How to Reduce CO2 Emissions at a Cultural Event

Events, encompassing everything from concerts and festivals to sports and conferences, contribute significantly to CO2 emissions in Europe, accounting for approximately 3% of the total. In addition to this significant percentage, it is an essential lever to educate the population. We will explain below, step by step, how we can lower the emissions of an event. Let's take the example of a cultural event held in Spain.

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Step 1: Measure Carbon Emissions (Scope 1,2 and 3)

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Scope 1: The direct emissions of the festival include the energy used for lighting, sound and other equipment, as well asemissions from the organization's vehicles.

Scope 2: Indirect emissions are related to the electricity used at the event, such as the energy needed for stage lights andother electronic devices.

Scope 3: Indirect emissions are diverse and include transportation of event attendees, production of promotional materials,waste generation and more.

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Step 2: Reduce Carbon Emissions

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To reduce the indirect Scope 2 emissions associated with the electricity used during the festival, the following measures can be implemented, for example:

Use of renewable energy: solar panels are installed at the event venues to generate part of the required electricity. In addition, agreements are established with energy suppliers that offer electricity from renewable sources to cover the rest of the festival's energy needs.

Energy Efficiency:Promote the responsible use of energy among participants by installing energy-efficient LED lighting fixtures and optimizing the use of electrical equipment to minimize electricity consumption.

Sustainable Menu:Offer locally and organically sourced food and beverage options, and reduce the use of meat, as meat production has a high carbon footprint.

Step 3: Offset Remaining Emissions

Despite reduction efforts, some residual emissions will still be present. You can for example collaborate with local reforestation and biodiversity conservation projects, which not only helps to absorb carbon, but also contributes to local habitat and nature conservation, .g. through the purchase of carbon credits.

Step 4: Communicate and Educate

A communication strategy is developed to highlight the festival's sustainability efforts, including information on measures taken to reduce and offset carbon emissions. In addition, workshops and educational talks are organized on the importance of environmental sustainability and how attendees can lead a more eco-friendly lifestyle.

At Hovy, we collaborate locally with trusted businesses, from caterers to transportation providers, to make your events more sustainable.

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