UK: Carbon emissions from over 13 million travel miles have been balanced with investment in renewable energy by the 50 festivals and 30 suppliers working with live events industry charity Energy Revolution – exceeding the 10 million mile target set when the project launched in 2015.
The charity has gained momentum over the last five years with new festivals coming on board, including All Points East, Download, Reading and Noisily – with many members actively trialling new ways to engage audiences in travelling more sustainably – from incentivising coach travel and rewarding car-sharing to building carbon-balancing donations into car parking passes. Suppliers including Judgeday, Rock City Stage Crew and Tuned In Travel continue to work with Energy Revolution to balance company travel miles and this year many catering concessions have signed up to do the same.
“There is a growing momentum from the live events industry to understand and take responsibility for its environmental impacts,” said Alison Tickell, CEO of Julie’s Bicycle & Energy Revolution trustee. “Energy Revolution has succeeded in engaging a committed community of festivals, suppliers and their wider audiences in this vital conversation while channelling their donations into direct action by supporting renewable energy.”
Energy Revolution has had significant support from the wider events industry this year with the Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) scooping an industry first in November by balancing the travel emissions associated with the production of Festival Congress and the UK Festival Awards naming them charity partner for the second year running. Supplier focused events The Showman’s Show and Event Tech Live both offered travel balancing to delegates in 2019 and Event Buyers Live have announced their commitment to balance production emissions next year.
Donations from this year will go to projects that install solar panel systems on UK schools to give them access to affordable renewable energy and that work with the schools and local community groups to maximise the environmental, educational and community impact of the installations.
Mike Smyth, Chair of The Schools’ Energy Co-operative, one of the projects benefiting from donations, commented: “We are delighted to have support for The Schools’ Energy Co-operative from the festival and events industry through Energy Revolution – it means we can continue to make affordable solar energy a reality for schools across the UK.”
