Guest Blog: CHLOE BEARCE - SUSTAINABILITY INTERN, KEY LEARNINGS AND GROWTH

CHLOE BEARCE - SUSTAINABILITY INTERN

KEY LEARNINGS AND GROWTH - JULY 2026

Lately I’ve been thinking about the climate action Venn diagram created by Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. The categories are “What brings you joy?” “What are you good at?” And “What work

needs doing?” In the middle of these circles is “Your climate action.” Well, that’s easy for me to answer:

What brings me joy? Surrounding myself with creative people and making art. What am I good at? Working in a group and contributing ideas. What work needs doing? Real change of people’s minds and actions when it comes to climate change.

Naturally, the middle of my Venn diagram is going to be sustainability coordination for film and TV, and I was lucky enough to snag an internship with a major television show in the sustainability department. I had two incredible mentors, both experts in my opinion, who each taught me valuable things to take with me on my newfound sustainability journey.

The first day I arrived at the studio, I really had no idea what to expect. I was introduced to the massive Google folder with quite a lot of living documents inside and immediately received my first valuable lesson: pre-production is key. Really, I already kind of knew this. But wow was I impressed with the amount of pre-production that they did to make sure that production was as smooth as possible. In every folder and every document, it was evident that they had done their research, created all the proper columns, spoke to all the necessary people, and made sure that every piece of information they received had a place. It was so helpful to see how everything was organized. Moving forward, this is the template that I will base all my pre-production on. Speaking of, learning how to properly make Excel sheets is an art that must be at least slightly mastered if you want to get ahead. Another lesson learned.

The second major thing that I learned almost immediately is that you need to make friends with the generator operators. As a sustainability coordinator, you’ll be spending a good deal of time with them getting daily information, so it’s important that they like you and more importantly, respect you. The genny ops on this show were all very welcoming with my questions and loved sharing their knowledge. Most of my time on the actual set, not in office, was spent with the genny ops (with my mentors, of course). So this relationship is important. It’s also helpful if you know how to speak with them. So brushing up on your generator and power knowledge is a requirement.

Speaking of making friends, the network connections I have made because of this opportunity are invaluable. My connection (and friendship) with experienced sustainability coordinators and advisors will hopefully lead to future collaborations. A meeting with the sustainability department at one of the largest North American studios was similarly a great connection as I take the next steps in my journey.

Lastly, the major thing I took from this internship is that people generally do want to do their best to be sustainable. What it comes down to really is time and planning. Which is all about pre-production. If people have the time and the tools, they will definitely do their part in making a more sustainable set. Sometimes that’s just not the case. You also get some crew that are somewhat hesitant to change, as they like to use familiar vendors and items that they know work well. It’s not always easy, but something else quite valuable that I learned specifically while shooting on location was to pick your battles.

Sustainability on set is a relatively new idea for some and we still have a long road ahead of us. Having a sustainable crew member is a visual reminder for most to be sustainable. Just our mere presence can help someone remember to place their banana peel in the compost rather than the trash. My time on set has given me a new outlook on how sustainability is seen in the film and television industry and how important it is to have someone doing that work. I’ve learned to do your best with data, not worry about perfection, and just know that at the end of the day, you did what you can and hopefully someone noticed and made a change.