Festivals research shows green still an issue

Posted on October 27th 2008

A major new survey of 100 festivals across the UK and Europe by IQ magazine and a survey of 5200 fans conducted by leading website www.virtualfestivals.com have detailed a busy and successful festival year with a significant increase in environmental awareness amongst both festival organisers and the audience. Writing in IQ magazine, Claire O’Neill, General Manager of the Association of Independent Festivals and one of three co-founders of AGreenerFestival points out that “in 2006 when I began the research that forms the basis for www.agrenerfestival.com I struggled to find any information regarding festivals and the environment. Less than three years down the line and it is more likely you will struggle to find information about festivals without reference to their environmental impact and initiatives.” Of the 100 festivals surveyed the following answers came back to these questions:                     What percentage of waste do you recycle? 
100% of waste - 13%
76% - 99% of waste -  11%
51%-75% of wate - 7%
26%-50% of waste - 17%
1% - 25% of waste - 25%
0% of waste (eg no recycling)  -  12%
Don’t Know  - 15%.    What influence does your festival’s environmental credentials have on ticket buyers?  
Don’t know  -10%
None -  31%
Small -  36%
Definite  - 9%
Huge -  4%.

Do you use sustainable energy? 
Yes  - 25%
No - 75%   If you do use sustainable energy, what percentage of power used? 
1-25%  - 64%
26%-50% -  12%
51%-75%  - 6%
76%-100% - 18%.

When looking at the fans, Virtual Festivals asked fans two significant questions – about travel methods and about their awareness of greenhouse gas emissions. The results of the travel question, with 68% of audience members using a car, reflects AGreenerfestival’s earlier research and the research detailed in Julies Bicycle’s First Step research that revealed that audience travel accounts for 59% the live music industry’s greenhouse gas emissions.  The better news is there seems to be a growing awareness in fans of the link between greenhouse gas emissions and global warming, with now 57% believing there is a link so hopefully organisers and fans alike will be motivated to push for change.   How do you usually get to festivals? 
Car  - 68%
Train  - 17%
Coach  - 9%
Other 6% Do you believe that human carbon emissions are responsible for global warming? 
Yes -  57%
Inconclusive 34%
No - 9%

European Festival Report   IQ Magazine  Issue 20  Q4 2008