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AGF reveals world’s greenest events in 2024

We Love Green (FR), Paradise City (BE), Green Gathering (UK) and Øya Festival (NO) have topped the list of the world’s greenest festivals and events in 2024, according to A Greener Future (AGF).

AGF Certification is the world’s first and most comprehensive standard for sustainability in the live events sector, for festivals and events reducing waste, emissions, and enhancing equality and biodiversity.

Forty festivals and events from 14 countries have achieved the certification for 2024, ranging from ‘outstanding’ and ‘highly commended’ to ‘commended’ and ‘improvers’.

These include Les Escales (FR), Bristol Harbour Festival (UK), Paléo Festival (CH), American Express Presents BST Hyde Park (UK), Telluride (US), Sziget Festival (HU), Rosendal Garden Party (SE), UEC Road European Championships (BE) and D’A Film Festival Barcelona (ES).

To be certified, events undertake a thorough assessment based upon the AGF Framework, including self-assessment, site visits, and post-event evidence and data submitted to AGF assessors for an independent auditors’ report. The AGF Framework includes 11 key themes, including local ecosystems & community, travel, food, energy, water, waste, EDI, and governance.

“These events are opting to be held to account, inviting detailed external scrutiny to ensure they are making the grade”

“Whilst the world is slowly catching up with legislation and better practices, it is great to see the festivals and events going the extra mile beyond what is legally required to protect and enhance biodiversity; reduce emissions and waste; prevent pollution; and enact positive change,” says AGF CEO Claire O’Neill. “These events are opting to be held to account, inviting detailed external scrutiny to ensure they are making the grade.”

Norway’s Øya Festival, which has received the ‘outstanding’ qualification for the 11th time, comments: “We have a mission to diligently deliver one of the most sustainable festival experiences worldwide, employing strategies aimed at minimising the negative effects and maximizing the positive effects of our festival on the environment, the society and economy. To achieve the Outstanding certification for the 11th time is an important and motivating testament to our hardworking and passionate staff and volunteers. We are so proud of this recognition, and we are wholeheartedly committed to continuing this work in the years ahead.”

Festivals and events making the grade in 2024 are:

Greener Festival and Event certifications – ‘Outstanding’
Green Gathering (UK)
Øya Festival (NO)
Paradise City (BE)
We Love Green (FR)

Greener Festival and Event certifications – ‘Highly Commended’
American Express Presents BST Hyde Park (UK)
Cambridge Folk Festival (UK)
Dockyard (NL)
The Stopovers (FR)

Greener Festival and Event certifications – ‘Commended’
Bristol Harbour Festival (UK)
The Sun (NL)
Green Man (UK)
HERNAN CATTANEO WEEKEND X BNP (AR)
Come On, Old Man (NL)
Northside (DK)
Paleo Festival (CH)
Rosendal Garden Party (SE)
Sitges – International Fantastic Film Festival of Catalonia (ES)
Sziget Festival (HU)
Open Air St Gallen (CH)
Uber One presents All Points East (UK)
Waking Life (PT)

Greener Festival and Event certifications – ‘Improvers’
Boomtown (UK)
Brockwell Live (UK)
From A Film Festival Barcelona (ES)
The Festival (DE)
elrow Town Madrid (ES)
elrow Town Marbella (ES)
European Short Pitch (FR)
Godiva Festival (UK)
In-Edit Festival (ES)
Garden of Earthly Delights (ES)
Lambeth Country Show (UK)
Monegros Desert Festival (ES)
Phe festival (ES)
Primavera Sound Barcelona (ES)
Rockygrass and Rocky Mountain (US)
RZM Festival (ES)
Telluride (US)
UEC Road European Championships (BE)
We Out Here (UK)

The International AGF Awards, where certified events across a range of green categories will be crowned, will return on 25 February in London.

The awards take place directly after the Green Events & Innovations (GEI17) conference, held in partnership with the ILMC.

 


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Earth Day 2024: Live’s sustainability priorities

A range of industry figures have shared their sustainability priorities for the live music business to mark Earth Day 2024 – an annual event highlighting the importance of environmental protection.

