The Green Deal Circular Festivals Initiative.

In an effort to tackle concerns about the sustainability credentials of music festivals globally the Dutch government and leading festival entities throughout Europe launched the Green Deal Circular Festivals (GDCF) initiative. What is GDCF and how is it making an impact on the music festival community in Europe?

Although well known in the Continental European festival community the GDCF has had little press coverage in the UK or other parts of the world and to date its members include 49 festival entities from 17 countries. It aligns with broader global sustainability goals, such as the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), by focusing on climate action, responsible consumption, and creating sustainable communities. 

The Green Deal Circular Festivals (GDCF) and its Objectives. 
Created by the Dutch government in 2019 the GDCF aims to speed up the transition towards circular and climate neutral festivals. Those working on this initiative include government departments, festival owners and sustainability experts to create innovative solutions. The key objectives of the GDCF include minimising waste by upcycling and recycling for festival site build materials. Festival organisers are encouraged to use suppliers and vendors who embrace their sustainability objectives. Using more sustainable energy sources for power generation which may include use of solar or wind power and bio-fuels or hydrogen are encouraged. Planning festival site water usage to minimise any wastage using low flow sanitation and rainwater harvesting. Incentivising festival-goers to use more sustainable transport solutions to reduce the overall carbon footprint of every event. 

Practical Actions Festival Owners can Take. 
Festival entities that have signed up for GDCF are encouraged to work together and share knowledge of best practices to contribute towards achieving the overall objectives. The involvement of national and local governments to help with funding and provide regulatory frameworks to support festival’s transition to circular practices. Using technological innovation where possible to meet objectives which may involve using sound systems that draw less power or considering new power generators fuelled by hydrogen for example. The GDCF help festivals create tracking methodologies to more accurately measure their environmental impact which may include emissions and waste generated. Festivals are encouraged to promote sustainability and eco-conscious behaviour by using advertising campaigns, workshops and on-site initiatives to make a more direct impact. 

Joining GDCF. 
To participate in the GDCF festival owners will need to submit an application demonstrating a commitment to sustainability. Festivals must be ready to actively work towards a circular and sustainable operational model with a collaborative mindset. Applicants must provide details of any existing sustainability initiatives and objectives along with a commitment to adopting and measuring circular practices. In addition, festival owners must sign the GDCF Agreement and develop a sustainability plan for transitioning to circular practices. There is no fee for joining and more details can be found by visiting their website (https://circularfestivals.nl) 

Although this initiative is still growing it has managed to recruit well known festivals like Glastonbury (UK), DGTL (Netherlands) and Sziget (Hungary). The organisation has ambitious plans to take the GDCF initiative global. 

For festival organisers planning their next events using a software management platform like Festival Pro gives them all the functionality they need manage every aspect of their event logistics. The guys who are responsible for this software have been in the front line of event management for many years and the features are built from that experience and are performance artists themselves. The Festival Pro platform is easy to use and has comprehensive features with specific modules for managing artists, contractors, venues/stages, vendors, volunteers, sponsors, guestlists, ticketing, cashless payments and contactless ordering.

Image by bbolender via Pixabay

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