Dede’s Green Scene: Benedict Cumberbatch is Doctor Sustainability!

Benedict Cumberbatch may be best known for his role as Doctor Strange in the Marvel Universe, but in the real world, he’s earning the title of ‘Doctor Sustainability!’ The BAFTA, Olivier, and Emmy award-winning actor is leveraging his star power to raise awareness about climate change and environmental issues. 

In October 2024, the vegan British actor was appointed as the global ambassador for environmental advocacy by the KOKO Foundation, the registered charity of London's iconic venue KOKO. In this role, Cumberbatch champions the Foundation’s initiatives to make London a greener, more sustainable city. The actor  actively engages in environmental projects that inspire communities both locally and globally, using his influence to drive meaningful change.

In 2024, Cumberbatch was involved in the Prada Re-Nylon campaign with Emma Watson, highlighting the major luxury house’s priority on sustainability. This year, Cumberbatch has also been actively involved in Prada's Re-Nylon campaign launched in January 2025. This initiative is a collaboration between Prada and National Geographic CreativeWorks, featuring a series of four documentary films that delve into the origins and impact of Prada's Re-Nylon project. Prada's Re-Nylon collection is crafted from Econyl, a regenerated nylon made from recycled plastic waste collected from oceans and landfills. This initiative reflects Prada's commitment to creating products without depleting new resources. Additionally, 1% of the proceeds from the Prada Re-Nylon for SEA BEYOND Collection benefit the SEA BEYOND educational program, which aims to raise awareness about ocean preservation among younger generations. The campaign also includes actress Sadie Sink, SEA BEYOND ambassadors, Valentina Gottlieb and Giovanni Chimienti, and local National Geographic experts.

In the first episode of the campaign, titled "On Arctic Tides," Cumberbatch visits the Lofoten Archipelago in Norway, located within the Arctic Circle. Alongside environmental advocate, Valentina Gottlieb, and local expert, Carl Höjman, Cumberbatch examines the critical issue of plastic pollution in the Arctic. The film highlights how ocean currents carry plastic waste and "ghost nets"—abandoned fishing nets—that litter beaches and endanger marine life. This episode underscores the importance of sustainable practices and the urgent need to address ocean pollution.

In December 2024, the Sherlock Holmes star took on the role of 'Benedict Lumberjack,' a satirical character in a campaign exposing the harmful impact of pension fund investments in deforestation. The campaign, created by Make My Money Matter—a movement for ethical investment co-founded by filmmaker Richard Curtis—aimed to highlight how pension funds contribute to environmental degradation and encouraged  more responsible investment choices. According to the organization, pension funds currently hold over £300 billion in companies at high risk of driving deforestation, an issue its climate action report accuses the industry of failing to address.

At the Earthshot Prize Innovation Summit in October 2024, Cumberbatch announced his support for the Green Rider campaign—an actor-led initiative aimed to reduce  the environmental impact of the film and television industry. Launched in August 2023 by Equity for a Green New Deal, the campaign encourages actors to include eco-friendly clauses—known as 'Green Riders'—in their contracts. These clauses outline sustainable commitments from actors and set clear environmental expectations for productions. The Green Rider campaign promotes sustainable travel by prioritizing trains over planes for domestic and regional trips, and encourages the use of public transport or carpooling to set locations. It also advocates for minimizing energy-intensive facilities, such as oversized trailers, and ensuring heating or air conditioning is turned off when not in use. Additionally, it promotes  the use of second-hand, sustainably-made, or rented costumes, and asks actors to bring their own reusable cutlery, dishes, coffee cups and water bottles to set. Another key focus is adopting plant-based or vegetarian meals to reduce the carbon footprint associated with meat production. The campaign has received support from over 100 prominent actors, including Mark Rylance, Bella Ramsey, Ben Whishaw and Hayley Atwell. Their collective endorsement underscores a strong commitment to fostering a more sustainable and environmentally-conscious entertainment industry. By adopting  Green Rider clauses, actors are taking a pivotal role in promoting eco-friendly practices on set, setting a new standard for sustainability in the industry, and inspiring broader societal change.

Cumberbatch has also joined Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests in London in 2019, aligning himself with activists demanding urgent governmental action on climate change. Extinction Rebellion is an environmental pressure group that employs civil disobedience to push governments to take stronger action against climate change. The group’s protests take place worldwide, with London activists staging blockades of roads, bridges, and the city’s largest meat market, Smithfield. While protesters typically obstruct traffic, they make exceptions for cyclists. Cumberbatch’s  participation in the protests stresses  the critical need for systemic changes to address environmental crises. During the two-week demonstration in central London, XR protesters called for immediate action to tackle the climate emergency. Cumberbatch, along with over 100 other celebrities—including Sienna Miller and Jude Law—signed an open letter in mid-October 2019, acknowledging their own 'high-carbon lives' while voicing their support for the  efforts of XR. Cumberbatch joined activists camped out in Trafalgar Square, where demonstrators set up a hearse with a sign reading ‘Our Future’ inside, symbolizing the urgency of the crisis. XR shared images of the actor at the protest on Facebook, captioning: ‘British actor Benedict Cumberbatch joins Extinction Rebellion rebels preparing to sit outside all night to help keep Trafalgar Square. Power to the people!’

As Sir Arthur Conan Doyle says in his Sherlock Holmes series, “It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but that you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it.” Cumberbatch can add conductor of light to his credit. Through these various efforts, Benedict Cumberbatch exemplifies a commitment to environmental sustainability, using his influence to promote eco-friendly practices and inspire collective action against climate change.