The O2 in London has claimed a first for a UK arena with the launch of its Green Rider, a document that will act as a guide for promoters and artist teams to make more sustainable choices.
The O2 said the Green Rider will seek to drive change in live events and touring at the venue by outlining considerations and recommendations on how to make more sustainable choices and reduce the environmental impact of live events.
The document will include recommendations on how to reduce CO2 emissions, make more sustainable choices for equipment and materials used, reduce waste and energy consumption, and monitor an event’s carbon footprint. The document will also feature an appendix containing useful resources and local suppliers.
Today’s (Tuesday’s) launch comes after The O2 recently announced plans to host what it claims will be the world’s first carbon-removed arena events at The 1975’s headline shows in February 2024.
The events will use a portfolio of carbon removal methods to physically extract the carbon generated by the events from the atmosphere and durably store it out of harm’s way.
Last December, The O2 became the first arena in England to receive its Greener Arena certification from A Greener Future. Last summer, the arena went fully vegan for six Billie Eilish shows, resulting in a saving of 14,000kg and the permanent removal of the beef burger from its menus.
Following the launch of Green Rider, Sam Booth, director of sustainability at The O2’s operator AEG Europe, said: “As a world-famous venue and industry-leaders in live entertainment, we have a responsibility to help drive forward the sustainability agenda for international touring and live events, and that’s exactly what we’re trying to do with The O2’s Green Rider.
“Working closely with organisations like A Greener Future, we’ve identified key areas where the environmental impact of a tour can be significantly reduced, and this document has been designed to directly address this.
“Our ambition is to create a blueprint for shows visiting the arena moving forwards, and for the wider live industry, whilst also working collaboratively with artists and touring crews to make events at The O2 more sustainable, but still a great experience for the bands and the fans.”
Adam Pearson, commercial director at The O2, added: “The O2 arena hosts over 200 events a year with some of the biggest acts in the world, so we have a massive opportunity here to really drive the sustainability agenda forward in our industry.
“Sustainability forms a core part of the venue’s business strategy as we strive to reduce our overall environmental impact and ultimately achieve net zero, but we need to be aligned with the artists, promoters and touring crews that come through the door to produce truly impactful change.
“We’re really excited about the launch of our Green Rider and have received a really positive response from the industry so far, but the document will be ever evolving, so we welcome any suggestions for how to improve this further from the industry.”
