Donald Houwer is a Filmmaker, certified Green Consultant, chairman of the Board of the associations of Green Consultants (BVGCD)and Founder of INFOSME – the Institute forSustainability in Media and Educationis. An interdisciplinary alliance of leading experts from media, education,and sustainable development, based in Germany.    

And he was the founder of the first environmental Filmfestivals during the Berlinale.More about that here.

He is working for a structural transition towards a sustainable media industry across Europe. 

The media industry is leading the way. No other industry can react and implement measures so quickly, resulting in innovations for other industries.    

When the “Ecological Standards for Film, TV and VoD Productions” were introduced in the german market, it became obvious that a new profession and a new qualification is needed in order to train, plan, manage, control and evaluate these new, mandatory sustainable productions. 

In addition, introducing Sustainability in production companies and organizations such as broadcasters, film funds and universities called even more for specialists that are able to cover every relevant aspect of our industry and our crafts.

This is how the “Green Consultant” was born. There are other names such as “Green manager”, “Sustainability Officer” or “Eco-Consultant” which are equivalent to this new position.                           

Of course, economic efficiency always plays a role and producing fewer emissions initially costs more money, but economy without sustainability is doomed to failure.

Many state film funds or broadcasting channels are covering the costs of green consultants and often a green production ends up being more efficient and in some cases even cheaper than a conventional one.