German public media groups ARD, ZDF to go 100% green in 2022

German public-service broadcasting groups ARD and ZDF will be operating completely on green power from 2022 and will procure electricity from hydropower plants in Scandinavia.

The electricity was contracted by the state of Hesse's public broadcaster Hessischer Rundfunk, which is part of the ARD group, for the 2022-2024 period and will be supplied to all members of the ARD group and Mainz-based public-service television broadcaster ZDF, ARD said last week. As part of a Europe-wide tender, Hessischer Rundfunk picked the offer with the most favourable price after the board of directors of all broadcasters in the group had approved the transition to green electricity.

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The ARD group includes national TV broadcaster Das Erste, Deutsche Welle as well as regional public broadcasters such as Hessischer Rundfunk, Norddeutscher Rundfunk, Radio Bremen and others. Created by all federal states, ZDF operates as an independent nonprofit institution.

The off-take contract is part of ARD's efforts to promote sustainable management media production as well as sustainable operations and event management. The group has developed a set of minimum ecological standards that will be gradually introduced for all movie and TV production by 2024.