In order to understand a production’s impacts, they first needs to be measured. Once a production has a sense of its sustainability strengths and weaknesses, more actions can be put in place to improve results.

Calculators, Management Systems, Standards, Resources and Tools
A range of calculators, management systems, standards and tools are currently available to assist productions with their environmental sustainability goals. They include:

• BS 8909
• PGA Green calculator  
• Local Government Shires and Associations (LGSA) of NSW
• SEMS tool

Click on each of the above to learn more.

It is recommended that the PGA Green’s Green Production Guide Carbon Calculator be adopted to measure a production’s carbon gas emissions. Remember that in order to provide a complete picture, a sustainability report must provide more than just GHG calculations. It must take into account waste, power, transport, water and procurement as well.

Measurements would include:

• Travel and transport
• Waste
• Energy (electricity, gas and fuel)
• Water
• Procurement (paper, timber, hotel nights)
• Total greenhouse gas emissions 

Reporting
Sustainability reports are essential in order to document the production’s experience – both successes and failures. They also form a record against which to measure future production’s success.

It’s suggested that reports are generated in two sizes:

• a simple two pager providing a quick overview of the production’s greenhouse gas emissions, waste generated, water and energy used, as well as successes and areas where improvement can be made, and
• a more comprehensive report detailing the production’s methodology, departmental overviews by waste, power, transport, water and procurement and a copy of the production’s greenhouse gas calculation (in accordance with the PGA Green template).