Sustainability
Sustainability is an essential part of IDFA's mission—not only in the documentaries we showcase but also in the way we organize our festival. That is why we strive to reduce our ecological footprint in areas such as accommodation, catering, digital technology, materials, mobility, and waste.
Progress and focus areas
| Accomodation | Food & beverage | Digital |
|---|---|---|
Partner hotels are selected based on similar sustainability values. | Staff/crew lunches are vegan. We aim for an 80% vegetarian offer for staff/crew dinners by 2026 and 100% by 2030. | Internally, we use the Ecosia browser and search engine by default. |
Partner hotels are chosen in locations close to festival venues and/or easily accessible by public transport. | All catering at our events is vegetarian, and we are working towards fully vegan options. | Organization-wide awareness and reduction of the environmental impact of data storage and email traffic. |
| We minimize food waste as much as possible, and any leftovers are donated to the food bank, the Salvation Army, or similar initiatives. | Digital film transport for selected films instead of physical film reels. |
IDFA's partner GVB during the 2024 festival. Photo: Angeniet Berkers
| Materials | Mobility |
|---|---|
When printing or producing communication materials and decorations, we use recycled materials whenever possible, ensuring they can be reused annually. We also collaborate with local organizations. | Flights for accredited guests will only be reimbursed if the travel distance exceeds 500 kilometers. |
We strive to produce as little merchandise as possible. If we do hand out gifts to invited filmmakers, guests, and award winners, we ensure that they are long-lasting, locally and responsibly produced, or that our purchase contributes to supporting the documentary sector. | Encouraging public transport travel in collaboration with Choo Choo, a platform that simplifies train travel planning across Europe, and GVB for travel within Amsterdam. |
Since 2024, volunteer T-shirts are provided on loan during the festival. Afterward, they will be collected, washed, and reused for multiple years. | Festival car service for accredited guests operates with a fully electric fleet. |
No more tote bags for (inter)national festival guests. | CO2 emissions from flights booked by IDFA are offset through investment in a Gold Standard project by the Fair Climate Fund. |
No disposable cups, plates, or cutlery—only reusable tableware that can be washed and reused. | |
Where possible, we rent materials instead of purchasing them. Whenever we rent materials, we prioritize working with regional partners. |
For more specific information about IDFA's programs and activities related to social responsibility each year (including sustainability), you can read our annual reports.
Certificate
For the second year in a row, we have measured the ecological footprint of our programs and activities using the Green Producers Club tool—an organization that measures and helps reduce emissions with a climate tool. Based on the results of this assessment, combined with information about our policies, communication, and other sustainability efforts, our festival received a sustainability score of 4/5 (good) in 2024. This shows that we are on the right track, but there is still work to be done. Looking ahead, we strive to implement even more sustainability measures.
Looking ahead
We keep committing to work towards a more sustainable future and festival management, with the ultimate goal of becoming completely climate-neutral by 2050.
One of the ways to achieve this is through structural collaboration with other film festivals, including Cinekid, IFFR, Movies That Matter, and NFF. Together, we work on implementing sustainable policies and practices while sharing knowledge.
Do you have any ideas or suggestions? We would love to hear from you! Email us at info@idfa.nl.