A consultation for Green Code of Conduct has been launched to provide clear minimum environmental standards for all UK outdoor events.
The code has been developed by Vision:2025 member associations, including AIF, AFO, NOEA, EIF, and organisations such as Festival Republic and Julie’s Bicycle, with support from live event promoters across the UK.
The online survey is open for comments until Friday 14 January at: www.vision2025.org.uk/festival-industry-green-code-of-conduct/
Vision:2025 Chair, Chris Johnson stated: “Developing a code of conduct by the industry for the industry has multiple benefits: It will provide standards for sustainable practices that are credible, realistic, and crucially, workable, for all event organisers. It will bring the clarity, along with national consistency, that stakeholders across the sector are asking for, as we take steps to reduce emissions and impacts as part the industry’s journey to net zero.”
Festival Republic’s Melvin Benn stated: “Creating a Green Code of Conduct is a practical and potentially effective step that the industry can take to show leadership and improve standards.”
The Green Code is a direct response to recommendations made by the Select Committee on the Future of Music Festivals, in May 2021. The Minister for Digital and Culture is working with government departments to explore how the industry is managing its environmental performance over the coming months. The Code also responds to and relates to the ambition and framework set out for the wider music sector in the LIVE Green vision, launched this year.
The Green Code is being considered as the basis on which industry best practice could be established and endorsed by Government as a new chapter of the industry’s ‘health and safety bible’, The Purple Guide.
AFO General Secretary and Event Industry Forum (EIF) Chair, Steve Heap commented: “The Purple Guide is an established publication that advises how our industry manages health and safety best practice. This Green Code of Conduct could provide the blueprint for a new sustainability chapter.”
Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) CEO, Paul Reed commented: “The development of the Green Code of conduct will help AIF members and all outdoor events to manage their impacts and agree on some top-level shared principles. It is vital that we continue to work together as an industry and with Government to mitigate impacts and take collective action.”
Vision:2025 is rooted in the music and arts festival sector, and they are keen to hear all voices from across the outdoor live events industry, and requesting that the survey is shared widely.
