Ready to challenge the old narrative?
Green Guidelines
Storytelling approaches — click any badge on a card to see its definition
ESG dimensions
Explicit
Thematic Integration
Sustainability topics — climate change, biodiversity, resource use — are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's core theme. The story engages directly and openly with these questions.
Implicit
Character Behaviour
Sustainable actions are woven into how characters live, move, eat and work — without the story explicitly framing these as its central theme.
Pragmatic
Sustainable Script Decisions
Script and production choices that directly minimise the environmental footprint — from choosing few locations, to reusing costumes and sets — beginning at the manuscript stage.
E
Environmental
Climate impact, resource use, pollution, biodiversity.
G
Governance
Leadership, ethics, transparency, anti-corruption.
S
Social
Working conditions, equality, human rights, community impact.
Fiction World and Arena
10 cards01
Fiction
World
01
World
01
How is the surrounding society portrayed in relation to sustainability?
E.g. environmental problems, alternative energy sources, or the treatment of vulnerable groups.
ExampleE.g. in the film Ustyrlig.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
S
Social
Relates to social conditions, equality, health and human relationships to sustainability.
02
Fiction
World
02
World
02
What transport options dominate the world your story is set in?
E.g. electric cars, cycle lanes, ships, planes, trains, buses, horses.
ExampleE.g. characters travel in spaceships in the films Alien.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
03
Fiction
World
03
World
03
Does your script idea allow for locally accessible filming locations to reduce CO2 emissions?
ExampleE.g. the short film Klimakrigeren was filmed exclusively in Svendborg.
Pragmatic
Pragmatic
Script decisions that minimise the production's environmental footprint from the writing stage.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
04
Fiction
World
04
World
04
Does the script allow the use of second-hand and/or recycled costumes?
ExampleE.g. the series Sygeplejeskolen borrowed costumes from Badehotellet.
Pragmatic
Pragmatic
Script decisions that minimise the production's environmental footprint from the writing stage.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
05
Fiction
World
05
World
05
How can your characters use modern and eco-friendly alternatives in their daily lives?
E.g. green rooftops, solar panels or paper stacks instead of tablets and screens.
ExampleE.g. characters in The Good Place live in an eco-friendly neighbourhood.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
06
Fiction
World
06
World
06
In what time period does your story take place, and what is that era's relationship to sustainability?
ExampleE.g. Badehotellet is set in the past, where the hotel uses locally sourced ingredients.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
07
Fiction
World
07
World
07
Does the script allow for existing filming locations with minimal equipment?
ExampleE.g. Sygeplejeskolen borrowed sets from Badehotellet.
Pragmatic
Pragmatic
Script decisions that minimise the production's environmental footprint from the writing stage.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
08
Fiction
World
08
World
08
Does the script limit the story to a small number of filming locations?
ExampleE.g. Badehotellet is primarily confined to one hotel.
Pragmatic
Pragmatic
Script decisions that minimise the production's environmental footprint from the writing stage.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
09
Fiction
World
09
World
09
How do your characters live, and what does that signal about sustainability?
ExampleE.g. Cecilie and Andreas live in a large villa, while Liv and Malthe live in a small apartment.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
10
Fiction
World
10
World
10
How can you organise the fiction world to reflect sustainable or unsustainable governance?
ExampleE.g. Birgitte Nyborg in Borgen leads a political system that becomes unsustainable.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
G
Governance
Relates to governance, political structures and institutions' relationship to sustainability.
Fiction World and Arena · 10 cards
Try it as a
card game
Take these 10 questions into your ideation phase. Draw a random card and use it as a thinking exercise.
ExplicitImplicitPragmaticEG
Character
6 cards (selection)01
Character
01
01
How can you work with characters using sustainable modes of transport?
ExampleE.g. Frigg Mossmann in Oxen drives a Tesla.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
Pragmatic
Pragmatic
Script decisions that minimise the production's environmental footprint from the writing stage.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
02
Character
02
02
How can your story show examples of waste prevention or recycling?
ExampleE.g. Wall-E lives on a landfill in the film Wall-E.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
03
Character
03
03
What does your character do for work? Could it relate to sustainability?
