Own The Responsibility: “Sustainability is a key priority for us as a business, and has become increasingly important for our partners, artists and fans. As the industry leader, we have a responsibility to not only meet these expectations, but to be at the forefront of environmentally conscious initiatives with our partners and artists, using our platform of 3 million entertainment fans in Ireland to inspire environmental action.” Mike Adamson, CEO, Live Nation Ireland “Our company is very aware of organising more sustainable shows. It is not easy because we need large doses of energy and manufacture materials for only one or very few uses. But nowadays you are morally obliged to try everything that is possible. The public also demands it, and the companies with which we collaborate are in our same mood. We use a lot of technology to avoid material consumption, of course we recycle everything, we use low consumption equipment, etc. Everything we can.” Fernando Zabala Alfonso, Socio Fundador De Sold Out (Spain) Make Sustainability Cool & Convenient: “Yeah, making it cool but also making it convenient, accessible and giving people the opportunity to do the right thing and understand how they’re feeding into that. It can be challenging when something very small like having a reusable bottle or cup can feel like a very mundane thing in the face of the climate crisis, and in the face of what’s going on with big corporations and Governments around the world it can feel very small. But what’s really amazing, and what you see at festivals, is that there are so many people here all doing it; the difference that makes right in that moment [is obvious] and that can be a lesson for wider society, how it feels when we all take good steps. It’s a collective.” Áine May Hughes, Sustainability Coordinator, Body&Soul (in the Irish Times). Collaborate and Communicate: “At Glastonbury it was incredible to see the focus given to charity partners Greenpeace, Oxfam and Water Aid. Not only did Greenpeace have its own stage where the entertainment went far beyond what you might traditionally expect at a ‘charity’ festival tent (check out its brilliant latest campaign film here), but key messages rippled throughout the festival site. Between acts, the screens on the main Pyramid stage reminded people to behave responsibly - to pick up after themselves and leave no trace. As sites of real (and fun) civic engagement, festivals provide a huge opportunity for brands to support the exploration of ideas and actions that really matter to younger audiences.” Laura Costello, Strategy Director of Purpose & Planet, THINKHOUSE
PLANET also goes beyond the environmental issues raised by festivals. While the diversity and inclusion conversation continues to get stronger, especially around the gender balance in headline slots, younger generations, especially in the middle of a cost of living crisis, are speaking out about the accessibility of festivals and factors like class. |
