Liverpool’s year as the first UN Climate Change Accelerator City has shown that the cultural sector can be a powerful driver of climate action, but cities need the right expertise, data, governance and infrastructure to deliver lasting change, according to a new report.
The evaluation, led by researchers at The University of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research and Centre for Climate Change and Social Transformations (CAST), analysed nine real-world pilot projects spanning music festivals and arena concerts, TV production, infrastructure and public transport.
The findings show that the Programme delivered practical changes with the potential for long term impact across Liverpool’s cultural sector, including new sustainability standards for film and TV production, improved carbon reporting at events and greener operational practices in the city’s major venues.
The programme delivered a series of high-profile successes, including:
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Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena was recognised by A Greener Future as one of the UK’s greenest music venues after trialling fully plant-based catering, improved waste management and shared production infrastructure across a series of major concerts.
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Two BBC drama productions filmed in Liverpool – The Cage and Waiting for the Out – reported reductions in their carbon footprints of 46% and 61% compared to the industry average through measures including LED lighting, battery power and dedicated staff with sustainability expertise.
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BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend won the Green Award at the UK Festival Awards after introducing battery-powered infrastructure, low-carbon travel initiatives and the most comprehensive environmental dataset ever collected for the festival.
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The UK’s first National Occupational Standards for sustainability roles in film and television were developed through consultation with industry professionals.
Beyond individual pilots, the research found that the programme changed how sustainability was considered within Liverpool City Council, improving understanding and confidence around sustainability, helping embed climate considerations in everyday decision-making and future cultural project planning.
Local authorities were found to have particular influence through using the levers already within their direct control, such as land-use and event permissions. In Liverpool, this led to the development of a new framework for events on council land, embedding environmental standards and data reporting into the approvals process.
Liverpool’s UN ‘Accelerator City’ status also provided momentum, helping bring together organisations across the creative industries to collaborate in ways that might have been difficult under normal circumstances.
“The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England. The main campus is south of Manchester City Centre on Oxford Road.”
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