Festivals leading the green revolution

There’s no escaping the important role Bristol is playing in the battle against climate change as the 2015 Green Capital and with so many festivals taking place in the city, it follows suit that these two elements would tally up.

With millions of people attending UK festivals every year, a significant amount of which take place in and around Bristol or are attended by festival-loving Bristolians (of which there are thousands) there is more pressure being put on the environment.

Our festivals are collectively responsible for about 15 kilotonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year. The main contributor of carbon emissions at festivals is usually travel, which accounts for an average of 60-80% of a festival’s carbon footprint. For a festival of 10,000 people, this is a massive 120 tonnes of carbon dioxide. 

Thankfully a lot of the big players in the UK festival scene have cottoned onto the importance of this and are taking significant steps to address this. 

Bristol-based organisation Energy Revolution is working with lots of festivals, including Shambala, Bristol Pride and Love Saves The Day, on sustainability – encouraging them to have an option on their tickets, where customers can give a small donation to clean energy products, such as wind turbines.

Shambala, which has its HQ in Bristol but takes place in Northamptonshire, was the first festival to use 100% renewable energy (solar, wind and biofuel) earning itself the title of International ‘A Greener Festival’ winner. It is not carbon net positive as it also invests in wind turbines.

Co-founder and sustainability co-ordinator Chris Johnson said: “It’s taken about four or five years but we got there in the end. We are trying to be a positive force in the world – in terms of the festival, we are doing everything possible to reduce our environmental impact and carbon footprint.

“We are working with lots of charities to promote their work in taking care of the planet we are on. We pride ourselves on being a truly ethical organisation but also a very professionally run and fun event. Not green worthy preachers. It’s about creativity and fun and having a good time too.”

Chris is now collaborating with some big Bristol events as part of the Green Capital 2015 remit looking at how they can become more sustainable – this includes Love Saves The Day. 

Anna Johnson, from Love Saves the Day, said: “As part of our commitment to creating a more sustainable event, we have been looking to identify new initiatives and products that complement the ethos of sustainability. Reusable cups work on so many levels – using them will immediately and significantly reduce the amount of single use plastics that go to landfill and importantly, we are hoping that it will encourage people to think twice before throwing them on the ground.”

Bristol Pride has also produced a lengthy sustainability plan which includes taking waste from the festival portable toilets to a biomethene extraction plant where the energy produced can be used to the power the Bristol Bio-Bus. They also plan to donate any unsold food to homeless shelters and food banks in the city.

Daryn Carter from Pride said: “Bristol Pride has always been a very ‘green’ event but a number of green initiatives are being improved on or implemented this year as part of our support to Bristol 2015 and EU Green Capital. Our aim is to establish new initiatives at the heart of our on-going green action plan for the festival in years to come. As well as implementing a green action pledge for the festival we have made a specific pledge to safeguard Castle Park, to local residents and to local wildlife.”