K is for Knowledge is the key to sustainable audiovisual training focused on advertising filmmaking, which has come on strong to promote and provide tools for sustainability in all activities related to production.
We interviewed Oliver Lupiañez MD & Founder of K is for Knowledge:
What does K is for Knowledge consist of?
K is for Knowledge is a set of educational resources and tools that help production companies, and all their stakeholders who collaborate in the projects (suppliers and technicians), to reduce as much as possible the negative environmental impacts that the audiovisual industry generates through its activities.
What services do you offer production companies to reduce their environmental impact?
The main services we offer are sequenced in a coherent learning and/or training process, and then implementation, both in the daily habits of the production company and in the projects.
A first service we offer is the transformation of the workspace into a Green Office, where we can design a first strategy for the implementation of environmentally responsible habits and help to build a Green Team. The main objective is to obtain the commitment of the production companies before taking action.
At K is for Knowledge we would like to move away from the exclusive concept of measuring the carbon footprint. The important thing is to recognise the problem of the environmental crisis we are facing and to awaken an awareness that drives actions that reduce the negative impacts and reinforce the positive ones. In this way we will be able to reduce our carbon footprint in our projects.
For this purpose, of course, we always have the option of measuring it through a Carbon Footprint Calculator and offsetting the result through existing CO2 offset projects.
The main aspects we work on before tackling a project are the identification of its negative impacts: we analyse the main categories such as: energy, transport, travel, purchases, catering and waste generation.
Currently, one of our own services that we have and which is giving good results is the waste management service on the film set, through the Waste Management On Set brand, guaranteeing recycling, guiding the team in the process and ensuring correct management in its possible revaluation until it reaches the recycling plant.
What other companies in the sector do you provide services to?
We mainly focus on the advertising production sector, which is where we have been carrying out our professional activities for more than 20 years, but with the idea of extending it to other formats such as feature films, series, festivals and/or events.
At the same time, part of our strategy involves including industry suppliers in our training and process implementation programmes so that they can also continue to develop their own activities with the same focus on sustainability as their main clients, which are the production companies.
What tools do you use to measure and reduce the impacts of each project?
As I said before, the best tool is to change individual actions for more environmentally responsible ones, but all this goes through a strategic planning process where the main steps are considered:
- Diagnosis of the current situation: Analysis and Identification
- Definition of an Action Plan: Resources needed vs. resources available
- Execution of the Action Plan: Resources obtained
- Calculation of Carbon Footprint by Projects and its possible voluntary compensation.
- Follow-up to guarantee the objectives set out
- Final evaluation and proposal for improvement
Each project requires a different analysis depending on its characteristics, but over time we will see that these characteristics are largely repeated in most of them.
How do you think Spanish production companies would benefit from working with you?
The K is for Knowledge project has a common objective that must go beyond the individual’s point of view, we seek to give a competitive advantage to an industry, providing a series of tools and resources that until now have not been considered important, but we all knew that it was a question of time, we only needed to look at other places where this adventure had already begun years ago.
Producers will benefit in their transformation with respect to a global market that demands that companies adopt a more sustainable character through their activities. In short, an ethical and responsible change is being sought that involves the acquisition of a Corporate Social Responsibility, where sustainability in the more physical environmental area is only the first part, as the concept of sustainability also encompasses the social, cultural and economic dimensions.
Anything you would like to add…
In conclusion, I would like to add that our K is for Knowledge project is not just an external service to be contracted, as it involves your commitment and your effort, this project requires your participation, you are the key element of the transformation, we are a resource to accompany and advise you on this new journey.
At the APCP we believe it is essential to move towards sustainability and establish synergies to reach this common goal. That is why we work with companies that help the audiovisual industry to be better every day, thank you K is for Knowledge for your work!
