July 7, 2023 – LONDON (vip-booking) – The European Festivals Association (YOUROPE) has created and unveiled the “European Green Festival Roadmap 2030” to provide European festivals and events with a reliable blueprint for sustainable practices. This roadmap outlines the necessary measures these events must undertake to achieve a transformative process by the decade’s end.
Draft versions of the roadmap were presented at the Green Events & Innovation Conference (GEI) in London and the 9th international GO Group workshop in Barcelona. These presentations generated significant interest and feedback. The roadmap`s development process initially began in early 2022, involving a kick-off workshop and public discussion panels with representatives from the European Commission and Parliament.
As part of YOUROPE’s three-year project called “Future-Fit Festivals” (3F), the European Green Festival Roadmap 2030 aligns with the EU Green Deal requirements, which aim to reduce emissions by at least 55% by 2030. Additionally, the roadmap takes into account the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and industry standards.
The development of this roadmap involved collaboration with experts from A Greener Future (AGF), Greener Events Norway, and YOUROPE’s GO Group (Green Operations Europe) think tank.
The European Green Festival Roadmap 2030 supports the festival sector in adopting measures to combat emissions and other detrimental environmental impacts. It is crucial to establish clear goals and adopt a long-term perspective to facilitate the necessary shift toward more sustainable events.
In this regard, the roadmap offers a comprehensive framework for enhancing the sustainability of cultural events. It encompasses seven areas of action, ranging from management structures to specific practical measures in event creation and production. The roadmap is publicly available and free to use for any European festival or cultural event.
Holger Jan Schmidt, General Secretary of YOUROPE & GO Group co-founder, said, “Improving our festivals and increasing sustainability throughout the industry is an ongoing topic for YOUROPE and also for me personally. That’s why it`s a particular pleasure to present the European Green Festival Roadmap as the icing on the cake of tools we recently published – all are open source, accessible to everyone and transferable to other cultural areas. We believe that the Roadmap is a big step in the only right direction. Also, it serves as an excellent basis for further exciting and helpful projects.”
Claire O’Neill, CEO of A Greener Future, said, “After nearly two decades working with festivals worldwide for sustainability, we’re really happy to harness and share learnings in this European Green Festival Roadmap with YOUROPE. The roadmap helps prioritize and simplify individual festivals’ actions and highlights areas for a collective effort by the industry and beyond.”
Linnéa Svensson, co-founder of Greener Events Norway & GO Group, said, “Climate change is already upon us. Heavy rain and severe drought are becoming increasingly normal, which tells us there’s no time to lose. It is time to act now – and this roadmap will guide you to get started or even to get more advanced. If you haven’t already, just start by starting!”
