Welcome to the second part of IQ Magazine’s 2024 Green Guardians – our annual recognition of those eco-warriors and innovators at the forefront of the battle to make the live entertainment industry more sustainable.

The Green Guardians is spearheaded by IQ and an international panel of sustainability experts to highlight and congratulate companies and organisations who are improving the live music business when it comes to being more environmentally friendly.

This year’s list includes 22 entries across a wide range of event suppliers, campaigners, and solutions providers, all of whom are working tirelessly to reduce the carbon footprint of the live entertainment business.

IQ will publish entries across all categories over the coming days, and you can find the whole cohort in the latest edition of the magazine here.

AEG Europe

AEG Europe, a leader in the live sports and entertainment industry, is using its platform and reach to make a significant impact on the planet. With millions of fans and thousands of events annually, the company is committed to minimising its environmental impact and raising public awareness about issues to make meaningful change.

The company made new strides this year, with the world’s first carbon-removed arena events being a highlight. The O2 removed nearly 550 tons of carbon across four shows with The 1975, a monumental moment in event sustainability. The venue also achieved Greener Arena certification from AEG and introduced the Green Rider to promote sustainable practices among promoters and artists.

In addition, the American Express presents BST Hyde Park festival series that takes place in London implemented the next stage of its net-zero strategy, reducing its carbon emissions via Biochar and utilising 100% compostable serveware to limit waste. On the horizon, the company’s proposed 8,500-capacity Edinburgh Park Arena, set to open in 2027, is set to be a net-zero venue and will generate over half of its energy from low or zero-carbon technologies.

Through these industry-leading initiatives, AEG Europe hopes it can be a model for other venues, promoters, and tours worldwide, through promoting a greener future for live events.

ASM Global

Venue and event management giant ASM Global is elevating its buildings worldwide, with LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-level certification, or a local equivalent, becoming the new standard. Its P&J Live arena in Aberdeen, Scotland, has been recognised as one of the most sustainable venues in the UK and is part of its expansive portfolio of venues in Europe, the United States, Australia, and Asia.

In late 2023, ASM Global formed a partnership with Voltus, a leader in distributed energy and virtual power plants. Voltus is set to pay ASM Global for cutting back its energy usage at its US venues, a deal that is already yielding results less than one year in.

The transnational company has also joined with r.World, the largest reuse platform, to aid in eliminating single-use plastic throughout ASM Global’s North American portfolio by replacing it with reusable service ware.

This May, the company opened Thunder Ridge Nature Arena in the US’s Ozark Mountains. The amphitheatre has been permanently designated to support a not-for-profit conservation foundation. And to ensure the company’s supply chain meets its green goals, ASM’s Supplier Diversity Program builds relationships with local businesses to support a regional ecosystem of goods and services. Participating venues include The Greek Theatre (Los Angeles), T-Mobile Center (Kansas City), Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas), and State Farm Arena (Atlanta).

Mojo Concerts

Netherlands-based MOJO Concerts launched its Road to Zero Waste policy last January, driven by Kees Lamers and Maarten van Lokven. The company aims to make its festivals, concerts, and offices climate-neutral and circular by 2030, with the initiative also including popular Amsterdam venues AFAS Live and Ziggo Dome.

To achieve this objective, MOJO is working to replace diesel generators with connections to the main electricity network. This year, the events company has introduced a series of policies: from reusable coffee cups and recyclable cups at Goffertpark festivals and a shift to plant-based foods to expanded car-sharing options and a bring-your-own-bottle policy.

The Road to Zero Waste campaigns at Pinkpop Festival and Down The Rabbit Hole have been successful, with attendees receiving recycling kits with sorting information and bags leading to minimal camping gear left behind.

Pieter Smit

The Netherlands-based transportation group’s sustainability goals focus on two main areas: green facilities and sustainable touring using proven and accessible technologies.

For its facilities, Pieter Smit has implemented a range of solutions such as heating with geothermal energy, solar panels, and LED lighting. It has implemented rainwater collection for internal drainage and truck washing in some of its establishments, while its workshops and storage areas are powered by solar energy.

Pieter Smit continues to offer HVO as an interim solution for touring until more advanced technologies become widely available and affordable, while also incorporating electric vehicles and focusing on smaller, longer-distance vehicles as technology improves.

Later this year, the company will embark on an all-electric vehicle tour in collaboration with theatrical company Jakop Ahlbom.

GeoPura

GeoPura is a company providing zero-emission energy solutions by using renewable sources like solar and wind to create green hydrogen. This product is then used to produce clean electricity, a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels, using no carbon and producing only water as a byproduct.

In 2024, GeoPura led the way in reducing emissions at major events with their hydrogen-powered generators. At the Isle of Wight Festival in the UK, they replaced diesel generators, supplying clean power to key areas like catering and guest services for the first time with hydrogen. This marked the first instance of hydrogen power being integrated into the festival’s infrastructure.

Their success at Isle of Wight festival led to further projects, including powering welfare and recycling areas at Latitude Festival, the main stage at a 30,000-cap event, the Touch Rugby World Cup, and the live TV broadcast of the BMW PGA Tour, all with zero emissions.

