Just when we thought we’d been over-saturated with the politically charged debates about carbon, Carbon: The Unauthorised Biography has inspired hundreds of thousands of people to take action with screenings in cinemas, schools, universities, television and streaming broadcasts around the world. Nearly four in every five people who watched Carbon resolved to take more action to reduce their carbon footprint, according to a survey being conducted by the Monash University Climate Change Communications Hub. So far, an estimated 500,000 people have watched the documentary, including 300,000 during one ABC broadcast alone.

Importantly, Carbon has managed to achieve what all environmental films hope to – the film reached beyond the converted to engage and improve awareness amongst those who remain ambivalent or disengaged. Interim findings from the research have found that while only 42% of people understood carbon’s role in our world prior, 86% had improved understanding as a result of seeing the film.