VMI exists to help storytellers make their work, and we believe that work should never come at the planet’s expense. This statement sets out our commitments and our progress, and serves as VMI’s green memo for Albert compliance purposes.
OUR STATUS.
VMI is a recognised Albert supplier and has been Albert-certified Carbon Neutral every year since 2022. Our emissions are calculated in accordance with SBTi guidelines, audited independently, published openly on our website, and the remainder offset exclusively through Albert-approved schemes. Productions hiring from VMI can record their equipment rental as carbon neutral.
OUR PROGRESS.
In June 2021 VMI publicly committed to net zero by 2030. We more than halved our carbon footprint between 2021 and 2023, from 213 tonnes to 105 tonnes, two years ahead of schedule, and reduced operational emissions by a further 47% in 2024. We have used 100% renewable electricity since 2017. Our 55kW of rooftop solar panels make VMI a net exporter of energy for around a third of each year. We generate no landfill waste, use no single-use plastics, and the majority of our vehicle fleet is electric or hybrid. This work was recognised by the UK Government with the Hero of Net Zero award, presented at the COP26 climate summit, and by a CDP SME Climate Score of B, the highest band in our category.
OUR PEOPLE.
Sustainability includes the people who make the work. VMI has been a Living Wage employer since 2017, is certified as a Great Place to Work with 96% employee satisfaction, and placed in the UK’s top 100 best workplaces. We designed and run the industry’s Camera Tech apprenticeship programme, support the Roundhouse Young Creatives, run bootcamps for new entrants to the television industry and sponsor the annual UK KIFF film festival.
OUR INDUSTRY.
VMI is a founder member of the independent group of rental companies sharing sustainability best practice, publishes its methods openly on the Rental Industry Sustainability Site, and maintains the Green Pledge, currently in version 4.5. We believe the fastest route to a sustainable industry is an open one.
VMI’s third carbon audit for 2023 has been published and audited by Albert and invested in an approved offsetting scheme to ensure that VMI is officially Carbon Neutral since 2022. Visit VMI’s Published Carbon Audits
[Download VMI Sustainability Statement, (sometimes also referred to as a Green” memo for Albert compliance).