The Show Must Go On Report and Festival Vision:2025

02 Dec 2015

Last week UK festival industry group Powerful Thinking launched an incisive environmental impact report, ‘The Show Must Go On’, detailing a cross-industry response to the global environmental challenge, with a vision for change.

The Show Must Go On was introduced at the ‘Sustainable Strategies’ panel at the UK Festival Conference in London’s Roundhouse, which focused on how festivals can minimise their carbon impact. It is subsequently being presented to the UN Convention on Climate Change, Paris, Nov 30th to December 11th 2015, where 196 countries will meet to sign a new climate change agreement.

The report’s authors hope that by presenting a concise overview and proposed roadmap for reduced carbon impact at festivals in-line with international targets and that the UK festival industry sector can lead by example in achieving impact reduction targets by 2025.

Based on the most extensive research to date analysing the carbon footprint caused by festivals in the UK, the report details the current impact of the UK festival sector. It covers the significant impact areas and discusses where there is potential for reduction.
There is a call for festivals to pledge their commitment to achieve a 50% reduction in green house gas emissions by 2025, in line with UK targets.

Chris Johnson, Powerful Thinking, states:

“This is a critical moment for the future of the world. Festivals can play a valuable role, collectively reducing their own environmental impacts, while showing the 3.17 million ticket buyers that they can also make a difference.”

“The response has been amazingly positive, and we hope that will be reflected in the list of festivals signed up to the pledge that we will be publishing on the first day of spring, 20th March 2016.”
To receive a copy of the report or join your festival to the Festival Vision:2025 Pledge, visit http://www.powerful-thinking.org.uk/vision2025.