Norwich City Council is working with ten other local authorities nationwide in a year-long pilot project to improve environmentally-friendly practices in the planning of outdoor events.
Joining with councils in Manchester, Bristol, Reading and elsewhere, the Norwich council is testing how the Green Events Code of Practice (GECOP) can be used to ensure local authority events are sustainable, reducing environmental footprint and conserving resources.
The city council is using its experience in planning its own large-scale events, such as its Lord Mayor’s Weekend and Festive Lights Switch-on, as well as its collaboration with outside partners which, for example, hire out its parks and other venues, with measures aimed at further reducing environmental impact and improving sustainability as it works towards its 2030 net-zero target.
Actions already taken include switching to the use of recycled cardboard stands rather than the typical plastic type at this week’s Norwich Science Festival (17-24 February 2024), and procuring green electricity so that energy consumption becomes zero carbon.
The work dovetails with its own Action Plan for Culture and its partnership work within the Norwich Creative City Compact, formed in 2020 with an initial five-year plan to support growth cultural growth in the city. Current partners in the compact include the National Centre for Writing, Norwich BID, Norfolk Museums Service, Norfolk & Norwich Festival, Norwich Arts Centre, Norwich City Council, Norwich Theatre, Norwich University of the Arts, The Forum, Young Norfolk Arts Trust and the University of East Anglia.
The GECOP pilot project has been launched by influential not-for-profit organisations Vision: 2025 and Julie’s Bicycle, and is co-funded by Arts Council England and the participating local authorities.
It aims to bring together the outdoor events industry, local authorities and other stakeholders, to create a clear and consistent understanding and approach to sustainable best practice for the sector.
GECOP is focussing on key areas where it believes positivie environmental change can be achieved. GECOP's targets include a 50% reduction in fossil fuel consumption and the elimination of single use plastic at live events by 2025.
Council cabinet member for Climate Change, Cllr Emma Hampton said: “This is an excellent opportunity for Norwich City Council to be at the forefront of the drive towards Event Sustainability. We’re proud not only to be actioning change in how we run and operate our own events in the city, but to also to be moving forward the conversation at a national level within the Arts, Culture and Events sectors. We look forward to working with our partners from other local authorities to make a positive impact on what we believe will be a vital project.”
Council cabinet member for Wellbeing and Culture, Cllr Claire Kidman said: “Together with our partners in the Norwich Creative City Compact, we are thinking much more widely about how we deliver a successful and growing arts and culture sector for the city to widen it out to be as inclusive and accessible as possible to all our residents and those who work in or visit Norwich. This includes dedicated wheelchair viewing areas at our events and BSL interpretations. But we recognise that this may have an impact on the environment and our work with GECOP will help to encourage dialogue both locally and nationally, to educate and encourage change towards a more sustainable future for the whole sector.”
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