Enjoy LIVE Music - commit to a sustainable future

The UN, in its 2030 Agenda, has defined a total of 17 goals for sustainable development, encompassing social, economic, and environmental dimensions. These goals have been adopted by Switzerland as well and vividly illustrate the broad scope of the concept of sustainable development.

In the context of the live music scene, sustainability means creating a live music ecosystem with all its structures and stakeholders that is functional and healthy in the long-term. As with the definition provided by Live DMA, sustainability in this context can also be divided into social, economic, and environmental aspects.

• Social aspects include social justice, inclusion, and diversity.
• Economic aspects encompass working conditions that provide financial and mental stability and security to those active in the live music sector.
• Environmental aspects relate to raising awareness about and reducing CO2 emissions, ensuring that our environment and planet remain healthy and livable. As Music Declares Emergency aptly states: "No Music On A Dead Planet."

Given that sustainability, by definition, can be interpreted broadly to include social, economic, and environmental dimensions, we will begin by focusing on ecological sustainability. In keeping with the spirit of: "Enjoy LIVE Music – commit to a sustainable future."

The Role According to the Eurocities Call to Action:

To answer the question about the role of culture in the sustainability process, let us first quote the Eurocities Call to Action:

“Arts, culture and heritage, in all their diversity [...] are a source of emancipation, a space for collective expression and awareness, a force that unites, and a lever to make our territory lively and attractive throughout the world.”

In other words, culture—of which live music forms a significant part—is a source of empowerment, awareness, and engagement with current and socially relevant issues. Additionally, art and culture serve as catalysts for positive change. They foster critical thinking and solidarity.

If we acknowledge that culture, and consequently the live music ecosystem, holds the influence mentioned above, it follows that culture plays a vital role in advancing sustainability. It can act as a driver for awareness and transformation.

The Role According to Live DMA:

Live DMA, the umbrella organization of national associations to which PETZI belongs, also assigns an essential role to culture in the journey toward ecological sustainability:

“Culture is strongly interconnected with our vision and way of life. It indeed has a powerful role to play in ecological transition. The societal impact of culture must not be underestimated. [...] In other words, music events can be a driver for societal change. They can give examples of how to do things differently.”

In light of the imminent climate crisis, culture can act as a catalyst for social change. It can inspire new ways of thinking and behaving and set an example for others to follow.

Live DMA has compiled an overview of the role of the music sector in sustainability efforts and initiatives already being implemented in the European live music sector. You can find this overview here.

The Role According to the Music Declares Emergency Switzerland Report:

Beyond its crucial social importance and its ability to raise awareness and inspire, there is another reason why culture plays a significant role in the transition to greater ecological sustainability.

This third point is drawn from a 2022 report by Music Declares Emergency Switzerland. This initiative advocates for a collective, industry-wide response to the climate emergency and last year published a report on the carbon footprint of Swiss music festivals.

The report reveals that organizing music festivals—or music events in general—has ecological consequences. It raises the question: how can music festivals, as well as music venues, reduce their emissions and make their events more ecologically sustainable?

You can find the full report by Music Declares Emergency here.

Where can concert venues or festivals take action to make their events more environmentally sustainable? In which areas are the largest emissions generated?

A good starting point for developing specific measures to make events more environmentally sustainable is to determine how many emissions are produced in different areas of event organization. This allows measures to be targeted where they will have the greatest impact.

However, calculating the CO2 footprint of a club or a festival is not that simple and involves significant resource expenditure – resources that are often not available.

Therefore, we would like to share some resources that illustrate the options and tools available for calculating the CO2 footprint. Additionally, we will provide some examples where such calculations have been carried out. These examples can serve as orientation regarding which areas generally produce the most emissions and perhaps also as inspiration for action.

Live DMA – European Examples and Calculation Tools

Live DMA asserts: "Measuring is knowing."

Since calculating the CO2 footprint of a club or festival is quite challenging, Live DMA has compiled a list of different venues that have calculated their CO2 footprint. These examples aim to show the different approaches to this measurement – from a DIY approach to collaborations with local institutions.

You can find Live DMA’s overview here.

In addition, Live DMA refers to the factsheet by SHIFT Culture, which compares various tools for calculating the CO2 footprint of cultural organizations.

You can find the factsheet here.

Music Declares Emergency Switzerland – Report on the CO2 Footprint of Swiss Festivals

In 2022, Music Declares Emergency Switzerland conducted a study on the CO2 footprint of Swiss music festivals. The report based on the study provides an impression of the emissions produced by Swiss music festivals.

The report not only calculates the CO2 footprint of Swiss festivals but also analyzes which areas produce how many emissions. The examined areas are: the mobility of artists and the audience, consumption (food and drinks), accommodation, printed materials, energy, waste, and water.

The different areas have varying levels of impact. For example, the mobility of artists and the audience makes up the largest portion of the emissions, followed by food and drinks.

Although only a portion of festivals within the Swiss festival landscape participated in the study, it still offers an impression of which areas in festivals generally produce the most emissions and where it makes sense to take action.

