The entertainment industry is being called out for not accurately portraying the reality of climate change in films and TV shows, according to a new study. The study, titled “Climate Reality Check,” demands that the industry acknowledge that “climate change is our reality” and incorporate it into on-screen narratives.
Inspired by the Bechdel-Wallace Test, which measures gender representation in media, the Climate Reality Check evaluates whether climate change is being represented in films and TV shows. The test requires at least one character in the story to acknowledge the existence of climate change, either through dialogue referencing “unprecedented” weather events or by using the term “climate change.”
The study examined 13 Oscar-nominated films and found that only three of them passed the Climate Reality Check. These films included “Barbie,” “Mission: Impossible — Dead Reckoning Part One,” and “Nyad.” In “Barbie,” climate change is alluded to when one character criticizes another for contributing to environmental destruction through consumerism.
The authors of the study hope that by 2027, 50% of Oscar-nominated films will pass the Climate Reality Check. They emphasize that the goal is not to dictate the content of films but to ensure that the current climate reality is reflected on-screen.
The study was conducted by Good Energy, an organization dedicated to accurate media portrayals of climate change, and Colby College’s Buck Lab for Climate and Environment. The authors of the study spoke with over 200 writers, showrunners, executives, and communications experts to reach their conclusions.
Overall, the study highlights the importance of incorporating climate change into on-screen narratives and calls on the entertainment industry to do better in representing this urgent global issue.