While the sector continues to raise its game on green issues, there remains plenty of room for improvement. It was announced earlier this year that a comprehensive study of the live music industry’s carbon footprint is being conducted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and co-funded by Coldplay, Live Nation and Warner Music Group.

The report will suggest practical solutions to reduce the environmental impact of live music events “at every level,” from pubs and clubs to stadiums.

Last week, meanwhile, The O2 in London revealed that more than 545.9 tonnes of carbon were extracted across The 1975’s four headline concerts in February. The shows marked the world’s first carbon-removed arena events and took place in collaboration with carbon removal experts CUR8 and sustainable event specialists A Greener Future (AGF).

“This year is all about firming up our path to net zero,” AEG Europe director of sustainability Sam Booth tells IQ. “After the success of our recent pilot series of carbon removed arena events at The O2, we now need to undertake some detailed work around our general gas usage, as well as figuring out our approach to dealing with fan travel and continue working with brand partners to address the emissions of the products we sell in the arena.

“Education is also an incredibly important area of focus, so we’re rolling out training to all our employees to ensure they know how to make more sustainable choices in their day-to-day roles.”

“How sustainable we can be with our power, transport, water, food, etc, all depends on policies, legislation, taxes and subsidies that make better choices possible”

Elsewhere, in January, sustainability initiative Vision:2025 and Julie’s Bicycle launched a 12-month pilot with 10 local authorities to test how the Green Events Code of Practice (GECOP) can be used to embed sustainability within local authority processes.

“We’re all looking for a simple answer to the question: What does good look like?” Vision:2025 chair Chris Johnson, co-founder of the UK’s Shambala Festival, tells IQ. “Our priority for 2024 is to test the new Green Events Code of Practice with local authorities, and take steps toward establishing an acceptable minimum best practice for sustainability across the UK that promoters, supply chain and local authorities understand.”

AGF (A Greener Future) recently hailed “significant areas of improvement” in festival sustainability after surveying more than 40 European events. The sustainability not-for-profit released its Festival Sustainability Report, comprising data analysis on mobility, food & drink, water & sanitation, power & fuel use, waste & recycling, and carbon emissions at events on the continent.

“In 2024 the largest number of the global population will be called to vote,” says AGF co-founder Claire O’Neill, who organises the Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI). “How sustainable we can be with our power, transport, water, food, etc, all depends on policies, legislation, taxes and subsidies that make better choices possible. We need to have governments in power who will understand and support a just transition to a green economy.

“In the UK, voters now have to use photo ID to vote, which is a hurdle for many. We’re supporting #JustVote24 to help young and disadvantaged people to get their voter ID if they don’t have a passport/driving license or old persons bus pass, and to then get them to vote. The music campaign is called #crashtheparty and we urge everyone in live music to get behind this and local equivalents.”

Germany-based Holger Jan Schmidt, who heads up pan-European think-tank GO Group (Green Operations Europe) and is  general secretary of the European festival association Yourope, points out the latter organisation has adapted its approach a little of late.

“The focus today is less on honouring the spearheads of sustainable festivals and more on making the sector future-proof at large”

“Although we continue to present the Green Operations Award, the focus today is less on honouring the spearheads of sustainable festivals and more on making the sector future-proof at large,” says Schmidt, speaking to IQ. “Yourope today offers freely usable tools that enable every festival out there to position itself accordingly, train the team and benefit from the great expertise of the frontrunners. Examples of this are our European Green festival Roadmap 2030 and the Future Festival Tools with self-assessment tool, e-learning course and best practice guide.

“For this purpose, our association works with both the expert organisations in the live entertainment industry and with the festivals directly in order to identify their needs and develop tailor-made measures.”

In a further notable development, six Spanish music promoters – Advanced Music, Bring The Noise, Centris, elrow, The Music Republic and Sharemusic! – have inked strategic sponsorship agreements with Madrid-based global energy company Repsol to jointly promote the use of different multi-energy solutions and reduce their CO2 footprint.

The agreement initially covers 77 events managed by the firms in Spain and Portugal, rising to 89. Festivals such as the FIB, Arenal Sound, Sonar Lisbon and O son de Camiño will use 100% renewable fuels, among other solutions, to reduce their CO2 emissions.

