Greatness Takes Time: Why the Entertainment Industry Must Play the Long Game on Sustainability
By Zena Harris, Founder & President, Green Spark Group
Sustainability in entertainment is at a crossroads. From studio lots to festival halls, conversations around environmental and social impact are gaining momentum, but are we truly setting ourselves up for long-term success, or are we just chasing quick fixes?
What we do now will define how the industry evolves over the next decade. We can either take a strategic, long-term view that builds lasting systems, infrastructure, strong partnerships, and a healthier industry, or default to short-term, low-cost, low-impact approaches that check boxes but fail to spark real change.
The truth is, greatness isn’t achieved through short-sighted thinking. It’s built through commitment, consistency, and courage.
The Cost of Starting Over, Every Time
Let’s take a common example in sustainable production: a studio hires a new entry-level Eco-PA or Sustainability Coordinator for each project. While the intention may be there, the practice often leads to churn, burnout, and a constant reset of knowledge and processes. These individuals rarely have the resources, authority, or support to move beyond managing waste bins or recommending compostable cutlery.
Each new production starts from scratch, addressing only the most visible, low-hanging fruit. The result? No real progress is made. No institutional knowledge is built. No long-term gains are achieved. It’s sustainability on repeat, without evolution.
Compare that to a model where a consistent, expert team works across multiple productions, tracking data, identifying patterns, improving systems, and building relationships with department heads and other crew. At Green Spark Group, we’ve seen this approach lead to significant progress: reduced greenhouse gas emissions, smarter material reuse strategies, empowered crew members, and a culture of innovation. It’s the difference between ticking boxes and actually transforming how things get done.
The Hidden Opportunity in the Long View
There’s a growing belief in entertainment that sustainability is either a “nice-to-have” or an added cost. But what if we flipped the narrative? What if sustainability was the gateway to creativity, excellence, and lasting industry health?
When productions invest in sustainability as a core part of their process, not a bolt-on service or reactive measure, they gain more than environmental benefits. They improve crew experience and safety, build goodwill with audiences and communities, and create more efficient and resilient systems.
This mindset isn’t limited to production. We see it in film festivals that choose local vendors and reduce travel-related emissions, in conferences that elevate real conversations instead of greenwashing, and in studios that embed sustainability into their long-term planning, not just their press releases.
Great companies, and great art, come from those who dare to think long-term.
Compounding Progress Is the Goal
In financial terms, compounding interest builds wealth. In sustainability, compounding knowledge builds power. Every production is an opportunity to build on what came before: to gather data, refine practices, strengthen teams, and deepen the industry’s commitment to doing better.
But that only happens if we commit to consistency. To investing in people, programs, and systems that grow over time. To resisting the temptation of one-off solutions and instead opting for strategic approaches that scale with ambition and care.
It’s hard to go against the grain. Short-term decisions often feel easier, faster, cheaper. But they cost us in the long run. They stall momentum. They burn out talent. They keep us average when we could be exceptional.
So, What Will the Industry Choose?
There’s a fork in the road. One path leads to scattered efforts, short-term thinking, and diminished returns. The other leads to cultural change, enduring excellence, and a more sustainable entertainment industry.
Studios, production companies, festivals, and decision-makers have a chance to choose: build for now, or build for the future. Think about the system, and make it better.
If we truly want to live up to our values, if we want to be remembered not just for the stories we tell but how we tell them, we have to play the long game. Let’s stop starting over and start building something lasting.