Additionally, the report from Music Declares Emergency Switzerland develops scenarios for what measures could look like and what kind of impact they might have.

You can find the report by Music Declares Emergency Switzerland here.

CO2 Footprint Analyses of Our Members – Some Examples

Below, we would like to share some examples of clubs and festivals that have conducted an analysis of their CO2 footprint.

We believe these analyses provide a good impression of which areas produce the most emissions. While the mentioned analyses are specifically tailored to a particular club or festival, they can still serve as orientation. Perhaps they might even inspire you to formulate your own sustainability measures.

We have several club and festival members who have conducted an analysis of their CO2 footprint and developed measures based on the results. These include:

• the festival One Of A Million (OOAM)
• the festival "Winterthurer Musikfestwochen"
• the club Salzhaus Winterthur

What stands out from the analyses is that the areas with the largest emissions are often similar, including the mobility of artists and the audience as well as food and drinks.

To learn more about how many emissions are generated in other sectors and how OOAM, Winterthurer Musikfestwochen, and Salzhaus have responded to these findings, simply click on the links on the names of our members listed above.

Where can clubs and festivals start when it comes to sustainability?

To help ease the entry into the topic of ecological sustainability, we’ve put together some simple steps towards greater ecological sustainability. These steps are aimed at beginners, serve as starting points, and can be expanded and developed further as needed.

Step 1: Collaboration

Involve the entire team – both employees and volunteers, as well as staff from all areas of work.

It’s important that everyone pulls together in the same direction. This allows you to move forward as a team while also significantly expanding the knowledge and action base: Through collaboration, inputs from different sectors can be incorporated, and the expertise of various individuals can be considered.

Step 2: Sustainable Decision-Making

Incorporate sustainability directly into all your decision-making processes.

Is there a new festival edition, a new project, or other important decisions to be made? Keep sustainability in mind and integrate it directly into your decision-making.

Existing structures are often more difficult to change, but when creating something new, sustainability can be directly integrated.

Step 3: Do It with Joy and Be Curious

Find a positive framing for your sustainability project.

A "positive mindset" may sound like a cliché at first, but it’s actually helpful: Of course, "sustainability" might feel like another item on your to-do list that’s exhausting and overwhelming.  

That’s why we recommend looking at sustainability not as a burden or "another to-do," but rather as a challenge and something that opens up new possibilities. Engaging with sustainability can actually be exciting and inspiring.

Step 4: One Step at a Time

Start small and dream big – the impact of small steps should not be underestimated.

Don’t be intimidated – you don’t need to become carbon-neutral overnight. Don’t underestimate the impact of small measures. And remember: Every measure is better than none.

Choose measures that can be implemented easily with little effort and/or great joy. Set concrete first goals, such as organizing reusable cups, finding a solution for food waste in your catering, or sourcing drinks and food more locally.

Again, do it with joy. Listen to each other and work together. Small successes can help build motivation for larger projects.

Step 5: Get Inspired

Take advantage of what already exists and make use of available resources.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel – there are already many resources, tools, and information that can help you develop measures. You can find plenty of information, for example, in the resource database of Vert le Futur!

Additionally, there are several PETZI members who have already engaged with the topic of ecological sustainability. You can draw inspiration from them – both from the results of their CO2 calculations and from the actions they have implemented.

Step 6: It's About the Sausage

Focus on food & drinks: Reduce instead of increasing.

Food and beverages account for a significant portion of the emissions generated at an event. One way to reduce emissions here is by cutting back on meat options in catering and food stalls.

One advantage of such a measure is that it doesn’t require additional financial resources.

You can find a comprehensive article on this topic here.

More information can also be found in this fact sheet.

Step 7: Local & Organic Is the Way to Go

Focus on food & drinks: Where do the products come from, and how are they produced?

A second point regarding food and drinks: Source your beverages and food as locally as possible to reduce transport distances and support local suppliers and producers.

If financially feasible, the ideal solution would be to source seasonal and local food from organic farming.

For more information, we gladly refer you to this fact sheet.

Step 8: Focus on Slow Mobility

Walk, bike, or use public transport to attend events.

A major source of emissions is the mobility of the audience and artists. This includes both the arrival and departure of the audience as well as the artists. Insights into the role of audience mobility are provided in an article by Julie’s Bicycle.

The goal here is to reduce car and air travel and use "slow mobility" as much as possible.

Some thoughts:

• Can you ask your artists if they can travel by public transport, and/or create incentives (e.g., by providing backline) for them to do so?
• Can you inform your audience about public transport options they can use to attend the event and return home, encouraging them to use these connections?
• Can you provide good bike parking facilities? Or are there bike parking spots nearby that the audience can use?

You can find more input here.

If you want to get inspired by other venues and festivals, check out Live DMA’s overview of various initiatives in the European live music sector.

Step 9: Involve Artists & Audience

Inform your audience and artists about your efforts and how they can support them.

If you as a club or festival decide to tackle the topic of sustainability, inform your audience and artists about your efforts and how they can support them.