Meanwhile, venue management company ASM Global, which operates more than 50 green certified venues, has marked Earth Month 2024 by naming Lindsay Arell as chief sustainability officer as it ramps up its efforts to convert its 400-strong venue portfolio to “the most sustainable on earth”.

After founding her own company, Honeycomb Strategies, Arell led the development of the ASM Global ACTS sustainability plan and is a past chair of both the Events Industry Council Sustainability Committee (EIC) and ASTM Venue Sustainability Standard. Arell’s new role forms part of ASM’s sustainability goals, announced in 2023, which include the elimination of single use plastic.

“Sustainability should be the cause of our lifetime in our industry”

“I’m thrilled at the chance to spearhead ASM’s sustainability initiatives working alongside our teams and communities across our over 400 global venues.” says Arell. “By providing our venue teams with the necessary knowledge and resources, we can accelerate the progress of our programme significantly.”

Just last week plans were announced for ASM to join with reuse platform r.World to rapidly introduce reusable service ware in venues throughout ASM’s portfolio.

Fellow venue giant Oak View Group (OVG) welcomes the world’s second carbon-neutral arena this month in Manchester’s Co-op Live, following the firm’s Climate Pledge Arena, with UBS Arena slated to follow. Speaking at ILMC 36 in London, OVG chief Tim Leiweke said: “Climate Pledge can’t be the only carbon-neutral arena in the world or else [the industry] has failed. We as an industry should lead this charge… sustainability should be the cause of our lifetime in our industry.”

He added: “We as a company are going to continue to build these arenas and make sustainability a priority and a way of life in our culture and then hopefully, it will inspire our industry to come along with us.”

OVG COO Francesca Bodie agreed: “Sustainability is part of our core DNA and we want to make sure that we’re not only championing but challenging our industry to get better.”

In addition, REVERB, which partners with artists, festivals, and venues to reduce their environmental footprint, is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Working with artist partners like Billie Eilish, The 1975, Odesza, Harry Styles, Dave Matthews Band, Boygenius, Jack Johnson, The Lumineers, Dead & Company, Tame Impala, and many more, REVERB has created and executed comprehensive sustainability and fan engagement programmes on over 350 tours, 60 festivals, and 7,000 concerts.

Positive impacts to date include neutralising 375,000+ tons of CO2e, raising over $12m for environmental causes, hosting over 5,000 NGOs in fan-facing Action Villages, and preventing the use of over 4m single-use plastic bottles at concerts.

 


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AGF report reveals festivals’ carbon impact

A new report released by sustainability not-for-profit A Greener Future (formerly A Greener Festival) has offered a fresh insight into festival carbon footprints.

The Festival Carbon Footprint study, which is based on data from 17 festivals around Europe, reveals that audience travel is the largest source of emissions, contributing to 41% of the carbon footprint on average when a more complete account of scope 3 emissions is included.

When including wider travel such as production, traders and artists, travel and transport represents closer to 58%, with food and drink responsible for an average of 34%.

The study notes that while audience travel is commonly stated as 80% or more of a festival’s carbon footprint, most studies omit the impacts of food & drink, materials purchased, or trader travel. In some cases, production and artist travel are also missing from the picture.

Moreover, when accounting for more complete emissions sources the breakdown is more nuanced – with many emissions generated as a result of production and planning decisions – rather than through audience travel choices alone.

“We love festivals, their contribution to culture, and their potential to show alternative ways of living”

“We love festivals, their contribution to culture, and their potential to show alternative ways of living,” says AGF CEO Claire O’Neill. “It’s important to have a fuller picture to understand their carbon footprints. Focus for event sustainability is often on waste, cups, and audience travel. Whilst clearly important, this is a narrow view missing broader impacts. This can delay important decisions at the planning and design stage, such as moving away from animal and other high impact food and drinks.”

Authors note that broad carbon footprint averages should be treated with caution, as the disparity between the variety of festivals is significant. For instance, audience travel emissions ranged from around 20% to 75% of a festival’s footprint, depending on scale, location and nature of the event.

As more events collect this type of information, it will become more accurate and will help identify further improvements.

