Could measuring the carbon footprint of your festival be as simple as a few conversations, collecting some information, and putting it into a free online tool? Yes! In this blog, Chris Johnson, Chair of Vision: 2025 shares his how to guide to measuring event emissions:
Why Measure?
Measuring your environmental impacts is central to your event sustainability strategy – wherever you are in the journey. If you are just setting out, measuring creates a baseline from which to identify key areas of impact, from here you can make a plan to tackle them. Consistent year on year measuring helps you gauge success of your plan and record your progress. The Vision: 2025 roadmap for event suggests you aim to reduce your environmental impacts by 50% by 2025, as part of a net zero strategy. Find out more about the roadmap and pledge. Just getting your head around Net Zero? Read the Net Zero FAQ for event organisers
You can also download the below info as a PDF template to collect data.
Start Measuring
Here is your 5-Point Action Plan
- Tell the relevant contractors that you need some information (detailed below)
- Set up your free account with Creative Green Tool (Julie’s Bicycle)
- Collect the information after the event
- Enter information into the CG tool
- Voila – you have your carbon footprint and breakdown
Estimated total time required = about 2 days input.
You need the following information to use the free online Creative Green carbon footprint tool:
Event Details
| How? You already have this information! |
| No. of days for the event |
| No. of campers |
| No. of stages |
| No. of ticket buyers |
| No. of artists |
| No. of traders |
Waste
| How? Your recycling contractor can provide this – try adding the request to their contract |
| Waste to landfill (tonnes) |
| Waste to energy (tonnes) |
| Waste to recycling (tonnes) |
| Waste to composting (tonnes) |
| Reuse (tonnes) |
Energy
| How? Your power contractor can provide this – add a request to contract |
| Mains electricity use (kWh) |
| Mains gas use (kWh) |
| Bottled gas use (litres) |
| Diesel use (litres) |
| Concession diesel use (litres) |
| Biodiesel (litres) |
| Concession biodiesel use (litres) |
| Onsite renewable energy (kWh) |
Water
| How? Your water/sanitation contractor can provide this or check the meter before and after |
| Water Use m3 |
| Waste water m3 |
Audience Travel
| How? You already have this information! Or work with ecolibrium to help you |
| % Cycling |
| % Dedicated coaches |
| % Car travel |
| % Public buses |
| % Train |
| % Taxi |
Now let’s actually do it…. You can download this info as a free template HERE.
Follow Chris Johnson on Linkedin
Photo by Dids
This guest blog originally appeared in the May 2022 Vision: 2025 newsletter. Sign up to receive monthly event sustainability news, case studies and guest blogs direct to your inbox using the form below.