Green Rider is a campaign started by BAFTA albert and developed by Equity for a Green New Deal - a grassroots union network of creatives campaigning for a fairer, more sustainable industry. 

The campaign was launched with Equity at the Edinburgh TV festival in August 2023, alongside an open letter signed by over a hundred high-profile actors, including Sir Mark Rylance, Natalie Dormer, Hayley Atwell, Bill Nighy and Ben Whishaw.

We also released a promo video featuring Bella Ramsey, Alex Lawther, Paapa Essiedu and Gemma Arterton. The campaign was featured in The Times, The Guardian, Deadline, Variety, BBC Newsnight and more. 

Our Impact

  • Since Aug 2023, we've worked closely with Equity, the performers' trade union, to start negotiating better deals with producers, making pollution and waste-free sets a condition for work.

    Right now, we are running a pilot scheme with the BBC, Sky and Picture Zero to test out the Rider across 5 TV series and 3 short films. The scheme uses and builds on the models built by BAFTA albert.

    By communicating across all departments - agents, production, broadcasters, sustainability experts and crew - we are developing strong examples of how cast can supercharge climate action through our industry and creating a blueprint that others can easily follow.

  • Green Rider is also a social movement aiming to reshape the wider climate conversation. As public figures, actors have huge influence. Celebrity culture has for decades endorsed carbon-intensive, high consumption lifestyles. It’s time to promote a different way of doing things. We’ve seen how events within the industry ripple beyond it - Me Too being a powerful example. A visible shift to climate action among influential artists can spark a seismic change in wider society.

    We aim to engage creatives at all levels of their careers through workshops, training sessions and screenings of sustainably made films. We offer our supporters strong messages that empower them to reach new audiences, and the know-how to take meaningful action. From newcomers to national treasures, we're building a diverse and powerful network of artists pushing for change.

  • The great news is we don't have to start from scratch. Thanks to BAFTA albert, many major broadcasters now have strong climate goals and sustainability experts are coming up with innovative new tech to use on set.

    Green Rider is about opening collaboration across departments to supercharge the great work already being done.

    Originally inspired by a BAFTA albert campaign, Green Rider is working with Equity, the BBC, Sky, NBCUniversal, Carnival Films, Picture Zero, Climate Spring and more.