Member Spotlight: LAIKA, Setting Standards in Sustainable Transportation for the Stop-Motion Industry

Member Spotlight: LAIKA, ​Setting Standards in Sustainable Transportation for the Stop-Motion Industry

LAIKA is committed to telling original, timeless stories and sharing them with the broadest possible audience, all while leading the way in filmmaking. By blending cutting-edge technologies with traditional techniques, they craft state-of-the-art classics. This spirit of innovation also shapes the studio's approach to environmental stewardship, as they aim to drive sustainability advancements within the stop-motion industry.

“We implement practical solutions that minimize waste and maximize resource efficiency to ensure studio accountability in reducing our carbon footprint. Through research, education, and action, we aim to inspire stress-free, sustainable habits among LAIKAns while also supporting partnerships with our local communities and organizations that share our values around environmental responsibility. Westside Transportation Alliance is one such partner,” said Carla Chen, Sustainability Program Manager at LAIKA.

LAIKA is focused not only on what stories they tell but also on how they tell them, and that includes continually evaluating and improving behaviors and processes at the studio to be better stewards of the environment. Encouraging and facilitating greener commuting habits among employees is an important arrow in their quiver, as the transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions in Oregon, accounting for 35% of all emissions in 2021, according to the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ)*. 

The LAIKA Sustainability Program promotes transportation subsidy initiatives to reduce roadway congestion and carbon emissions by offering incentives to encourage employee use of alternative or low-emission modes of transportation. 

Westside Transportation Alliance (WTA) is a long-term partner in helping LAIKA develop and maintain its robust transportation subsidies. LAIKA’s Carpool Program reduces commuter miles across the Portland metro area each month, with an average employee participation rate of 21% (based on the DEQ 2023 Employee Commute Options, or ECO, Survey).

LAIKA provides employees with access to 12 at-cost EV charging stations that reduced CO2 emissions by an estimated 49,167 pounds in 2024, according to Blink Charging. The studio also offers 50% off monthly bus passes for employees.

LAIKA Sustainability sponsors an annual on-site Bike Repair Event in partnership with WashCo Bikes, a non-profit organization in Hillsboro whose vision is to create a future where bicycling is seen as the safe and practical choice for short-distance trips. Last year, more than 30 employees’ bikes were repaired at no cost to them. In addition, the studio offers a Bike Borrowing Program, with bikes available for employees to use to run errands or enjoy a ride during their breaks. 

Since 2023, LAIKA has participated in Energy Trust of Oregon’s Strategic Energy Management Program, which is dedicated to identifying improvement opportunities in energy conservation. LAIKA’s commitment to innovation in sustainability earned the studio Washington County’s Green Business Leader Gold Award in 2023, a three-year designation.

In 2024, LAIKA attained EVAL Silver certification in Electric Vehicle Adoption Leadership through Forth Mobility and was distinguished by the Environmental Media Association (EMA) with their Green Seal Award for Studios, a recognition program that identifies best practices through a point system focused on sustainability. EMA is an organization dedicated to promoting environmental progress in the entertainment industry, and LAIKA is the first stop-motion company to achieve their Green Seal Award for Studios.

About LAIKA
LAIKA was founded in 2005 in Oregon by President & CEO Travis Knight. The studio’s five films Coraline (2009), ParaNorman (2012), The Boxtrolls (2014), Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), and Missing Link (2019) have all been nominated for the Academy Award® for Outstanding Animated Feature. Kubo and the Two Strings won the BAFTA® Award for Best Animated Film and received an additional Oscar® nomination for Visual Effects. Missing Link was awarded the Golden Globe® for Best Animated Film. LAIKA was awarded a Scientific and Technology Oscar® in 2016 for its innovation in 3D printing. LAIKA is currently in production on its next animated film Wildwood. The studio is developing the animated feature films The Night Gardener, from an original idea by Bill Dubuque, creator of the hit series Ozark, and Piranesi, based on the NYT bestselling novel by Susanna Clarke. LAIKA has launched a Live Action subsidiary with a range of projects in development including feature films based on the action thriller novel Seventeen by screenwriter John Brownlow and an original script Crumble, written and directed by Brian Duffield with Phil Lord and Chris Miller producing. Oscar®-nominated screenwriter Jon Spaihts (Dune) will write and make his directorial debut on another original live action film project. Learn more at www.laika.com.

*Source: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/ghgp/pages/ghg-inventory.aspx​