Issue 9_FOCUS from the AOP_September 2025 - Flipbook - Page 5
WHY SUSTAINABLE WORKING MATTERS
AND CAN EVEN WIN YOU JOBS
We've had a Sustainability Working Group at the
AOP now since March 2023 and each year we
work at creating information and workshops to
give AOP members new, and useful information
on how they can work in a more sustainable
way.
green policy, but were actually already doing it
and that put us ahead of the other people
pitching. Clients love it when we make their
lives easier and this is one way to do it.
AOP SUSTAINABILITY
WORKING GROUP
Once you win the job - most big campaigns
need accreditation from Ad Green or Green
We’re all looking for ways to make ourselves
Screen to say that they have reached a certain
stand out more to our clients and potential
level of environmental strategies/actions on a
clients - and the quality of our photography
job - so we know the demand is already there
alone isn’t the only factor we get chosen by.
for this information.
Working in a green way, and building it into your At the moment (according to Sustainable
working process is going to become a necessity, Energy First ) Scope 3 emissions are
as more and more companies start to report on somewhere between 80% and 97% of total
their Scope 3 emissions. These are the
emissions for a large business. So however
emissions that come from suppliers (us) and not many changes a company make within their
the company itself.
own business practice - it’s their suppliers’
carbon footprint that will make the biggest
You can find more information here:
difference to reaching net zero.
https://www.carbontrust.com/our-work-andimpact/guides-reports-and-tools/what-areThat means every part of your work that goes toward a
scope-3-emissions-and-why-do-they-matter
project for your client counts as part of their carbon
footprint. And pressure is mounting on everyone to bring
As a member of the Sustainability WG - I’m
those figures down.
obviously always keen on making sure that our
work is done in as eco friendly and sustainable
As photographers - if you can say to your client that you
way as possible. At Lucid, as producers on set,
have a carbon reduction policy; that you can quantify your
we can make simple and visible changes - like
carbon footprint - from their shoots AND your own
not printing out calls sheets, providing boxed
working practice, you will become an even more attractive
water instead of bottles and having vegetarian
option to hire. You will be solving an additional problem
or vegan catering. The background elements
for your client, without them having to do any of the work.
around how we choose location or studios, the
way we travel and even the choice of hard
We’re working with other agencies and organisations to
drives are not as visible but they all make a
create training for AoP Members that will give you the
difference.
knowledge and the measurable information to share with
clients that will give you that advantage in terms of your
We did a job a few years ago for a client who
sustainable knowledge and working practice. By getting
apologetically said they needed us to supply a
this process in place in advance of it becoming a
green policy before we could pitch for the job.
mandatory reporting element - you have the advantage
They received it about 2 minutes after our call,
over other photographers who will be playing catch up.
as we had one right there - as it was already
Plus - more importantly you will be working in a way that
embedded in the way we worked. When we won does’t increase the current climate emergency - and
the job - we knew that part of it was that we
creating work that you can be proud of, aesthetically and
were clearly not just paying lip service to a
ethically.
Hat Margolies, Lucid Representation