By addressing ecological sustainability, you can:

• Raise awareness among your audience and artists.
• Promote understanding and support for your sustainability measures.
• Expand your scope for action and implement measures that require the collaboration of the audience and artists.
• Further reduce your emissions.

What steps event organizers, artists, and audiences can take is clearly outlined in the EJN Green Rider by the Europe Jazz Network (EJN).

Step 10: 3xR – Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Three principles of ecological sustainability and what they mean for clubs and festivals.

When it comes to ecological sustainability, the three "Rs" are often discussed: "reduce, reuse, recycle."

How can these three principles be applied in the event sector? Here are some ideas:

• Reduce: less food waste in catering; fewer car rides; shorter transport routes (e.g., for food delivery)
• Reuse: reuse of decoration materials; reusable tableware
• Recycle: more waste separation and recycling; use of recycled materials for merchandise production

1. Vert le Futur’s Tatenbank

The Tatenbank is THE platform for sustainability in the cultural sector, catering to both beginners and advanced users.  

On the Tatenbank, you’ll find valuable information on sustainability in the cultural sector. The platform offers:

• Filtering functions, allowing you to find information on various aspects of event organization such as administration, catering, infrastructure, communication, production, programming, and much more;
• Inspiring examples from clubs, festivals, and artists who have engaged with sustainability;
• Helpful tools to assist you in implementing sustainability measures;
• Exciting blog posts and in-depth knowledge for those who wish to dive deeper into the topic.  

We believe that anyone interested in sustainability in the cultural sector, whether as a club or festival, should definitely check out the Tatenbank!

Visit the Tatenbank here.

2. Julie’s Bicycle

For those wanting to delve deeper into sustainability in the cultural sector, besides the Tatenbank, Julie’s Bicycle is another excellent resource. This not-for-profit organization mobilizes art and culture to take action against the climate, nature, and justice crises.

Julie’s Bicycle has created a comprehensive resource platform, featuring:

• Case studies and inspiring role models;
• Research findings for deeper reading;
• Podcasts where artists and cultural workers share their experiences;
• Webinars for in-depth discussions;
• Guides with tips on various topics.  

Additionally, Julie’s Bicycle offers the Creative Climate Tools (CC Tools), a tool for calculating the CO2 footprint for artists and cultural organizations.

We believe both the resource platform and the CC Tools provide very detailed information (in English).

Visit the resource platform here.

Explore the "Creative Climate Tools" here.

3. Music Declares Emergency

The initiative Music Declares Emergency (MDE) was launched in 2019 by artists, cultural workers, and organizations to call for action from the live music sector in the face of the climate crisis. Among other things, they launched the campaign “No Music on a Dead Planet”.

On MDE, you’ll find various exciting resources and insights for artists, the music industry, and music lovers:

• MDE Switzerland presents the documentary "Music Festivals Between Activism and Greenwashing", offering insights into sustainability efforts by Swiss music festivals.
• MDE Switzerland also features an interesting report on the CO2 emissions of Swiss music festivals from 2022.
• On MDE UK’s English website, it’s worth reading the "Music Industry Climate Pack", which offers tips for various areas and structures in the live music ecosystem: artists, touring, record labels, clubs, merchandise, managers, and music lovers. For each area, between five and ten concrete tips are provided to help each structure act more sustainably.
• Here are more tips & tricks.

We believe: Interesting, short, and to the point.

4. Live DMA Resource Platform

On Live DMA’s resource platform, you’ll find interesting inputs and information on various topics, including ecological sustainability:

• For reading: Overview articles offering insights into initiatives in the live music sector, including topics like mobility, CO2 compensation, and green riders.
• For watching: "Digital Safaris on Sustainability" providing an overview of sustainable practices in various live music structures.
• For deeper insights: The Greenhouse Report, released this year, is the result of an internal working group focused on national-level sustainability strategies. The report discusses various aspects of ecological sustainability and shares resources.

We believe: Clear and well-curated – everything you need at a glance.

Visit Live DMA’s resource platform here.

5. The Green Guide by Reflector

Reflector, the advisory and consulting service for ecological sustainability in culture, has developed a Green Guide to help cultural organizations and cultural workers reduce their ecological footprint.

• The Green Guide is a useful and clear tool that helps you create an individualized action plan for sustainability measures.  
• Various action fields are covered, such as mobility, technology, production, catering, and now also energy.  
• For each action field, you’ll find suggestions for various measures you can select and add to your action plan.  
• In addition to practical tips, the Green Guide also points to further useful resources.  

We believe: An exciting and interactive tool that allows you to directly create a personalized action plan.

Visit Reflector’s Green Guide here.

6. National Cultural Dialogue – Final Report "Ecology in the Cultural Sector"

In November 2024, the National Cultural Dialogue published its final report on the topic "Ecology in the Cultural Sector."

The report offers various recommendations for cultural funding bodies to make the Swiss cultural sector more ecologically sustainable.

Additionally, the final report, particularly in the appendix, provides several resources and guides for reducing CO2 emissions in the cultural sector.

Read the final report here in German.

And the final report in French is to be found here.