Why television has the power to inspire the action against climate change that we so urgently need

This article first appeared in Radio Times magazine.

The planet is in trouble, and television can help to save it. That’s why 12 leading broadcasters from the UK and Ireland – including BBC, Channel 4, ITV and Sky – signed the Climate Content Pledge at COP26. It’s a commitment to show on screen just what tackling the climate crisis means; to inspire viewers and inform them about sustainable choices.

As the Head of Climate Content at screen-sustainability organisation BAFTA albert, I’m committed to helping those ambitions come to fruition. We encourage the television and film industry to reduce its carbon footprint and inspire the creation of content that builds understanding around climate change.

Why should television help do this? Well, research shows that 65 per cent of people in the UK get their information about climate change from the TV. We have an incredible opportunity to support positive action.

If you’re in any doubt about the power of the moving image to affect our view of the natural world, then turn your mind to Sir Lenny Henry in a wetsuit, circled by hungry-looking hammerheads in Shark! Celebrity Infested Waters last year.

When ITV commissioned the series, they were trying to counter the anti-shark attitudes that began in 1975 when Steven Spielberg’s hit movie Jaws caused a boom in sports fishing, killing thousands of sharks. The reality, as the series showed so entertainingly, is that these are amazing creatures, vital for the health of the ocean’s ecosystems and our planet.

It’s not just the ocean that is in danger; we are witnessing a crisis across the natural world caused by man-made climate change. That change might not yet be as extreme in the UK as it is in California or India, but just a few months ago we had weeks of torrential rain and huge floods – farmers lost crops, people were forced out of their homes.

Television needs to reflect this new reality. As Dorothy Fortenberry, who produced The Handmaid’s Tale, said, “If climate change isn’t part of your story, it’s science fiction.”

Recently there have been some outstanding series that have passed “the Fortenberry test”. After the Flood was an ITV crime drama set against the backdrop of a flooding event and community-led climate action. Sky’s detective drama Under Salt Marsh is set in a Welsh village that’s at risk of being completely taken over by the sea.

Of course, it’s not enough to make the shows. To have a wider effect we must promote them and link up with other interested groups who can add to their impact. That’s why BAFTA albert is championing the role of impact producers, experts who develop initiatives to support real-world action, long after the credits have rolled.

We have been inspired partly by Ocean with David Attenborough, a documentary about climate change that carried a hopeful message and a call to action. The release was timed to have maximum effect on the 2025 UN Ocean Conference and its possible outcome of more than 60 countries committing to ratify the High Seas Treaty, which would protect 30 per cent of the world’s oceans by 2030.

A version of the film was also shown at 10 Downing Street, there were free screenings for schools and information about how to put pressure on the attendees at the UN conference. The treaty was ratified in September 2025.

So many of Sir David Attenborough’s programmes portray climate change, while remaining awe-inspiring and entertaining. As we see from Ocean, they inspire positive action, too. Today, television-makers can, and do, follow his lead, with climate themes across genres.

While climate change may be our collective reality, it’s important to remember, ahead of Earth Day on 22 April, that inaction isn’t inevitable. Television holds the power to inspire the action that we so urgently need. If we use that well, the screen in our living rooms can help protect the home that we love.

Full information can be found on the albert website.

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