CASE STUDY:

Futurama: Bender's Game

We at Futurama, Twentieth Century Fox Television (TCFTV) and Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment (TCFHE) are committed to reducing our impact on climate change. We have set the target to make Bender's Game the company’s third carbon-neutral DVD release. (Futurama: Bender’s Big Score was the company’s first-ever carbon neutral DVD and was awarded most environmentally friendly DVD of the year by The Digital Entertainment Group at the inaugural Green Media Summit in Los Angeles.)

Our strategy to reach net zero emissions for the DVD was three-fold:

• To measure our carbon impact
• To reduce our energy use and switch to renewable sources of power wherever possible and to encourage suppliers to reduce their climate impact
• To offset our unavoidable emissions

Measuring our carbon impact:

To conduct this analysis, we worked with Clear Carbon Consulting and used the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, developed by the World Resources Institute and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, to instruct our measurement methodology.

Methodology:

For manufacturing and distribution, we applied the findings of the Wal-Mart/Fox Home Entertainment case study that was published by the Carbon Disclosure Project in September 2007.

That study measured the supply-chain impacts of a DVD defined as a single disc, packaged in a hard case that includes a lithograph sleeve, with one printed promotional leaflet inside the DVD case.

In addition, we collected data on the Futurama production offices (both internal and outsourced) as well as the business air travel association with the DVD.

Here are the combined findings:

Reducing our energy use, switching to renewables, encouraging suppliers:

Several energy efficiency initiatives are underway at Futurama, TCFTV and TCFHE offices. These initiatives include lighting upgrades, maximization of chiller units, IT energy reductions, and other office equipment efficiencies.

The manufacturing facility for TCFHE DVDs is owned and operated by Cinram in Huntsville, AL. In recent years, Cinram has completed significant energy efficiency and waste reduction projects. Energy efficiencies include the installation of highly efficient electric injection molding technology and a highly efficient boiler, resulting in substantial electricity and natural gas savings.

With regards to waste reduction, Cinram has taken on recycling and reuse programs in its markets. All “waste” products are sorted at the Cinram facility in order to separate potential valuable elements for use by other industries and businesses within the community. As a result, Cinram has created partnerships with other companies in the area to take the “waste” for reuse in other products, resulting in the great majority (at least 98 percent) of the facility’s waste being reused rather than disposed of in landfills.

One of TCFHE’s printing suppliers completed significant energy efficiency upgrades over the past two years, resulting in reduced energy consumption by 750,000 kWh and more than 80,000 ccf of natural gas.

Future initiatives include energy audits at supplier facilities, including Cinram, printers, case manufacturers, and raw material providers.

Additionally, Futurama, TCFTV and TCFHE are seeking out new opportunities future carbon reductions and working with their partners to do the same.

Offsetting unavoidable emissions:

To address the inescapable emissions associated with the DVD, News Corporation purchased high-quality carbon offsets from a wind farm project in New Zealand.

These offsets have been verified by an independent expert third party and accredited under a recognized program, the Gold Standard. The Gold Standard was developed by the World Wildlife Fund.

We have permanently retired these carbon offsets, removing them from circulation in the carbon market. The amount of carbon associated with retired offsets is more than the emissions associated with the Futurama DVD release.