Features
London’s O2 Shares Results From The 1975 Green Concert Series
London’s O2 released data from The 1975‘s carbon-removed headline shows in February, revealing that three quarters of nightly emissions came from fan travel to and from the venue.
Data also shows that the sustainability measures implemented by the band and The O2 led to 136.46 tons of carbon removed per show – or 545.9 tons across all four nights or “the equivalent yearly electricity usage of 395 average homes,” according to a press release from The O2.
The building, which is owned and operated by AEG Europe, worked with a range of sustainability specialists including CUR8, and A Greener Future (AGF) to execute this world-first pilot series.
Carbon removal methods used included “enhanced rock weathering and biochar,” and the carbon removed from the atmosphere was durably stored “out of harm’s way.”
The O2 predicted the approximate carbon emissions of each show in advance, and developed “a commercially and sustainably conscious event model that saw each relevant party take responsibility for their own contribution to the event’s carbon footprint.”
The biggest contribution – a staggering 75.7% of emissions – came from the audience traveling to the venue. This was covered by a combination of venue investment and a 90-pence sustainability charge incorporated into the original ticket price.
Only 3.95% of the nightly carbon footprint came from arena operations – driven predominantly by electricity usage and staff travel. Contributing to this low emission figure for the arena are The O2’s significant investments in energy efficiency over recent years, including the installation of LED lighting and screens across the arena saving over 300,000 kilowatt hours of energy in 2023 alone.
The O2‘s hospitality partner, Levy UK + Ireland, accounted for the removal costs across their operations, with carbon emissions for f&b across each show coming in at 7.46%, of which 85% was down to beverages. This represents a “low overall figure,” according to the press release, “aided by the introduction of several recent initiatives, including a new food menu which generated 30% less carbon compared to the regular offering, as well as the launch of Notpla serveware. This 100% biodegradable product has a 70% lower carbon footprint than standard serveware and can be processed in The O2’s on-site biodigester and wormery.”
The O2 has also invested in a permanent reusable cup scheme, and cup-washing machines powered by electricity from renewable resources, further reducing waste and emissions. Last but not least, The O2 and CUR8 each made a donation to EarthPercent, a climate foundation geared towards identifying and funding impactful climate solutions in the live entertainment industry.
AEG Europe’s director of sustainability, Sam Booth, commented, “With the success of this world-first pilot series of arena events, we’ve proven that it’s possible to run an arena-size live show which doesn’t compromise on a great fan experience but still accounts for the impact it has on the environment. We hope this serves as a wakeup call to the wider industry that carbon removals are a viable solution that can be used to operate live events, but they need buy-in from everyone in the live ecosystem in order to be a success – from venues and promoters right the way through to artists themselves. We’re fully committed to continuing to innovate and find even more ways to make our world-class events across AEG Europe more sustainable, as we strive for a low-carbon future for the live industry.”
Mark Stevenson, co-Founder and chief impact officer at CUR8, added, “The real heroes here are the teams at AEG Europe and AGF, who are working to reduce emissions as much as possible and then committing to remove the rest – and in doing so, helping fund the carbon removals operating system that the planet (and every organisation on it) will need to reach net-zero. Importantly, The O2 and AGF have demonstrated the art of the possible. We cannot have a live music industry where the only route to net-zero is to not exist. By using carbon removals to mitigate the complex ‘audience travel’ or ‘scope 3 emissions’ problem, all within the existing business model of live events, these concerts demonstrate a possible future – one that speaks to life well lived on a planet well loved.”
The O2 has been making great strides in becoming more sustainable for years, the building’s GM Steve Sayer laid out all the initiatives in place in his recent Pollstar interview.
Among other things, The O2 was the first venue to launch its own green artist rider in 2023, and became the first arena in England to receive the Greener Arena certification, awarded by AGF. AEG Europe is working on making Germany’s Uber Arena (Berlin), and Barclays Arena (Hamburg) undergo similar accreditation.