Benedict Cumberbatch supports Green Rider as Hollywood campaigns for climate action
"By adding a green clause to our contracts, actors can insure climate action is prioritised on set and on screen."
Benedict Cumberbatch was in attendance at the inaugural Climate Film Festival as he showed support for the UK's Green Rider campaign.
This marks the debut of the festival, in which a number of films like Farming While Black, Ecoside, The Wild Robot and plenty more were screened, along with a speech from wildlife filmmaker James Honeyborne.
Across the week, Cumberbatch announced the 15 finalists for the Earthshot Prize, which was co-founded by Prince William and Sir David Attenborough.
During the speech, Cumberbatch announced his support for Green Rider and said: "By adding a green clause to our contracts, actors can insure climate action is prioritised on set and on screen at every stage of the production process.
"So, working with our agents, working with sustainability experts, we can help isolate the areas of most importance and impact and develop smart, scalable solutions and kick-start systemic progress across our industry, from the studios, to the guilds, unions and academies."
Matt Damon also took to the stage to discuss his and co-founder Gary White's Water.org and the success it has had in bringing clean water to people worldwide through microloans, having reached 69 million people!
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He explained (via The Hollywood Reporter): "It's emotional for us … it's really philosophically about looking at people rather than as charity cases needing to be solved but as human beings and as customers and as citizens.
"It's about proving that if you just nudge the market towards them and get out of the way people want to solve their own problems."
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