ExampleE.g. Emil works with local ingredients at his catering company "KliMad" in Kald mig far.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
04
Character
04
04
How do you portray your characters' relationship to food?
E.g. vegetarian meals, locally grown food, eating disorders.
ExampleE.g. the office intern has bought oat milk in Graverne.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
S
Social
Relates to social conditions, equality and health.
05
Character
05
05
If a company operates unsustainably — how can a character be critical of this?
ExampleE.g. Viggo V. in Kometernes Jul is capitalist and unsustainable.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
G
Governance
Relates to governance and institutions' relationship to sustainability.
06
Character
06
06
Is there a clear shift towards more sustainable practices or attitudes over the course of the story?
ExampleE.g. Laura gains a more nuanced view of her farming family in Hvor kragerne vender.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
Character · 12 cards
Use the cards in your
character development
12 questions focusing on how your characters' choices and relationships can carry sustainable dimensions.
ExplicitImplicitPragmaticEGS
Conflict and Theme
7 cards01
Conflict
and
Theme
01
and
Theme
01
Have you considered how natural story ruptures can sharpen sustainability-related conflicts?
ExampleE.g. Lulu disrupts family harmony by talking about climate at the dinner table in Paranoia.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
02
Conflict
02
02
Does your story invite showing the consequences of ignoring, worsening or solving sustainability problems?
ExampleE.g. families flee Denmark due to flooding in Familier som vores.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
G
Governance
Relates to governance and political structures.
03
Conflict
03
03
How can you connect your story's themes to sustainability-related questions?
ExampleE.g. characters must save the forest in Valdes jul.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
G
Governance
Relates to governance and political structures.
S
Social
Relates to social conditions and human relationships to sustainability.
04
Conflict
04
04
How does the characters' plot or fate directly affect sustainability problems or solutions?
ExampleE.g. Birgitte Nyborg's political career is shaped by sustainability debates in Borgen.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
G
Governance
Relates to governance and political structures.
05
Conflict
05
05
Which characters promote or hinder sustainability, and what conflicts does this create?
ExampleE.g. cooperation is a sustainability solution in Kometernes Jul.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
G
Governance
Relates to governance and political structures.
06
Conflict
06
06
Are there means or methods that create conflict around the story's sustainability goals?
ExampleE.g. father and daughter each pursue sustainability in their own way in Interstellar.
Explicit
Explicit
Sustainability topics such as climate change are explicitly integrated as part of the narrative's theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
07
Conflict
07
07
How can the dialogue in your scenes reflect attitudes towards sustainability?
ExampleE.g. Lulu talks about sustainability at the dinner table in Paranoia.
Implicit
Implicit
Sustainable actions are woven into stories without explicitly addressing them as theme.
E
Environmental
Relates to environment, nature, climate and natural resources.
Conflict and Theme · 7 cards
Sharpen your
conflict
7 questions about sustainability as a driver of your story's conflicts and themes.
ExplicitImplicitEGS
Green Guidelines · Greenstorytelling
What is
Green
Storytelling?
At our webpage (and in our research) we use green storytelling as an overarching concept for all forms of storytelling that engage with sustainability — across ESG dimensions.
ESG is used by the EU and stands for:
E
Environmental — climate impact, resource use, pollution, biodiversity.
S
Social — working conditions, equality, human rights, community impact.
G
Governance — leadership, ethics, transparency, anti-corruption.
This term has — as far as we are aware — not yet been clearly defined within scholarship. However, if we turn to the marketing domain, we do find attempts to define the term:
"
Green storytelling is simply another step to help others understand what being sustainable means and how it helps everyone. We are social beings and it's only natural that we want to get involved in important global topics.
Jacimovic, 2021
Moreover, the German film industry has used the term relating to their Green Storytelling Checklist (MOIN, n.d.)
References
Jacimovic, I. (2021). "What is green storytelling? - and how to become good at it". Medium. medium.com/the-shadow/…
MOIN (n.d.). Green_Storytelling_Checklist. moin-filmfoerderung.de/en/green-filming
Green storytelling techniques can be applied not only to raise awareness of sustainability issues, but also to minimise the environmental impact of film production at the manuscript stage.
