2008 Grants - $60 000
Major grant recipient: Bluegreen Films
About the project: Bluegreen Films has received a $60,000 grant from Australian Ethical to produce the first episode of a three part documentary series 'Sustainability and Co'. The series will focus on corporate sustainability and governance issues.The first episode is titled 'Of Beetles and Bankers'. The documentary series will be appropriate for broad distribution to free to air television, pay tv and online viewing as well as being produced as a DVD for general and educational markets. 'Of Beetles and Bankers' will examine examples of corporate behaviour and public policy with a focus on the issue of old-growth forest logging. The program will pose the question: In the context of global warming and consistent rejection of old growth logging by the public, why has old growth logging and burning been allowed to continue in Tasmania? How are public and private governance interests negotiated? Who has controlled the narrative and how was this possible?
The documentary series will be promoted in both Australia and Europe where there is considerable interest in environmental issues and corporate governance. The director Chris Tuckfield is an award winning Australian filmmaker and his films have previously screened on European television channels such as ARTE/ZDF. Ideally the distribution of this series locally and overseas may act to increase pressure on both corporate and public policy makers to adopt a more sustainable approach. This is particularly important in the light of upcoming negotiations on the post Kyoto framework agreement. It is vitally important to ensure proper accounting of forest activity carbon emissions forms part of any agreement as this is a likely way to finally end old-growth logging.It is expected that the complete preparation and production of the documentary will take 12 months to complete.