Christopher BarrettAEG’s The O2 arena has gained Greener Arena certification, becoming only the second arena in the UK to achieve the environmental sustainability award following Scotland’s OVO Hydro.
The Greener Arena initiative is overseen by A Greener Festival (AGF); a not-for-profit organisation that has been spearheading environmental measures at live events worldwide for the past 15 years. Among the festivals it works with are Glastonbury, Primavera Sound and Roskilde.
The scheme takes into account a venue operator’s holistic approach to sustainability, not only looking at emissions and environmental impacts but also people, inclusion and wellbeing.
Measures to reduce The O2’s environmental impact include it being fully powered by renewable energy. The scheme also considered the health and wellbeing of staff, as well as Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, both of which resulted in an outstanding rating for arena.
The Greener Arena certification follows sustainability-driven initiatives at the venue, including hosting the cross-campus climate festival Overheated in June which saw the arena go meat free for Billie Eilish’s (pictured) six show dates, and saw a reduction in the amount of single-use plastic used at the venue through the implementation of paper cups and recycled PET plastic wristbands. From an F&B perspective, the venue’s catering partner Levy UK + Ireland has committed to reaching net zero at The O2 arena by 2025, which will be a venue-first for the catering company.
The O2 VP & general manager Steve Sayer said, “Sustainability has been an integral part of our business strategy this year, and with events like Overheated we’ve been able to make real strides in this space. Becoming a more sustainable venue is a constantly evolving task, and we know there’s still a lot more work to do, which is why we’re hiring new, dedicated resource next year to help take on this challenge.
“We’re looking forward to working closely with AGF following the actions from their certification report and publishing a comprehensive Green Rider for The O2. This will ensure that we provide a best-in-class experience for both artists and fans in an even more sustainable way.”