Published 30th June 2026

Aardman Environmental and Sustainability Update, June 2026

Aardman is committed to communicating our environmental goals and achievements every 12 months. This follows the publication of our Environmental and Sustainability Charter in 2023. The most recent of the studio’s annual updates was published in June 2025.

Progress made in the previous 12 months (July 2025 – June 2026)

Below are the actions we committed to in our previous update. The notes in bold are what we achieved against each in this period.

  • Collecting Scope 3 emissions data relating to our Franchises for 2024.

    We have collected this data which reflects 58 tonnes in Scope 3 carbon emissions for 2024, an increase from 41 tonnes in 2023. This can be accounted for by the increased level of activity at the studio, including features and series which entered production in this period. However, the studio’s overall emissions (Scopes 1, 2 and 3) were reduced by 15% in this time.

  • Assessing the carbon emissions of our top 20 suppliers, working with these parties to secure meaningful data which may inform future actions and initiatives.

    This work remains ongoing. Due to the project-based nature of our procurement processes, gathering this data is highly labour-intensive, and flexibility in supplier choice is needed to meet the demands of our business. The studio maintains its ambition to determine the emissions of our largest suppliers and have this data inform our future actions and initiatives.

  • Using the full three years of reporting across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 to establish a target timeframe for achieving ‘Net Zero’ across the business.

    Having collected full data sets across Scopes 1, 2 and 3 for the last three years, we are now seeking advice on whether this data is sufficient to set our target for ‘Net Zero’. We continue to refine our reporting, which will have an impact on how soon we can set this target timeframe.

  • Establishing benchmarking criteria, working with consultants 8Versa to identify an effective process that considers our carbon emissions year on year and enables us to track our performance considering business activity levels i.e. emissions relative to turnover, or partner headcount.

    We have explored the options for benchmarking available to us and concluded that a blended approach that considers emissions relative to turnover, emissions relative to Partner headcount and production volume is the most appropriate measurement for the studio at this time. This allows us to account for the changes in activity level from year to year.

    Next, we will apply this benchmark retrospectively to our 2022 and 2023 emissions, in order to gain a fuller picture and establish a baseline from which we can assess variation in carbon emissions levels in the future.

  • Develop a comprehensive Green Business Travel Policy.

    Business travel was reduced by more than half in 2024 relative to the previous year. We have also recently completed our annual commuting survey to establish partner commuting habits, in partnership with Travel West. This will inform future actions and initiatives in this area.

  • Progress efforts to phase out a significant proportion of the business’ natural gas use and replacing all lighting with LED at our Aztec West studio to improve its Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) status.

    We are working towards a goal of phasing out all non-LED lighting by March 2028 and achieving a substantial reduction in natural gas use.

  • Continue to update our partners on progress made against our environmental and sustainability goals through PRG updates and Town Halls.

    We intend to communicate our environmental reporting from 2025 in a Town Hall scheduled for October 2026.

In addition to making the above stated progress on goals set in our 2025 update, we are pleased to have achieved the following:

  • All productions at the studio in 2025 and 2026 are in the process of being Albert Certified.

  • We have secured REGO (Renewable Energy Guarantee of Origin) certification from our energy suppliers, guaranteeing that sustainable energy used at the studio meets rigorous criteria.

Our areas of focus for the next 12 months will include:

  • Exploring a suitable means of assessing the carbon emissions of our top suppliers, using this to inform future actions and initiatives. 

  • Continuing to work towards setting a target timeframe for achieving ‘Net Zero’, working with our consultants.  

  • Continuing to phase out non-LED lighting and reducing natural gas use across studio sites. 

  • Updating partners on progress made against environmental and sustainability goals through PRG updates and Town Halls.