The report also highlights that carbon footprints do not provide insight into other impacts such as light or noise pollution, direct habitat disturbance, or pollution on site, which require biodiversity and environmental impact assessments. It also shows potential for time spent at a festival to create fewer emissions than time spent at home.

The analysis is based on festivals and events that are already taking significant sustainable actions.

For the next phase of the study, AGF invites interested industry groups, festivals and sustainability organisations to collaborate with shared information, for a clearer picture for the festival and events sector as a whole.

The full report can be downloaded from A Greener Future’s website here.

 


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Sustainability heads name top priority for live in 2023

Tomorrow (22 April) is the 74th Earth Day, an annual event to raise awareness of environmental issues. To mark the occasion, IQ asked leaders from AGF, Yourope, Shambala and CUR8 Carbon Removals where the live music industry’s focus should be in 2023, to make the business a greener place. With more sustainability guidance for venues, festivals and tours available than ever before, the executives had one resounding answer for them: develop an action plan now…and stick to it.


Claire O’Neill, co-founder of A Greener Festival (AGF) and organiser of the Green Events & Innovations Conference (GEI):
“The music industry’s focus should be to stop wasting energy, switching to renewable sources and to stop burning fossil fuels. This needs to be done internally through procurements and through serious measures and engagement for reducing audience travel emissions.

“We’re spending far too much on unnecessarily burning fuel inefficiently. For those with energy tariffs that don’t directly fund new renewables, we’re funding the continuation of oil and gas ‘business as usual’ and increasing CO2 emissions, which will ultimately destroy the industry (and more) if not curtailed. If avoiding climate change and ecosystem collapse is not already a top priority with a plan for reduction of emissions, and removals of what can’t be avoided, that needs to happen now. A quick, easy and free change that can start straight away is to switch to plant-based food to protect biodiversity and reduce global emissions.

“We’ve been working for nearly two decades on this topic, with numerous forerunners who have seen the writing on the wall. Don’t be an organisation that got left behind. Time left to snooze has run out.”

Mark Stevenson, co-founder and chief impact officer of CUR8 Carbon Removals:
“There is no right answer but for my money, it’s creating genuine net-zero (as in carbon-removed) venues and stages for artists to walk on to and (if they want) excite their audiences to climate action – which is exactly what Claire and I (as chief impact officer at CUR8 carbon removals) and AEG/O2 are working on right now – do watch this space!”

“Create a genuine net-zero (as in carbon-removed) venues and stages for artists to walk on to and excite your audiences to climate action”

Chris Johnson, co-founder, festival director and sustainability ‘guru’ for the UK’s Shambala Festival:
“There are many great organisations and a lot of good information available to help organisations on their sustainability journey. We also have a North Star in the LIVE Green Vision and Declaration. Local Authorities across the UK are already starting to create standards and expectations for live events, often based on their net zero commitments. What’s needed next is a clear understanding of best practice in practical terms, so that all stakeholders are clear about what minimum standards look like, leading to consistency nationally and clarity of what actions to take for people and the planet. We have the opportunity to lead internationally!”

“What’s needed next is a clear understanding of best practice in practical terms, so it’s clear about what minimum standards look like”

Holger Schmidt, general secretary of the European festival association Yourope:
“After the recently published IPCC report made it clear to us once again that rapid and far-reaching action is essential, there is actually no other way for festivals and event organisers than to finally develop appropriate action plans and stick to them. In the next few days, YOUROPE will publish an important tool for this with the European Green Festival Roadmap 2030, which fits perfectly with the Future Festival Tools we co-created for sustainable capacity building in our sector. So if it hasn’t happened yet, 2023 is the year when everyone understands that it is our duty. And by everyone, I don’t just mean sustainability managers, I mean the entire teams, the artists, venues, suppliers and audience.”

Though the live music business has ample room for improvement when it comes to sustainability, work in the field is gathering pace. This week, Lollapalooza Berlin became the first festival in Germany to be awarded sustainability accreditation according to international standards (DIN ISO 20121 certification). Elsewhere, Glasgow’s OVO Hydro has teamed up with climate change charity Music Declares Emergency to help launch its new Fan Club for Climate Change initiative ahead of Earth Day and AEG Presents is to produce the inaugural date of the newly announced Right Here, Right Now Mini Global Climate Concert Series.

