As the bluebells emerge, we are reflecting on Easter's theme of rebirth and the hope it offers - and the erratic weather around us; summer days and hailstones side by side! We are pleased to share a burst of activity and enthusiasm for sustainability across the live events sector in this month’s news, leading to a crescendo for Earth day on April 22nd. In this month’s edition:

• Q&A with inspirational youth climate leader Frances Fox
• Get involved with Music Declares Emergency's 'Turn Up The Volume' for Earth Day
• Get the lowdown on sustainable signage options from DECORDIA in this month’s guest blog 
• Track + balance you travel emissions with ecolibrium’s new #TravelCarbonApp
• Catch up on news, events and reports from across the sector
• In this month's Powerful Thinking blog, Tim Benson makes the case for transitioning to battery technology

Welcome to the Green Leader Q&A Frances Fox! Frances is an 18-year-old youth climate justice activist. She is Founder, UK Director and International Artist Outreach Coordinator for Climate Live - global concerts harnessing the power of music to engage, educate and empower people in the climate movement. She is also Festivals Coordinator for the UK Student Climate Network and helps organise international campaigns with Fridays For Future. She recently won the Environment Agency’s Inspirational Person Award. Read the Q&A HERE. 

In March, Victoria Chapman, Head of Sustainability (UK & Ireland) at Live Nation, took the Q&A. Read her answers HERE

Cordi Ashwell from DECORDIA has 20 years of experience of designing, building and installing festival and venue architecture for events such as Parklife, Rewind, Tramlines, Truck, Y Not!, Snowbombing, Neighbourhood Weekender, Boardmasters and Bluedot – many of which have sustainability as a key priority.

In this guest blog Cordi gives her insights into creating sustainable signage, weighing up the pros and cons of different materials, and what event organisers should consider before making their final choices. Read the full blog HERE.

The next episode of Vision: 2025's Autumn #WeMakeTheFuture webinar series is live. In 'Circular Economy and The Outdoor Events Industry', Chiara Badiali from Julie’s Bicycle is in conversation with Patricia Yagüe, Head of Sustainability from Live Nation Europe and Paul Schurink from Green Events Netherland. Find out more and watch the recording HERE. 

ecolibrium has launched a free app to help everyone working in live events to tackle their travel impacts. The app, developed by Digitwell Solutions is designed make it easier to measure and record carbon emissions from transport, model lower carbon journeys and take action by investing in climate solutions.

Leaders across the industry, including Music Declares Emergency founders and Bluedot festival organisers, are amongst the first to champion the new app.

Download the #TravelCarbonApp in the App Store/GooglePlay or find out more HERE.

Starting on April 19th, the UK Music industry will reinforce its commitment to action on the climate emergency, under the Music Declares Emergency (MDE) banner ‘No Music On A Dead Planet – Turn Up The Volume,’ with a series of announcements and artist reach outs in the week of Earth Day 2021 to highlight the amazing work on sustainability already taking place across UK music.

Sign the MDE declaration HERE – or if you want to be a part of the stories of ‘Turn Up The Volume,’ email info@musicdeclares.net

Help our friends at ECODISCO by letting them know your thoughts on reusable cups in the UK events industry.

They are producing a new and innovative system to help urban music venues remove single-use cups when it is safe to reopen. There are two surveys, one for attendees and one for venue/event staff. Please fill out either or both depending on your occupation and help push forward the sustainable nightlife movement.

Take the Venue Staff Survey HERE 
Take the Party People Survey HERE

Clean Scene report on RA Top 1000 DJs shows touring DJs took 51,000 flights in 2019 - equivalent to 20,000 households’ consuming electricity for one year.

The new report, titled 'Last Night a DJ Took a Flight: Exploring the carbon footprint of touring DJs and looking towards alternative futures within the dance music industry' from climate action collective Clean Scene researches the Resident Advisor Top 1000 DJs' touring schedules, and finds that in 2019 artists took more than 51,000 flights, emitting 35,000 tonnes of CO2. Read more and download the full report HERE.

Music Declares Emergency (MDE)  believe every organisation and company within the music industry can and should align their pensions with their values and help their employees to stop unknowingly financing the Climate Crisis.

Read MDE's recent report with suggestions of how organisations and individuals can switch to fossil free pensions funds HERE.

More news from across the Live Events Industry, including jobs, blogs, reports and what the Vision: 2025 team have been watching, listening to, and reading this month:

Could ecocide become an international crime? Ben Cooke explores the idea in the New Statesman HERE

A new study by Carbon Brief finds that; "the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Japan “imported” more than 90% of their national deforestation footprints from abroad between 2001 and 2015" Find out more HERE 

New Creative Climate Action fund is launched by Creative Ireland + the Department of the Environment, Climate + Communications. Find out more HERE

Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST) has published the results of its survey on UK perceptions of climate change and lifestyle changes. Read the summary HERE

Season for Change’s open programme is now underway. Check out the free events taking place across the country and/or sign up to host one HERE

Everyday Plastic have released a blog to help people identify & avoid falling for greenwashing. Read it HERE

Albert have worked with their sports consortium to create tools to support the sports broadcasting community to reduce supply chain emissions. Read them HERE

ecolibrium is looking for a Project Manager to drive the growth of this innovative charity at the heart of climate action in the live events and music industry. Application deadline,13th April. Full details HERE

Julie's Bicycle is looking for a full time Sustainability Coordinator for a 6 month position. Application deadline midday 14th April: Full details HERE

Robert Del Naja's interview in The Guardian: 'Massive Attack star 'livid' with music industry for not acting on green issues. Read it HERE

The Long-term Project is focused on finding new ways to help people and organisations care about the long-term future, so that they take responsibility for it in the short-term. Check it out HERE

Livvy Drake from Sustainable Sidekicks joined The Green Element for their Podcast. Listen HERE

photo: by Marcus Spiske @ Pexels

In this month’s Powerful Thinking blog, Tim Benson makes the case for transitioning to battery power ahead of changes in legislation that will see a rise in fuel cost for event organisers as the government removes their entitlement to use red diesel and rebated biofuels in April 2022. Here Tim discusses the combination of financial, licensing, public health, environmental and technical drivers that are converging to encourage event organisers to switch to battery systems before legislation forces the issue. Read the full blog HERE.