Colchester City Council and Colchester Events (part of Colchester Amphora Trading Limited) are working together as part of a pilot project to investigate ways to minimise the environmental impact of events at council-owned venues.
The project is led by Vision 2025, the UK outdoor events industry’s sustainability steering group and resources hub, and Julie’s Bicycle, a leading not-for-profit mobilising the arts and culture to take action on the climate, nature and justice crisis. Nine other local authorities across England are taking part in the programme to test the ‘Green Events Code of Practice’, a national initiative to establish clear, consistent, and applicable best practice standards for environmental sustainability across the UK outdoor events industry.
As part of the project, the council aims to update its Events Policy to prioritise sustainability and environmental concerns. Additionally, it will trial the introduction of an environmental assessment tool for event organisers. This tool will help them understand the environmental and accessibility impacts of events, as well as ways to enhance their performance in these areas.
The council will be working with event organisers to test the policy changes and the assessment tool and collect feedback on how useful these are and if they help to promote thinking about environmental issues within event planning.
Councillor Luxford Vaughan, Portfolio Holder for Planning, Environment and Sustainability, said: “This pilot project marks a significant step forward in our efforts to enhance sustainability at events across Colchester. By collaborating with our partners and investigating the adoption of new environmental standards, we are demonstrating our commitment to reducing environmental impacts and promoting responsible event management practices.”
For further information, please visit the Vision 2025 website, which includes information on the Green Events Code of Practice, alongside information on the pilot project.
Page last reviewed: 18 April 2024