 


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GEI 15 reveals full agenda

A Greener Festival (AGF) has announced the full agenda for the 15th edition of the Green Events & Innovations conference, taking place next Tuesday (28 February) at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

The day kicks off with a discussion on the impact of climate change on live events in Adapting to a New Climate, hosted by Jonathan Overend (BBC/NinetyFour19), and with a panel that includes Artur Mendes (Boom Festival/Being Gathering), Ric Robins (The Met Office), and Jane Healy (Glastonbury/Boomtown).

Following that, The Platinum Jubilee Pageant provides the basis for two fantastic case study presentations. Firstly, Rosanna Machado (Zebra) reviews the sustainability actions that were delivered for this iconic event, and then Mark Stevenson (CUR8) discusses the minefield of carbon offsets and the approach taken by the Pageant for its carbon removals in Carbon Offsets: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.

Next up, Holger Jan Schmidt (YOUROPE) and AGF’s Nikita Coulter provide an early look at the new European Green Festival Roadmap 2030; whilst Switching on Your Audience – Creative Climate Communication, hosted by journalist and broadcaster Lucy Siegle, sees Zed Anwar (Visual Artist), Hannah Cox (betternotstop), and Dave Ojay (NAAM Festival) discuss the challenges of communicating the need for climate action.

Continuing that theme, Moving on From Fossil Fuels, led by Ecotricity founder Dale Vince OBE, explores alternative power options needed to address rising temperatures and energy bills.

GEI will toast the events and venues that became AGF certified in 2022 and reveal the winners of its International AGF Awards

The final two sessions of the morning include Circularity: Turning Off the Tap on New, with Lucy Siegle and Julia Davies from We Have The Power; and Food: Back to the Future sees Dale Vince and Andy Cato (WIldfarmed/Groove Armada) discuss the future of sustainable food and Andy’s journey from global touring artist to regenerative farmer.

The afternoon sessions kick off with exclusive insight into the Act 1.5 research project with writer and producer Mark Donne, Carly McLachlan of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and host John Robb (Louder Than War / The Membranes); and the Quick-fire Innovation Round, hosted by Abena Fairweather of Legacy Marketplace and featuring five delegates’ unique and innovative sustainability ideas, covering everything from carnivals to reforestation.

Next up, the Association of Event Management Educators (AEME) bring together a panel of the brightest research minds from across the UK to discuss the current and future direction of event and sustainability research. And in A Greener Tour Round IV, we’ll examine the progress the touring sector has made in becoming greener, with host John Robb and industry experts Carol Scott (TAIT) and Jamal Chalabi (Backlash Productions/AGF).

The final session of the day, the keynote, will see the return of Brian Eno, who will be joined by Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Jacob Collier. They will discuss Music as a Social Synchroniser with host Emma-Louise Amanshia.

To round off the day, GEI will toast the events and venues that became AGF certified in 2022 and reveal the winners of its coveted International AGF Awards 2023. For more information, or to buy tickets to GEI, click here.

 


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AGF announces first panels for GEI15

A Greener Festival (AGF) has announced the first panels for its Green Events and Innovations Conference (GEI 15), slated for 28 February 2023 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

Adapting to a New Climate will bring together Artur Mendes (Boom Festival), Ric Robins (The MET Office) and Jane Healy (Glastonbury/Boomtown) to discuss how events are responding and adapting to the early stages of climate change.

Elsewhere, Rosanna Machado (Zebra/Platinum Jubilee Pageant) will review the sustainability actions put in place at Her Majesty The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Pageant and the takeaways from the iconic event.

And in Carbon Offsets: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Mark Stevenson of CUR8 explains carbon removals using the Platinum Jubilee Pageant as a case study.

The Creative Climate Communication presentation will see Zed Anwar discuss the posters he created for the Greenpeace campaign and also an upcoming campaign he created for WWF featuring major brands and football teams: World Without Nature.

