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Purple Guide Environmental Sustainability for Events Chapter Launch

The new Purple Guide Chapter on Environmental Sustainability was launched at Vision 2025’s Sustainable Event Summit, Oct 18th 2023.

Chris Johnson (Vision: 2025 Chair) and Steve Heap (Event Industry Forum Chair) took to the stage, in front of a packed marquee of event professionals, to announce that The Purple Guide’s Chapter has now been written and will become the newest additional to the events industry guidance.

Watch the launch video:

Steve Heap explained:

“There is a collective voice within our industry that agrees action must be taken, which is why it felt right for the EIF to commission Vision: 2025 to coordinate the writing of this new chapter, to provide consistent, national guidance to benchmark sustainable best practice.

Chris has ensured industry wide consultation spanning commercial boundaries and included people from a range of other fantastic organisations doing some amazing work together for the common good. Drawing on information from far and wide means this chapter reflects the collective acceptance and commitment towards the event industry minimising our negative impact on the environment. We must act to leave a World suitable for the next generation to run festivals and outdoor events of the future.”

The Purple Guide Environmental Sustainability Chapter is a concise overview, signposting the areas of best practice for Outdoor events to enable the industry to assess national environmental standards by local authorities, with aim of reaching Net Zero by 2030.

The contents of The Purple Guide chapter will be live to subscribers of the Purple Guide in the coming weeks with links to relevant guidance, legislation, and resources. This sections include:

1. Introduction
2. Key Terms
3. Governance and Strategy
4. Impact Areas: Energy / Materials & waste / Travel & transport / Food & Drink / Water
5. Communications
6. Partners & Sponsors

The best practices championed in The Purple Guide have become accepted as industry standard for organisers, local authorities and suppliers, to comply with legislation and create safe events, along with being acknowledged to save lives.

It is hoped the guidance across the Environmental Sustainability Chapter will similarly become a standardised part of everyone’s event plans and drive a shift to create a more environmentally sustainable events sector.

Since launching the Show Must Go On Report in 2015, Vision: 2025 has progressively assembled a comprehensive free-to-access data bank of guidance and resources to help outdoor event organisers reduce and minimise their carbon footprint.  

Supporting the Environmental Sustainability Chapter of the Purple Guide, Vision: 2025 has also drafted a new Green Code of Practice.

Pictured: Chris Johnson and Steve Heap launch the Environmental Chapter of the Purple Guide at SES23