The animation industry is counting more than frames. It is now counting carbon. Carburetor is a technology and pipeline platform utilised in the digital media, film, and television industries rather than a mechanical component. The platform’s deployment of version 3.5 across Europe has been supported by Wallimage, a Belgian regional audiovisual fund. Carbulator 3.5 has officially gone live, giving European studios a souped-up tool to measure their environmental footprint and putting the continent’s green production ambitions into motion.
Following its launch at Mifa 2026 (Annecy International Animation Film Market) Marché International du Film d’Animation in France, the latest version of Carbulator is now available online in international English. But this is more than a new coat of paint. The platform has been rebuilt from the ground up to adapt to the technical requirements of individual European territories, setting the stage for a continent-wide rollout.
And the green brigade is growing. Backed by the CNC through its technical resources support scheme, Carbulator 3.5 has been designed to serve all 27 European Union countries. France has been joined by Ireland and Belgium in the latest push, with more territories expected to follow.
Ireland and French-speaking Belgium are first in line for localisation, with both versions scheduled to roll out in early 2027.
In Ireland, the work is being carried out with the trade association and representative body for the animation, gaming, and visual effects (VFX) industry on the island of Ireland- Animation Ireland, with financial support from Screen Ireland, the national development agency for the Irish film, television, animation, and documentary industry and animation studio Cartoon Saloon joining the testing phase. Over in French-speaking Belgium, Wallimage, the Walloon regional fund, is co-financing the localisation ahead of testing with leading Belgian studios.
AnimFrance managing director Stéphane Le Bars mentioned, “We are collectively very proud to be taking this new European step with Carbulator. Thanks to their trust and invaluable contributions, we are building a sovereign tool to support the European animation industry’s ecological transition.”
The platform already has some numbers to show for its first year-plus on the production floor. More than 300 accounts have been created, with 230 carbon assessments completed across series, specials, animated feature films and shorts.
Carbulator 3.5 is also getting a usability upgrade. The new version promises easier navigation, clearer data and a smoother user experience because calculating a carbon footprint should not feel like solving a production puzzle.
More importantly, the platform is designed to go beyond simply counting emissions. Its indicators can help studio directors track energy and resource use throughout production, giving them a clearer picture of where the green gains can be made.
There is, however, a new number studios will need to keep an eye on. From 1 October 2026, Carbulator 3.5 will move to a paid licensing model, as announced at Mifa. The shift is intended to support the tool’s long-term sustainability and future development.
The next act is already being scripted. Following the Irish and Belgian localisations in early 2027, Carbulator plans to expand country by country across Europe, targeting territories with active animation industries.
The endgame? By 2030 at the latest, Carbulator aims to help harmonise energy-consumption calculations and eco-production practices across Europe.
For an industry built on imagination, Carbulator is bringing a little more calculation to the creative process. The next big animation revolution may not just be about what appears on screen but how sustainably it gets there.
