LIVE adds green clauses to boost sustainability
UK trade body LIVE has announced a groundbreaking sustainability initiative aimed at driving the adoption of greener working practices across the board.
The scheme will introduce a contractual clause template for artists booking contracts, with the goal of galvanising industry-wide action and transforming the environmental impact of live events.
The initiative was led by the organisation’s expert working group, LIVE Green, which is headed up by Carol Scott, principal sustainability advocate at live experience company TAIT, and Ross Patel, LIVE Green’s impact consultant.
Scott says the move “marks a significant step forward for the live music industry”.
“This is an industry initiative written by the industry for the industry,” says Scott. “As with everything LIVE produces, this work is intended to be for the benefit of all and will be free to access via www.livemusic.biz. We hope the clause template will be adapted as necessary and subsequently adopted far and wide, stimulating awareness and conversation.”
Patel adds that the template represents “a true collaborative effort across the entire ecosystem of live events”.
“There is a moral obligation to do the right thing for our communities and to use our cultural platforms to help ensure a fair and just future”
“There is a moral obligation to do the right thing for our communities and to use our cultural platforms to help ensure a fair and just future,” says Patel. “By sharing this piece of work and emphasising the cross-industry collaboration that has been crucial to get us to this point, we hope the wider industry, artists and audiences feel inspired and empowered to accelerate positive change within their spheres of influence.”
The clauses focus on key action areas of; waste, energy, water, food, merchandise and audience travel to make live music more sustainable and drive the adoption of greener working practices across the board. They include contributions from a cross industry stakeholder group, which included promoters, agents, artists, managers, venues, festivals, sustainability consultants and production company representatives, among others.
Global talent agencies have indicated they will propose to their clients the adoption of green clauses (using the template to draft their own), as an opt-in alongside independent agencies such as ATC Live and Pure Represents.
“ATC Live are proud and excited to be a part of this long-needed initiative and to have worked with LIVE to create this clause,” says Olivia-Jane Ransley, director of operations at ATC Live. “We hope that its inclusion in contracts will not only raise awareness but also create some impactful change within the industry.”
Paul Winteridge, president of The Entertainment Agents’ Association, which was one of the original member associations to initiate discussions on the introduction of a Green Clause, says its members will be early adopters of the suggested wording.
“Each member agent will adapt the clause to suit the wide range of live entertainment performances wherever possible, from live music to theatre shows,” he says. “We are grateful to the work of LIVE for its collaborative approach to green issues, and we are proud that the music and entertainment industry is playing its part in actively working towards reducing carbon footprint and emissions.”
“These resources show that both the artists and the sector can adopt and implement any clause or measure in a flexible way”
Ensuring a fully joined up approach to the initiative, major promoters including SJM and Kilimanjaro have also confirmed they will encourage the inclusion of the clauses.
“At Kilimanjaro Live we are delighted to be part of such a positive leap forward in tackling the environmental impact that live music can have,” says Zac Fox, Kilimanjaro Group COO. “It’s thanks to the collaborative set up of LIVE that this has been achieved as it will take all elements of this industry working together to make a change.”
Alongside the clause template, LIVE Green has also created a LIVE Green Resource Hub, which highlights considerations for addressing each aspect of the clauses, as well as further resource and guidance from sustainability experts in the industry.
The work has garnered further industry support from live events accessibility charity Attitude is Everything, as well as the Music Managers Forum (MMF) and Featured Artists Coalition (FAC).
“Attitude is Everything is proud to be part of the LIVE Green industry initiative,” says the organisation’s founder Suzanne Bull MBE. “What’s important about the initiative is that there are a range of resources provided alongside the Artist Commitment clauses. These resources show that both the artists and the sector can adopt and implement any clause or measure in a flexible way.
“The toolkit that we created with Julie’s Bicycle and A Greener Future, ‘No climate action without us – how to include disabled people in live event sustainability’ takes a similar approach to having flexibility in its solutions. We’re pleased that our toolkit has been referenced as part of the initiative”.
MMF CEO Annabella Coldrick says: ‘For music managers, ensuring live touring is as environmentally friendly and sustainable as possible represents a major challenge. This initiative from LIVE Green offers a pragmatic step to help tackle those challenges, and ensure there is a joined-up approach across the industry to set new standards. It has the full support of the MMF’.
David Martin, CEO of the FAC, also backs the initiative, adding: “The FAC fully supports the LIVE Green Clause. The environmental challenges we face are among the most critical issues confronting society, and it’s vital that the music industry leverages its collective voice to raise awareness and drive meaningful change. These clauses offer a practical roadmap for reducing the environmental impact of touring and improving sustainability within our sector.”
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