In Carbon Offsets: The Good, The Bad and the Ugly, Mark Stevenson of CUR8 explains carbon removals

Also announced is a presentation of ACT 1.5 exclusive research, by Mark Donne (ACT1.5/writer & producer) and Carly McLachlan (Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research).

Supported by trip-hop collective Massive Attack and the Arts Council of England, ACT 1.5 is a research project that explores the challenges set out in the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research’s Live Music Roadmap.

The research – carried out by Donne and John O’Sullivan in partnership with a multiplicity of super-low carbon providers to the sector, and featuring newly commissioned expert research from Tyndall Centre analysts – explores the practical challenges of addressing Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions in the live music sector and how technical innovation and behavioural change can transition touring to a low-carbon future.

In addition, AGF has announced a raft of new speakers for GEI15 including Artur Mendes (Boom Festival), Jane Healy (Glastonbury/Boomtown), Ric Robins (Met Office), Sangeeta Waldron (Serendipity PR), Abena Fairweather (Legacy Marketplace), John Robb (The Membranes) and Jonathan Overend (BBC/NinetyFour19).

GEI is AGF’s flagship event and is organised in partnership with the ILMC, which takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel between 28 February and 3 March.

For more information on the conference, or to purchase tickets, click here.

 


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Brian Eno, Jacob Collier lined up for GEI keynote

The 15th edition of the Green Events and Innovations Conference will welcome back Brian Eno for a keynote conversation with Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Collier.

Titled Music as a Social Synchroniser, the conversation will see the artists explore the social function of music and how it changes us, how it offers us a local counterpoint to the big things happening in the world and why it is so important in a community.

The keynote will also address “the whole question of where music comes from, and how it arises not just from the minds of individuals, but from whole societies, traditions and living ecosystems, is a way to also connect it to the big question of the climate crisis and music’s response to it”.

Eno is a renowned musician, producer, visual artist and activist who first came to international prominence in the early seventies as a founding member of British band, Roxy Music, followed by a series of solo albums and collaborations. He interviewed Norwegian popstar Aurora for GEI’s 2022 keynote.

The keynote will also address “the whole question of where music comes from”

Collier, meanwhile, is a five-time Grammy-award-winning artist that has been featured on songs by UK music icons like Coldplay and Stormzy, and American R&B superstars such as SZA, Kehlani, and Alicia Keys.

In his own projects, Collier has worked with a diverse cast of artistic powerhouses, from Malian singer Oumou Sangaré to John Mayer, T-Pain, Ty Dolla $ign, Daniel Caesar, Tori Kelly and Mahalia.

He has also helped Oscar-winner Hans Zimmer score the recent Boss Baby films and has written for a forthcoming West End musical on the life of opera singer Luciano Pavarotti.

Eno and Collier join a first round of speakers for GEI 15 that includes Dale Vince (Ecotricity), Rosanna Machado, Mark Stevenson (CUR8), Zed Anwar and Andy Cato (Wildfarmed, Groove Armada).

GEI is A Greener Festival’s flagship event and is organised in partnership with the ILMC, which takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel between 28 February and 3 March.

The leading gathering for sustainability at live events will take place on 28 February 2023. For more information on the conference, or to purchase tickets, click here.

 


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The O2 first English arena to achieve Greener Arena merit

London’s The O2 has become the first arena in England to achieve its Greener Arena certification, thanks to the venue’s sustainability practices and commitments.

The certification is awarded by A Greener Festival (AGF), a not-for-profit company and sustainability expert, dedicated to helping events, festivals, and venues around the world to become more sustainable.

The Greener Arena certification considers measures that reduce emissions and environmental impact, as well as the health and wellbeing of staff, along with equity, diversity and inclusion – all of which result in an ‘Outstanding’ rating for The O2.

“We’re so proud to have achieved our Greener Arena certification and to be paving the way for other arenas in England and around the world,” says Steve Sayer, VP and general manager at The O2 (cap. 21,000).

“Sustainability has been an integral part of our business strategy this year, and with events like Overheated we’ve been able to make real strides in this space. Becoming a more sustainable venue is a constantly evolving task, and we know there’s still a lot more work to do, which is why we’re hiring new, dedicated resource next year to help take on this challenge.

