When Hitachi’s ad agency pitched the idea of producing an ad in a way that emitted no carbon dioxide, neither Hitachi nor the agency knew if it would be possible.
Hitachi liked the idea. “We thought that as long as we were honest about how the ad was made, it would be a great learning experience, no matter what we ended up achieving,” says Hans Daems, COP26 director for Hitachi Europe. A principal partner of COP26, Hitachi is a leader in developing sustainable transportation. It makes a range of electric- and battery-powered trains and trams, electric cars, and other mobility solutions, as well as the infrastructure and digital technology to support them. The company has pledged to be carbon neutral in its operations by fiscal 2030 and across its entire value chain by fiscal 2050.
“Hitachi is one of only a few companies where an environmental focus is more than lip service,” says Jay Mendes, co-founder of Mamapool, the creative agency that pitched the idea. “So we thought their ad shouldn’t just talk about being carbon-free, it should actually be carbon-free.”
The two-minute film opens with a voice-over by Sam Mendes, the director of the movie, “1917,” which is the first carbon-neutral film made in the UK. “Films always try to make a big impact,” he says. “This one made none at all.” It then shows a woman walking on the beach in near-total darkness. She mounts a bicycle and starts pedaling. Gradually, the set lights up, showing two more cyclists pedaling faster and faster. Then, an image of a Hitachi electric train is projected onto a white cliff face behind the cyclists. As the cyclists slow down, the projector turns off. As they stop, all the lights shut down, leaving everything in the dark again. The ad ends with the statement: “This film was powered by zero carbon emissions.”
The crew faced several challenges in making the film. First was finding the right production company. Out of nine companies in the running, only one was 100% carbon neutral and agreed to do the shoot outdoors.
Another challenge was the carbon-free transport of 30 people - along with required equipment - to the set on the southeastern shores of England. Most of the people drove 100% EV cars and a few rode their bicycles. Others came by Hitachi electric train.
In their efforts to keep the production carbon free, Hitachi and Mamapool were scrupulous. Everyone brought their own reusable container for water. The crew ate a meal of local sustainable fish rather than meat. Nevertheless, some things were beyond their control. The crew had to use traditional trucks to haul equipment, because EV transport trucks do not yet exist. And the medical staff required to be on set do not use electric vehicles. “The infrastructure is not yet reliable enough,” says Mendes. “Imagine if we had an emergency and they couldn’t charge up their cars.” Another requirement – hand sanitizer – was not manufactured carbon free.
Because of such factors, the film’s production (including pre- and post-production work) emitted a small amount of carbon, about 0.75 tonnes – a tiny amount, compared with the 33 tonnes emitted during an average daily shoot.
In the end, Hitachi could honestly claim that the energy that powered the set and the actual filming was 100% carbon free. “It is really extraordinary that we could have 30 people on a beach, working the entire night, and emit no carbon,” says Daems. The company used a kinetic engineer to figure out how much power would be required. Over five weeks of R&D and testing, the engineer determined that most of the power – for the lights and the projector – could be generated by seven people cycling (with a few breaks) from dusk till dawn. Each cyclist produced about 60 watts, for a total of 420 watts of power. That was supplemented by 5 kilowatts from a solar-powered generator that had collected and stored energy during daylight.
The experience taught Hitachi about the possibilities and the limits of going 100% carbon free, lessons it is sharing with the world, says Daems. In being open about the challenges and accurate in the terminology – specifying that the filming was powered by carbon-free energy while the broader production was carbon neutral – the company is highlighting the problems that need to be solved. “We at Hitachi view ourselves as a climate-change innovator,” says Daems. “This was an amazing adventure that shows how companies and governments need to work together to innovate to create a more sustainable future.”
See the film, as well as more information on how it was made, here.
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