A diesel-free future in the Accelerator City
Posted on Mar 19, 2025 by Admin
Named the world’s first Accelerator City by the UN, Liverpool is setting the gold standard in sustainable production practices
Words Katie Kasperson
Late last year, Liverpool set a world record: it became the first-ever Accelerator City, as named by the UN. Part of the UN Climate Change’s Entertainment and Culture for Climate Action (ECCA) programme, the metropolis has been touted for its environmentalism and innovation.
Thanks in large part to the Liverpool Film Office, the city has become a globally recognised creative hub. After London, Liverpool is the UK’s second-most popular locale for film and TV production, with Peaky Blinders and The Batman just two of countless projects to pass through.
Living up to its new title, Liverpool has launched a plug-and-play approach to production, with mains power points scattered around the city. Instead of relying on diesel generators for energy, film or episodic crews can plug directly into the electricity grid, thus reducing their reliance on fossil fuels and helping them do their part for the planet.
Liverpool’s initiative expands upon a similar project, originally launched in east London; there, the local council installed a single power pillar in Victoria Park. British company Ecotricity is a key player in both, supplying 100% renewable energy and contributing to a country-wide industrial effort to act more sustainably. Grid Faeries x Ecotricity – the official name for the on-site plug-in points – is behind the Liverpudlian pilot scheme, having already powered gigs at Glastonbury, WOMAD Festival and in Bristol.
Since the London launch alone, nearly 100,000 litres of fuel and 250 tonnes of carbon emissions have been saved, according to Film London’s CEO Adrian Wootton. Much larger in scale, Liverpool’s programme will almost certainly surpass these numbers within its first year.
As stated by Liverpool council leader Liam Robinson: “This initiative is the first of a number of announcements connected to our new status as the world’s first UN Accelerator City. We’re committed to being bold, ambitious and proactive in tackling climate change issues.”
Keir Powell-Lewis, the BFI’s head of environmental sustainability, adds: “Finding ways for film and television productions to access clean energy and eliminate diesel generators on-set is a priority for the industry.” By ‘delivering infrastructural solutions at scale’, he says, the UK will be cemented as a world leader in clean, green production.
Learn about other champions in sustainability in this article.
This story appears in the February 2025 issue of Definition
