of acclaimed productions including This City Is Ours, The Gathering, and Sexy Beast, The DEPOT is fast becoming a leader in low-carbon screen production. The facility scored 80% in this year’s assessment—well above the participating studios’ average of 77%—securing its place as one of the UK’s top-performing net zero studios.

The assessment praised The DEPOT for several standout sustainability features, including:

• 100% LED studio lighting
• Access to biodiverse green spaces
• A comprehensive sustainability policy
• Provision of renewable energy-powered generators

Recommendations for further improvement include the introduction of EV charging points, exploring on-site renewable energy generation, and increasing waste recycling rates.

The Albert Studio Sustainability Standard, launched in 2022, is the world’s first dedicated framework for evaluating and reducing the environmental footprint of screen production studios. It focuses on six key areas: Climate, Circularity, Nature, People, Management, and Data, with participating studios submitting annual data to benchmark progress and share best practices across the industry.

This recognition for The DEPOT comes as Liverpool continues to strengthen its reputation as a climate-forward city. Earlier this year, it became the world’s first UN Accelerator City for climate action, with a particular focus on decarbonising music and film production sectors.

Leader of Liverpool City Council, Councillor Liam Robinson, said: 

“This is fantastic news for the city and for film and TV productions who choose Liverpool as their place to shoot their stories for screen.

“Not only have we achieved a ‘Very Good’ rating but The Depot is leading the way for film and TV studios in the North, proving that if you want to shoot sustainable productions, Liverpool is the very best place to do this.

“This news follows our announcement last year about our ‘plug and play’ zones across key filming and TV sites in the city centre and is yet another important step towards the city’s net-zero future.”

Head of Liverpool Film Office, Lynn Saunders, said: 

“We’re thrilled to receive the rating of ‘Very Good’ and so proud that we’ve achieved this award in the first time in entering.

“We’re dedicated to building on the success of filming in the Liverpool City Region by creating a sustainable screen eco system, bettering not only our skills programme but the way we work with productions when they come to our region to film.

“By having this award, we will be able to track our progress and continue to make meaningful improvements to The Depot to better the environment for generations to come.”

For more information about the Liverpool Film Office and to view its 35th anniversary celebratory showreel, visit the official website.

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