Partnering with brands like Live Nation, GeoPura has demonstrated that green hydrogen can effectively power large events sustainably.

KB Event

Environmental sustainability is at the heart of KB Event, as the company is continuously striving to identify and deliver practical solutions to boost efficiency and reduce impact on the environment for the industry.

By working collaboratively with clients, KB Event merges expertise from different backgrounds to combat communal challenges. An example of this includes KB Event’s introduction of HVO, working with Peak Oils to supply 100% renewable, palm-oil-free diesel into its fleet. A few years out from introduction, this HVO now reduces net CO2 emissions by up to 90% and lowers nitrogen oxide, particulate matter, and carbon monoxide emissions.

This year, the palm-oil-free HVO Biofuel has been used on tours by Yungblud and Massive Attack and at events like DragCon 2024, Insurtech, Mobile World Congress, and EarthFest. Their dedication to sustainability dates back to 2008 when they became the first event logistics company to receive environmental accreditation.

Their new Wandsworth depot is ready to service events in and around London. Here, they will also provide the industry with the option of HVO, but more importantly, battery-electric vans and trucks, as they trial this with Volta Trucks.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.

IQ has spoken to Caroline Giddings, Isle of Wight Festival director, to get her take on 2024 and the state of the sector.

The UK festival is one of the most iconic names in music history. Resurrected in 2002, it has gone from strength to strength, and in 2024, almost 60,000 fans made the ferry journey to see headliners Green Day, Pet Shop Boys, and The Prodigy alongside a host of top rock and pop artists.

As the festival celebrates its history with a dedicated exhibition, Giddings recapped this year’s event for the September edition of IQ…

IQ: How would you summarise this year’s Isle of Wight festival?
CG: It was another fantastic year for us, thanks to the hard work of the entire team behind the scenes. This year was a particularly proud one as we’ve been working to get Green Day to perform for years, and the excitement on site during Sunday was palpable. From when we open the gates on Thursday until the last camper leaves the site on Monday, our team are working day and night to make sure things run as smoothly and safely as possible.

Taking place on a relatively small island of just over 100,000 residents, we are always aware of the important position that the festival holds for many of those islanders and are thrilled that many thousands of them, of all generations, join us each year. We had an incredibly successful on-sale for our 2025 early-bird tickets the week after the festival, which I always take as a hugely positive sign.

It’s very important to us that people want to come to the Isle of Wight Festival because they trust us to put on an amazing show, long before they know what the lineup is going to be. We work hard to make sure that the intangible ‘Isle of Wight feel’ is at the heart of what we do to build that ongoing loyalty from our customers.

“We were pleased to work with GeoPura to integrate their hydrogen-powered generators into our backstage area”

Were there any new ideas or initiatives that you launched this year?
Like most forward-thinking festivals, we’re always trying to look for new and innovative ways to improve the sustainability of our show. The key challenge for us, and all festivals of any size, is to turn focus onto the core emissions-generating activities that are inherent to what we do. As part of that, this year, we were pleased to work with GeoPura to integrate their hydrogen-powered generators into our backstage area.

Those generators provided power to crew catering and the artist village, through zero-emission electricity thereby removing the need for diesel generators in these areas. We are always striving to improve the customer experience and, this year, we introduced a new area, Steeler’s Wheel, which showcased local DJs and proved to be one of the most popular areas on-site across the weekend.

What were the biggest challenges you and your team had to deal with this year?
Like other events, we come up against escalating costs and a difficult economic background. It’s a delicate balancing act to manage those whilst not skimping on customer delivery. Our goal is always to offer an excellent value ticket, give people a great experience on-site, and deliver a world-class event each year.

“The UK has a fantastic festival circuit – there is something for every musical taste right across the country”

You’ve been involved in launching an Isle of of Wight Festival exhibition, what’s the plan there?
We are grateful to be continuing the legacy of one of the most iconic festivals in rock music history and, while we innovate each year and aim to deliver a cutting-edge experience for fans, our look and feel still echo those landmark 1960s shows. Experience 25 is an exhibition dedicated to the festival’s unique history, and we’re pleased to say it’s open from 19 September until 13 November at the O2’s Innovation Centre in London.

There is a lot of fascinating archive material from the original festivals in 1968, 1969, and 1970, alongside information on how the festival was revived in 2002 by John [Giddings] and how it’s grown into the landmark event it is today.

Much has been said this year about a number of UK festivals closing down, what’s your view of the broader UK festival scene right now?
We’re grateful that, in the current economic climate, we have a loyal fanbase who return to the festival each year. The UK has a fantastic festival circuit – there is something for every musical taste right across the country. The growth has been remarkable over the last few decades, but there’s never a guarantee that growth can be maintained as tastes and fan behaviour change. The best festival teams are well aware of that and spend each year working to ensure that they change and improve to continue appealing to their audience.

Given the huge choice available to fans every weekend of the summer, the most successful festivals need a clear understanding of their identity and an unremitting focus on quality and delivery. As the industry has professionalised, the expectations of our customers have grown year on year, and the challenge for us is to meet and exceed those for each edition.

Get more stories like this in your inbox by signing up for IQ Index, IQ’s free email digest of essential live music industry news.