Australian Festival Industry Conference

Sustainability Charter

Sustainability Charter

Australian Festival Industry Conference attendees are offered a year's free membership  the Sustainable Event Alliance, after signing this Sustainability Charter.


This charter sets out best practice and intention in sustainability management for events, and acts as a top-level sustainability checklist - so use that to guide your sustainable event management efforts!


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What does signing get you?


Signing the sustainability charter will gain you access to these SEA member benefits:

Becoming a paying member?


If you sign up as a member (AUD$75) of the SEA, then you can...

  • Use of the SEA membership logo in association with your festival, which demonstrates your commitment to sustainable event management.
  • Individuals or companies which are 'green event producers' can be listed on the SEA database, if they are or have an SEA Accredited Sustainability Specialist in their team.
  • Be featured in our social media.
  • Support this professional guild to be able to continue to support sustainable events!

Australian Festival Industry Conference

Sustainability Charter

We pledge to support the following when event planning and delivering our event:

Commitment, communication, leadership

  • Uphold the principles of sustainable development.
  • Commit to sustainability through provision of resources to enable it – time, people, money, materials, knowledge.
  • Produce and uphold a Sustainability Policy.
  • Empower staff to make responsible purchasing and planning decisions.
  • Ensure staff have the skills and capacity to implement sound sustainability management planning and policies.
  • Work with the supply chain to encourage sustainable solutions, and make the most sustainable choices possible.
  • Communicate sustainability commitment to all stakeholders.
  • Endeavour to implement lasting positive impact as a result of the event (legacy).

Society

  • Ensure an accessible, inclusive and safe event.
  • Where relevant, communicate with and engage the local community in the event's sustainability ambitions.
  • Ensure respect for cultural or religious sensitivities, indigenous rights and vulnerable groups.
  • Prioritise health and safety, diversity and equal opportunity, and fair working conditions for the event workforce, and throughout the supply chain, reflected in purchasing choices.
  • Ensure socially responsible business practices, including via supply chain.
  • Support local economies through local procurement policies.
  • Implement policies and carry out activities in adherence with responsible business practices of inclusivity, integrity and transparency, and not to participate in anti-competitive behaviour, bribery or corruption.
  • Design-in legacy including resources, knowledge, environment restoration, innovation, skills, business opportunities and economic support.

Environment

  • Protect the natural environment in the immediate vicinity from event activities.
  • Minimise resource consumption (energy, water, natural and non-renewable resources).
  • Minimise the environmental impacts of purchasing and event operations (emissions to air, land and water – including toxicity issues).
  • Identify environmental impacts of purchasing up the supply chain, to ensure the most sustainable purchasing choices are made.
  • Minimise waste volumes and manage waste along the principles of Zero Waste and maximising resource recovery.
  • Implement active and participatory resource recovery processes at the event and within the office.
  • Reduce and balance the transport impacts of our activities.

Reporting

  • Keep up to date with the industry norms of reporting scope.
  • Measure, report and disclose impacts - at a minimum waste, energy/transport/GHGs.
  • Keep up to date with the industry norms of reporting scope.Only make verifiable performance claims.
  • Make 'Zero Waste' claims only if the amount of waste which is reused, recycled and/or composted is substantially less than that sent for energy recovery.
  • Do not claim 'carbon neutral' if 'neutrality' has been achieved entirely through carbon offsetting, without measurable and transparent reductions actions firstly, as per PAS 2060 (unless in the first reporting year).
  • Feed reporting into industry benchmarking programs where possible and relevant.
  • Share successes and information with the industry and stakeholders.

Sign the charter

  • Your name and email address will not be displayed or shared, only the organisation name.
  • The SEA will not contact you except via a confirmation email which will have links and advice on next steps for your sustainability journey.

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