Wednesday, 01 July 2026 09:00 AM
Environmental, Social and Governance
Atlantic Media Group PLC will assess the carbon footprint of each participating production and support WDF's methane reduction work through retired carbon credits and offset certificates
RED LODGE, MT / ACCESS Newswire / July 1, 2026 / The Well Done Foundation and Atlantic Media Group PLC have signed a Memorandum of Understanding establishing a production-based carbon offset collaboration designed to support methane reduction through the plugging of abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells.
The collaboration is intended to serve as a pilot program and case study for the creative industry, demonstrating a responsible pathway for production companies to measure emissions, reduce what they can, support direct methane reduction, and make public environmental claims only after the underlying work has been completed and credits have been issued and retired.
Under the agreement, Atlantic Media Group PLC, will assess the carbon footprint of participating film, television and media productions beginning in 2027 and make corresponding contributions to WDF based on those production-specific emissions calculations. WDF will provide carbon credits, offset documentation and offset certificates for each participating production, subject to WDF's applicable methodologies, verification procedures, project timelines and credit issuance protocols.
"Film and television production can be an extremely wasteful industry, especially when travel, energy use, transportation, lodging and production logistics are considered," said Lynn Scheid, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Atlantic Media Group PLC. "We are not approaching this as a public relations exercise. We are approaching it as an accountability exercise. If we are going to talk about environmental responsibility, we should at least know what our own footprint looks like."
Scheid has instructed Atlantic Media Group PLC's producers, line producers, executive producers and leadership team to begin calculating the carbon footprint of each production the company creates, as well as its office, operational and corporate activities.
"The goal is simple," Scheid said. "Measure the footprint. Reduce what we can. Calculate what remains. Support work that addresses those emissions. Then make any claims only after the work is done, the credits are issued and those credits are retired."
The Well Done Foundation (WDF) identifies, measures, plugs and restores abandoned and orphaned oil and gas wells that have been left behind across the United States. Many of these wells emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas, until they are properly sealed. By addressing methane emissions at the source, WDF provides a field-based climate solution that can deliver an immediate, measurable environmental benefit.
"Planting trees, recycling and other sustainability efforts remain important, but methane reduction from orphaned wells is different because the impact can be immediate once the work is completed," said Curtis Shuck, WDF Chairman. "When a leaking well is properly plugged and sealed, methane emissions are stopped at the source. That is real work, done in the field, with measurable climate value and lasting restoration for the landowner and surrounding community."
Atlantic Media Group PLC expects most of its productions to generate estimated footprints in the range of approximately 250 to 400 metric tons of CO₂e, although each production will be assessed individually. Contributions will be calculated using a reduced offtake rate of $20 per carbon credit, reflecting Atlantic Media Group's anticipated ongoing participation in the program. WDF's standard rate is $25 per carbon credit.
Scheid has also written an op-ed titled, "TV & Film Production Footprint," which challenges the creative industry to treat production emissions with the same seriousness it brings to budgets, schedules and logistics. The piece outlines a practical framework for responsible low-carbon production: measure production emissions, contribute to well-capping projects, allow WDF to complete the work, receive and retire the carbon credits, and only then make any offset or net-zero production claim.
"This is not about boasting," Scheid said. "It is about giving production companies a responsible process they can understand and repeat. The creative industry already knows how to measure budgets down to the penny. We should be just as disciplined about measuring and addressing our carbon footprint."
The collaboration also creates an opportunity to engage film and television sustainability organizations, production companies, carbon accounting platforms and other creative industry leaders that are already helping productions measure and manage their environmental impact.
WDF and Atlantic Media Group PLC intend to use the pilot program to develop responsible case study materials, outreach language and industry education that demonstrate how production companies can support immediate methane reduction while avoiding premature or unsupported environmental claims.
"Atlantic Media Group PLC is helping us build a practical example for an industry that already has the tools, the resources and the influence to lead," Shuck said. "The key is to do it responsibly: measure the footprint, support the work, document the outcome and communicate accurately."
About the Well Done Foundation
Founded in 2019, the Well Done Foundation mitigates the threat posed by the estimated 3.5 million orphaned oil and gas wells across the United States. WDF locates, measures, plugs, and restores these sites in partnership with landowners, government agencies, corporations, and nonprofits. To date, WDF has plugged more than 120 wells, eliminating over 5 million metric tons of CO₂e emissions. Learn more at welldonefoundation.org.
About Atlantic Media Group PLC
Atlantic Media Group PLC is a global holding company with businesses operating across more than 65 countries in media production, real estate, technology and professional services. Its core expertise is producing original scripted and unscripted content for broadcast, digital and streaming platforms, supported by production services including project management, post-production, creative design and equipment rentals.
Atlantic Media Group PLC (atlanticmediagroup.net) operates independently and is not affiliated with The Atlantic Monthly Group LLC, publisher of The Atlantic and TheAtlantic.com
Media Contact
Dave Tragethon, Communications Director
Well Done Foundation
[email protected]
503.680.2685
welldonefoundation.org
SOURCE: Well Done Foundation