Case Study: Billie Eilish & Co-op Live Halve Food Procurement Emissions On Manchester Shows

Transformational emissions savings have been achieved during four sold-out nights of Billie Eilish’s “Hit Me Hard And Soft: The Tour”, which visited Manchester’s Co-op Live for four nights, July 19-23.

The initiative centred around a fully plant-based menu “has set a new industry benchmark,” according to a press release from Co-op Live.

Citing from the latest case study by GOAL (Green Operations & Advanced Leadership), accessible here, it states, “by switching to a 100% plant-based menu, the arena slashed food-related emissions by 47% – saving the equivalent of 45 flights from Manchester to Dublin – and conserved 3.5 million litres of water, enough to run 70,000 washing machine cycles.

“Fans embraced the change, with signature menu items seeing a 13% sales boost compared to standard shows, with plant-based fan favourite items reducing emissions by 65%.”

It marks another step Co-op Live’s commitment to becoming the most sustainable arena in the world. From running entirely on renewable energy and harvesting rainwater, to a zero-waste-direct-to-landfill commitment, the venue is embedding climate-conscious thinking into every aspect of its operations. T

Efforts that have been recognized by GOAL’s annual medals of which Co-op Live won seven Gold, ten Silver, and 14 Bronze last year.

Additionally, the arena was recently recognized as A Greener Arena by A Greener Future, which granted the arena the “highly commended” status, marking Co-op Live as one of the most sustainable arenas globally.

In partnership with GOAL, Co-op Live also hosted a portion of a two-day Sustainability Leaders’ Forum as part of Billie Eilish’s four-night residency, convening some of the most influential figures in eco-conscious live entertainment, among them Eilish’s mother Maggie Baird, and Stephan Jacob, co-Founder of Cotopaxi.

Guy Dunstan, General Manager at Co-op Live, commented, “going 100% plant based for Billie Eilish for all four nights of her shows at Co-op Live was an exciting undertaking for the venue. It enabled us to explore new ways to service concessions, and the take up demonstrated it was a big hit with her fan base.”

Kristen Fulmer, executive director at GOAL, said “we love to host events in buildings that walk the talk. This event, thanks to Co-op Live, was the perfect balance of inspirational, motivational, and fun!”

Sara Tomkins, sustainability & community director at Co-op Live, commented, “we are proud to deliver impact within the walls of our arena and outside of them. While we attract world leading talent and global fans, we believe that we must always give back locally and protect the planet. The Billie Eilish shows demonstrated the impact of local grown produce and plant-based options resulting in a planet positive outcome.”