Journal Entry
Our Journey to Net Zero
Written by
Natasha Saxena
Published on
September 15, 2021

When I was first brought on board as Camp’s Impact Lead, I was surprised by the company’s genuine desire to place sustainability and diversity at the forefront of our decision-making. In my initial talks with Blake Levy, founder of Camp, he expressed that just as people’s safety on set is our responsibility, so is the well-being of our planet. Blake, alongside Justin Benitez, who leads Strategy and Operations, have always shown their commitment through action and partnerships, which is why we are proud to announce Camp’s commitment to become Net Zero by 2030.

How do we define Net Zero?

Net Zero goes beyond climate neutrality. It prioritizes reducing emissions and only uses carbon offsets as a last resort. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Net Zero is balancing “the amount of emissions we put into the atmosphere with the amount we take out.”

Guided by our friends at B Corporation, Camp’s Net Zero by 2030 plan will place climate justice at its heart and accelerate our reduction of greenhouse gases 20 years ahead of the targets set in the Paris Climate Agreement.

Here’s what you can expect to see:


Goal 1: Transparency

In order to reach our Net Zero goal, we must first understand the scope of our impact. To begin, in 2021 we started using the Albert Carbon Calculator, an online tool that measures the total greenhouse gases (GHG) emitted into the atmosphere as a result of any given production’s activities. With this, we learned a majority of our GHG emissions are scope 3.

Scope 3 emissions are indirect emissions from purchased goods and services, business travel, accommodations, investments, and more. Since tracking the extent of this can be tricky, we will be locking in a graduate university partner by 2022 to ensure our emissions are being tracked accurately and help us set science-based reduction targets.

Alongside transparency comes communicating honestly and publicly about our progress. Rather than this being a static blog post, we will be updating the information here as we go. Our vision is to make this a useful page for people in our industry to follow and learn from.


Goal 2: Decarbonize

We are in the middle of a climate emergency. An alarming 2018 IPCC Special Report stated a temperature rise of 1.5°C will result in the disappearance of 80% of the world’s coral reefs. If we let temperatures rise to 2°C, all coral reefs would be gone. Moreover, the Arctic would experience ice-free summers every 10 years, and 50% more people would be pushed into climate-related poverty.

This is why we must act now to rapidly reduce the emissions driving the climate emergency.

In a typical production, the main carbon-emitting activities are from supply chains, transportation, energy, and accommodations. Thus, these are the main categories we focus on.

You can view our progress and our plans for the future in our latest Sustainability Report. Here’s a glimpse: We’ve pulled our money out of fossil fuel-supporting banks, deprioritize diesel fuel on set, and we exclusively work for change-makers, advocacy organizations, and progressive corporations.


Goal 3: Regenerate

As you can see, we are walking a fine line on this planet of what will be habitable for humanity. The planet will ultimately be fine, but the same can’t be said for people and wildlife. Thus, the end game is for our society to become regenerative.

To “regenerate” means to ecologically restore, socially revitalize, and spiritually reconnect. This aligns with Camp’s “leave it better than you found it” approach to every production.

Our regeneration goal centers action around people and justice. Specifically, we will be placing Indigenous communities at the heart of this goal as they make up less than 5% of the population, yet protect over 80% of global biodiversity.

We will be working to connect with Indigenous communities and learn how we can uplift and support regenerative solutions to the climate emergency.

Following the B Corporation Climate Justice Playbook, here are our steps for regeneration:

  1. Collaborate with and fund grassroots Environmental Indigenous organizations
  2. Pioneer environmental and social change in the media industry beyond ourselves
  3. Advocate for policy change through our projects, partners, and storytelling services

One of my favorite quotes that Blake uses is: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.” This is exactly what our Net Zero Plan is all about.


Tell us what you think!

As new climate science emerges and our worldview expands through conversation and partnerships, we expect some adjustments to our Net Zero plan. If you have ideas of how our plan can be more accurate and inclusive, reach out to us!