Sustainability Guidelines For European Arenas

Ovo Hydro SMALL
The OVO Hydro in Glasgow, Scotland, became the first arena in the world to receivenAGF’s Greener Arena Certification last year.

A Greener Future (AGF), formerly A Greener Festival, and the European Arenas Association (EAA) have launched AGF’s Arena Sustainability Guidelines for EAA members and non-members.

These guidelines lay out the requirements for arena operators keen on receiving AGF’s Greener Arena Certification, supporting them in their green transition, and “highlighting fundamental steps that venues from all countries need to take,” according to a press release.

The guidelines cover a range of areas including waste reduction, energy efficiency, sustainable sourcing, and more. They are based on the Greener Arena certification framework, and not only include environmental but also social and economic impacts from equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) to health and well-being to local ecosystem and community impacts and investments.

See: Music Sustainability Association’s Resource Guide

“Developed from the latest research and best practices in sustainable venue management, the guidelines will act as a set of recommended practices to facilitate EAA member arenas in their decision-making, planning and implementation. The guidelines will also be available to non-EEA members wishing to adopt greener business practices,” according to the release.

“We are delighted to be partnering with AGF on this important initiative” said EAA president Olivier Toth. “Our members are committed to reducing their environmental impact and promoting sustainability across our industry. This collaboration is an opportunity for us to share our expertise and work together to create sustainable business practices that will benefit not only our members but the entire industry”.

See: Lollapalooza Berlin Recognized For Sustainability Efforts

“We are very happy to be working with the EAA on this project” said AGF CEO Claire O’Neill. “Being a green business is not only essential for creating a better future for life and communities, it’s the only way to do any kind of sustainable business. Anything less will not survive the next decade. Through this collaboration with the EAA we have created guidelines to get arenas started that are relevant, practical, and effective, helping arenas transition to long-term, sustainable operations”.

The most recent examples of arenas from the UK receiving A Greener Arena certification include London’s O2 and OVO Arena Wembley, as well as Scotland’s OVO Hydro in Glasgow, which became the first arena in the world to receive the AGF certificate.

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