Pilots in 10 local authorities – including Manchester and Liverpool councils – have tested the effectiveness of sustainability measures for live concerts, festivals and other gatherings.
More than 60 music, sporting and community events were involved in the project, with results pointing to the potential for local governments to introduce assessments on the environmental impact of events. These could promote best practices in governance, transport, travel, energy, waste streams, and influence.
In total, 2.3million people attended events that took part in the pilot, with major summer weekenders such as Parklife and Reading festivals among the dates. After the trial, all 10 councils and 96% of participating event organisers expressed their support for nationwide criteria stipulating and how to meet environmental goals effectively.
‘This groundbreaking project has gone a huge way to creating a blueprint for policy around environmental sustainability in the outdoor events sector,’ said Richard Philipps, climate change specialist for music at Julie’s Bicycle. ‘The results of the pilot indicate that this can create real positive change on the ground, as well as encouraging wider conversations on environmental sustainability at local government level.’
Led by the non-profits Vision For Sustainable Events and Julie’s Bicycle, both well established in green events, the Donut Advisory Toolkit for Events [DATE] as used as the benchmark assessment method. This led to 60% of event organisers implementing new environmental measures, 92% committing to more sustainable practices for 2025 and beyond, and changes made at seven-in-10 local authority to create more robust environmental requirements. 83% of events reported an uptick in environmental awareness, while 80% felt more confident in becoming greener.
You can access the full report here.
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