A new report details the findings from the Green Events Code of Practice (GECoP) pilot, trialed with ten local authorities, to establish new minimum environmental standards. The results from 60 music, sports and community events demonstrates overwhelming support for nationally aligned standards.
This landmark pilot project has demonstrated that local authority-led assessments can drive widespread sustainability in outdoor events, paving the way for future policy. Find more information or download the full report on the pilot project here.
The GECoP pilot addressed the lack of national standards on sustainable practices for event organisers, examining best practices in areas like governance, energy, travel and transport, food and drink, waste, water and influence. The project assessed how effectively local authorities could integrate an environmental assessment into event processes and the resulting positive impact it could have on their environmental practices.
The national trial saw ten local authorities across England – including Bristol, Reading, Liverpool, and Manchester – test the effectiveness of GECoP in improving the environmental sustainability of 60 events attended by 2.3m people last year. These included large-scale music festivals like Parklife and Reading, sports events like the Tour of Britain, and dozens of community gatherings.
Analysis of the pilot project, published in a new report on 11 February 2025, found overwhelming support for the development of consistent, national minimum environmental standards. All ten participating local authorities and 96% of participating event organisers expressed support for nationwide criteria, which they believe would help them meet their environmental goals more effectively.
GECoP was developed by the event industry following a sector consultation. The pilot was led by non-profits Vision for Sustainable Events and Julie’s Bicycle, who promote climate action in the outdoor events industry and in the wider cultural sector respectively. The Donut Advisory Toolkit for Events (DATE) was used as the main event assessment method against GECoP.
Climate change specialist for music at Julie’s Bicycle, Richard Phillips, said: “This ground-breaking project has gone a huge way to creating a blueprint for policy around environmental sustainability in the outdoor events sector. 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.”
Other key findings from the pilot include:
● 60% of event organisers implemented new environmental measures as a direct result of the pilot.
● 92% expressed a commitment to adopt even more sustainable practices in the coming year.
● 7 out of 10 participating local authorities made changes to policy or procedures for more robust environmental requirements.
The pilot demonstrated that events of all sizes gained a better understanding of their environmental practices. A remarkable 83% of participating events reported improved environmental awareness, while 80% gained increased confidence in taking environmental action.
In addition to improving environmental policies, local authorities found that the pilot fostered better relationships with event organisers and other stakeholders. 80% of events reported increased conversations with stakeholders on environmental impacts, with many noting the benefits of building stronger networks to overcome sustainability challenges.
With 84% of UK jurisdictions having declared a Climate Emergency, the project underscores the growing urgency for action across all sectors, with outdoor events emerging as a key area of focus.
Bristol City Council, the first Local Authority in the UK to declare a Climate Emergency, tested GECoP at eight major events including Great Bristol Run, Bristol Harbour Festival and Bristol Pride.
Councillor Tony Dyer, Leader of Bristol City Council, said: “We welcome GECoP as a standardised, national framework for widescale sector change. Bristol’s larger events are already surpassing these minimum standards, but GECoP offers flexibility for smaller events to improve sustainability while supporting our city’s ambition to exceed national targets.”
Vision for Sustainable Events Forum Chair, Chris Johnson put the project in context.
“This pilot has shown that GECoP successfully creates a common understanding of ‘what good looks like’, and supports smaller cultural organisations and events, many taking their first steps, to take action,” he explained. “In 2025 we need to test how to integrate this into local authority processes, what resources are needed to roll out nationally, and establish the levels of practice for a realistic and ambitious minimum standard at different scales and types of events.”
The project was a collaborative effort between Vision for Sustainable Events, Julie’s Bicycle and Andrew Lansley. It was funded by Arts Council England, EarthPercent, and participating local authorities including Bristol City Council, Colchester City Council, Gloucester City Council, Leicester City Council, Liverpool City Council, Maldon District Council, Manchester City Council, Norwich City Council, Reading Borough Council and West Northamptonshire Council.