“Sustainability has been an integral part of our business strategy this year”

“We’re looking forward to working closely with AGF following the actions from their certification report and publishing a comprehensive Green Rider for The O2. This will ensure that we provide a best-in-class experience for both artists and fans in an even more sustainable way.”

The O2’s 2022 sustainability-driven initiatives include hosting the cross-campus climate festival Overheated in June which saw the arena go vegan for Billie Eilish’s six show dates, and saw a reduction in the amount of single-use plastic used at the venue through the implementation of paper cups and recycled PET plastic wristbands.

The venue’s catering partner Levy UK + Ireland has committed to reaching net zero at The O2 arena by 2025, which will be a venue-first for the catering company.

AGF was honoured at last night’s inaugural LIVE Awards with The LIVE Green Award, ahead of the 15th edition of its Green Events and Innovations Conference.

GEI is AGF’s flagship event and is organised in partnership with the ILMC, which takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel between 28 February and 3 March.

For more information on GEI 15, or to purchase tickets, click here.

 


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AGF announces 15th annual GEI conference

The 15th annual edition of the Green Events and Innovations Conference (GEI 15) has been announced by A Greener Festival (AGF) and the International Live Music Conference (ILMC).

The leading conference for sustainability in events will take place on 28 February at a new venue, the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London.

GEI 15 brings together leaders and innovators in the global live and events sector to network and accelerate environmental and social best practice to make impactful change.

Industry leaders, experts, governments, and cutting-edge organisations will gather to identify, share and implement practical actions and holistic measures to help with this critical transition.

The programme ranges from strategic senior-level commitments, to “how to” case studies and workshops for operational implementation on the ground, and networking opportunities.

Sessions will cover topics such as transport, energy, food, equality and inclusivity, climate justice, reducing and calculating emissions, design and materials usage for circularity, the interface between the sector and politics, carbon removals and more.

“How the live sector moves towards a greener business model is now a critical issue”

The International AGF Awards also return to GEI 15 in 2023, celebrating the most innovative and worthy events, venues, organisations and individuals from events worldwide in the last 12 months.

AGF CEO Claire O’Neill says: “Finally, the status quo is uncomfortable enough for change to happen fast. We have to reduce emissions by more than 50% in the next seven years – a phenomenal task that no single organisation or sector has the answers nor the power to do alone.

“With many aspiring to a zero-carbon future, how the live sector moves towards a greener business model is now a critical issue. We look forward to welcoming the industry once again to GEI to reflect on the years progress, approach the difficult questions, and steer in the right direction for the year ahead.”

GEI is AGF’s flagship event and is organised in partnership with the ILMC, which takes place at the Royal Lancaster Hotel between 28 February and 3 March.

Limited super early bird tickets for GEI are now available here, as well as sponsorship and exhibitor opportunities. Find out more information here.

 


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AGF names Jamal Chalabi head of A Greener Tour

A Greener Festival (AGF) has appointed touring and production veteran Jamal Chalabi as head of A Greener Tour.

Chalabi will join the UK-based sustainability nonprofit to help more tours meet and exceed their sustainability ambitions.

As tour and production manager at UK-based company Backlash Productions, Chalabi has worked with artists such as DJ Shadow, Pendulum, Bring Me The Horizon, Massive Attack, and James Bay, gaining three decades of experience in the sector.

He is also a sustainability facilitator for the UK’s Tour Production Group (TPG) and a trustee of live event industry charity Ecolibrium.

Chalabi has worked with artists such as DJ Shadow, Pendulum, Bring Me The Horizon, Massive Attack, and James Bay

Chalabi previously collaborated with AGF on a six-date UK arena run by Bring Me The Horizon (BMTH), helping the band to reduce their tour emissions by 38%.

AGF joined the tour to provide advice and consultancy, to implement and report on proposed mitigation actions, and to produce the Greener Tour Report and CO2 Analysis.

The resulting report is intended as a resource for other touring productions to use as another step on the road towards A Greener Tour.

Chalabi has also helped Massive Attack tackle tour emissions while building a model for low-carbon future tours and supported James Bay to travel the 2,000 miles of his UK tour by EV.

 


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