Eighteen UK and international festivals are the first recipients of the prestigious 2008 Greener Festival Award for their efforts in promoting environmentally friendly music festivals. In the UK, recipients of the leading eco-award included Latitude, the Glastonbury Festival, the Camden Green Fair and the Cambridge Folk Festival, all praised by the award organisers for their green efforts. In the US, the Bonnaroo Festival was singled out as a ‘beacon of excellence’ and in Australia three festivals, Falls Festival, West Coast Blues & Roots and Bluesfest all received the Greener Festival Award.

The Award is based on a seven part questionnaire which covers event management, travel and transport plans, CO2 emissions, fair trade, waste management and recycling, water management and noise pollution. Points are awarded for festivals which can show an active plan to promote public transport, reduce on-site waste, recycle and compost wherever possible, re-use water and use sustainable power. Festivals are expected to have a coherent environmental policy and organisers www.agreenerfestival.com has environmental auditors who visit as many festival sites as possible to assess how festivals implement their plans.  

A Greener Festival co-founder Ben Challis said, “We are very encouraged that so many more festivals are making an effort go green and adopt environmentally friendly practices. Some festivals are going through a steep learning curve to improve their green credentials, others are old hands now who keep improving year on year. The UK and international festival scene is now making a concerted effort to be a leader in protecting the environment and fighting climate change”. He added “applications for the award are double those for 2007 and standards are undoubtedly higher with some great new innovations ranging from new green power sources, to better public transport solutions to biodegradable tent pegs.”

So far in 2008 the Greener Festival Award winners are:

UK
Big Session Festival
Camden Green Fair
The Cambridge Folk Festival
City Blues Festival (Leicester)
Download
The Glade Festival
The Glastonbury Festival
Hard Rock Calling
Latitude
Leicester City Blues Festival
Lounge on the Farm
02 Wireless Festival
T-in-the-Park
Workhouse Festival
2000 Trees

International
The Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival (USA)
Bluesfest – Eastcoast Blues & Roots Festival (Australia)
The Falls Festival (Australia)
West Coast Blues n Roots Festival (Australia)

To find out what the environmental assessors said about each festival visit: www.agreenerfestival.com

These are the first of the 2008 Awards to be announced. There will be a second announcement of further Awards which will be made in September 2008 when the UK and US festival season ends. All Awards will be confirmed at the UK Festival Awards which will be held on October 30th in London.

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