What does it mean to be a circular and climate neutral event? To answer this question, the participants of the international Green Deal Circular Festivals together defined what circularity and climate neutrality mean for the sector. The Model for Circular & Climate neutral Festivals provides definitions, ultimate goals and feasible targets which can be achieved already on a shorter term. The model provides inspiration to event organisers, other sectors, cities and regions, to shape their own step-by-step approach to become circular and climate neutral. Based on the experiences of festivals and based on new insights, the model may evolve along the way.

More about the GDCF Model
How to use the GDCF Model

Click on any of the topics in the model to continue reading.
 

Our spot on the horizon: Circular and Climate Neutral Festivals

We believe in the potential of festivals to contribute to the transition of society to become circular and climate neutral, which is vital for a healthy planet, to protect nature and to safeguard prosperity for future generations. Festivals can play a guiding role to inspire a green movement and accelerate society’s transition. Therefore, we strive for fully circular and climate neutral festivals, ultimately meaning:

• Reduce to zero the events material footprint. We fundamentally change the way we use materials at our festivals by smart use of resources. In line with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation’s widely used model for a circular economy, we rethink our productions in such a way, that we limit the need for unrenewable resources and materials, keep in circulation materials, and ‘design out’ waste. While aiming for the highest level of circularity, recycling and re-use are intermediate steps.
• ​Reduce to net zero the events carbon emissions. We organize our festivals Net Zero, to reduce to ‘zero’ all carbon emissions related to our festivals, and across our supply chains and compensate unavoidable emissions.
• Reduce to zero the events biodiversity footprint.  We organize our festivals in such a way, that we reduce to zero any negative impact on biodiversity and the local ecosystems, which also requires designing-out any negative environmental impact to the soil, water and air.

The overall ambition to become circular and climate neutral provides an appealing perspective. Of course. But what does it practically mean for the production of our festivals? Therefore, five themes have been specified which account for festivals’ potentially biggest impact. The model describes the definitions, ultimate gaols and first base targets for each theme.

Implications of the ambition to positively contribute to local communities and biodiversity: At this time, both the GDCF Monitor and the thematic specification of the model, focus on the overall ambition for smart resource management (incl. waste management) and the ambition to become Net Zero. The ambition to positively contribute to the local environment of local communities and biodiversity, has not yet been specified. The intention is to add these elements in a future update of the model and the GDCF Monitor, to also provide perspective for festivals to become regenerative.