Our Sustainable Development Policy
CARTOON’s remit is to support the European animation industry by organising several types of events throughout the year dedicated to animation professionals.
At CARTOON, we aim to create safe, sustainable, and inclusive events where exchanges and
discussions are based on mutual acknowledgement and where everyone is treated with respect and as equals.
As event organisers, we are dedicated to finding better solutions to organise our events in a more responsible way and to extend this care to our workplace. Every year, we wish to go further on the path of sustainability. Step by step, we learn how to change our habits, in order to reduce our impact on the planet. The CARTOON team and all the suppliers, technicians, etc. involved in our events are working together to make it happen. Our participants are warmly invited to join our efforts and help us adopt better sustainable practices.
CARTOON strives to:
Strengthen sustainable economic growth
- Structure and organise the European animation sector for enhanced efficiency;
- Integrate our events into the local economic system;
- Create synergy among industry stakeholders by facilitating connections and business opportunities.
Minimise our environmental impact through sustainable initiatives
- Reduce the overall carbon footprint of our events;
- Prioritise local suppliers and opt for socially responsible partners;
- Promote eco-friendly transportation options;
- Ensure a sustainable local food supply;
- Develop action plans to manage waste (minimising, upcycling, sorting, etc.).
Cultivate a better way of living together
- Commit to parity and inclusion;
- Foster well-being and safety for all involved parties;
- Facilitate access to professionals from countries with low audiovisual capacity;
- Coach and involve young talents in the animation market.
Aspire to be a role model
- Work towards making our values the cornerstone of the European animation industry;
- Highlight our sustainable practices and communicate them to all our stakeholders;
- Promote responsible behaviour changes to cultivate sustainable habits.
CARTOON’s Board of Directors and its General Manager are fully committed to ensuring the implementation of CARTOON’s sustainable development policy. To achieve this, adequate resources are allocated.
This policy was signed on 22/05/2024 by Christian Davin (President of the Board) and Marie Bro (Vice President of the Board). It was signed by Annick Maes (General Manager) on 2/12/2024.
Our CSR Report
With great pride, we present our first-ever CSR Report. This document outlines our actions and ambitions for the responsible and sustainable management of our events.
CARTOON’s CSR Report (UK)
CARTOON’s CSR Report (FR)
“This first sustainability report enabled us to measure the impact of our actions across the value chain and to review our business model to meet societal and environmental challenges. By providing us with a clear and standardised report about its performance, CARTOON is putting down a marker and is committing to contributing to a more sustainable and equitable economy.” Christian Davin, President of CARTOON’s Board of Directors
A certified commitment
We are proud to announce that CARTOON has been awarded the ISO 20121 certification for responsible event management.
Check out our Certification.
The ISO 20121 standard sets a framework that supports the achievement of the sustainable development goals established by CARTOON, aiming for continuous improvement and always in full respect of the legal, health, safety, and other requirements applicable to the events. We extend our thanks to 21 Solutions for their support in this process.
“Congratulations on the ISO 2021 Certification – I know that is a big and proud achievement so really well done. I also want to take this moment to thank you and the team at Cartoon for what has been for me a major landmark in my year for 30 years of my career now – Cartoon Forum! It has always been a must-go event for me and definitely one of my favourites! You’ve steered it beautifully all these years and I think it’s a fantastic event, celebrating the incredible and varied talent we have to offer in Europe.” Alix Wiseman, SVP of Sales & Acquisitions at 9story
Our sustainable collaborations
Building on its previous collaboration with Carbulator, CARTOON is reaffirming its commitment to sustainability in the animation industry. As part of a major new initiative, CARTOON has signed the Statement for European Sustainability Standards in Animation. This joint effort, led by Ecoprod, Green Film and CineRegio (the European network of regional film funds), reflects a shared ambition among industry stakeholders to align on common values, environmental goals and green production standards.
The initiative is also supported by CEE Animation, Animation Scotland and several regional film funds, including Alca (Nouvelle-Aquitaine), Catalonia Film Commission – ICEC (Spain), Łódź Film Commission (Poland), Film London (UK), Film Paris Region, Screen Scotland, Trentino Film Commission (Italy) and Viken Filmsenter (Norway).
The Green Animation Guide, published alongside the statement, is an important step towards establishing a comprehensive framework that includes practical tools to support environmentally responsible animation production. It also encourages the development of more sustainable, inclusive and collaborative co-productions.
We invite you to read and sign the Statement for European Sustainability Standards in Animation. Signing involves no financial or contractual commitment. It simply shows your support for a more sustainable future for European animation.
Feedback from our stakeholders
Here are some testimonials highlighting how our events coach and empower young talents in the animation industry, while fostering a strong commitment to diversity:
“Accompanying you in your work with young talent in European animation is a true pleasure, a rich experience, and a vital source of exchange. The new generations challenge us to think about fluidity and respect. In these difficult times for the industry, every form of collaboration and solidarity is invaluable.” Christophe Erbes, Chairperson at Cartoon Springboard 2024
“CartoonNext was an incredible experience for me; the format of this event is like no other, and I found it very enjoyable! Moreover, the smoothness of your organisation and the diversity of the participants were remarkable.” Anna Taganov, Head of Children’s Content & Programming Strategy at BBC
