Sustainability is at the heart of the International Screen Institute’s mission. We believe that everyone has a role to play in addressing ecological sustainability and climate change. For us, that means making informed decisions about how we operate and continually learning from our challenges.
From the way we design our programmes to the choices we make behind the scenes, we aim to reduce our environmental impact. Our approach is simple: make smart choices, measure our footprint, and keep improving year after year.
What This Looks Like in Practice
When you participate in one of our programmes, you’ll experience the following practical measures:
- We’ve partnered with local hotels and venues to host our events that meet the highest environmental standards and will be also sharing our recommendations with you.
- We have reduced printing to an absolute minimum by opting for electronic materials and we avoid items like goody bags.
- Meals are seasonal, regional, and vegetarian or vegan by default, and we serve them on reusable tableware with fair-trade drinks.
- We calculate the programme-related mobility emissions of all our participants and contractors and offset them.
- We recommend and prioritise the use of trains for distances under 500 kilometres and the use of public transport for daily travel.
- To reduce unnecessary data transfers, we host our website and the materials shared with our programme participants on local servers in Vienna.
- Each programme includes elements delivered online, helping us cut down on trips.
Measuring and offsetting our emissions is key part of the picture. Each year we calculate the carbon footprint of our programmes with the support of ClimatePartner and compensate for what we cannot avoid through certified climate projects. You can read more about our footprint data and the projects we support in our article Sustainability in Focus: Navigating Carbon Footprint and Climate Action.
Recognition Along the Way
Our commitment has been recognised step by step:
- In 2023, we measured the carbon footprint of our programmes for the first time, using the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, and offset unavoidable emissions through certified climate projects.
- In 2024, all ISI programmes were certified as Green Events under the Austrian Ecolabel (UZ 62).
- In 2025, we proudly added the ÖkoEvent Wien label, awarded by the City of Vienna, confirming that our events meet the city’s high standards for sustainable event management.
Looking Ahead
We describe our ambition as “360-degree sustainability” embedding environmental and ethical values into every part of our work, from the way we travel and the venues we choose to the meals we serve and the digital tools we use.
The next steps include continuing our annual carbon footprint calculations, selecting venues certified with the Austrian Ecolabel, B Corp, or similar standards, and exploring the environmental impact of digital technologies such as AI. While AI carries significant costs in energy and materials, we see it as a way to support creativity rather than replace it. Our aim is to measure and offset these digital emissions so that innovation and responsibility go hand in hand.
Sustainability is never “finished.” For us, it’s a process of learning, adapting, and moving forward with openness and transparency. And we invite our community to be part of that journey with us!