A commitment to environmental sustainability has been recognised by the award to Opera North of Best Newcomer by the Creative Green Awards.
The Awards are organised by Julie’s Bicycle so that climate action leadership in the cultural sector does not go unnoticed.
What caught the judges’ attention in particular was the range of initiatives which Opera North has introduced, including recycling stage sets*, changing to a renewable energy tariff, cutting down on electricity usage and reducing food waste. As part of the £18m site redevelopment, photovoltaic panels are to be incorporated, in order to generate energy, and new digital infrastructure will increase efficiency to reduce environmental impact.
Head of Opera North’s Green Team, Jamie Saye, said “We’re delighted to have had our commitment to reducing our environmental impact and inspiring change recognised in this way, particularly as we were up against some really stiff competition, including the Barbican Centre, Bow Arts, and HOME Manchester. We set up our Green Team to advocate internally for environmental aims and to keep them at the top of the agenda. Not only has this proved to be good business practice from a green perspective, but it has also led to savings across the company as people have become more aware of the impact of their actions and have started to think more carefully about the resources they use.”
The awards took place at Curzon Bloomsbury as part of the Mayor of London’s inaugural London Climate Action Week.
*Feature photograph (by Justin Slee; provided by Opera North) is from Not Such Quiet Girls, which used a fully recycled set.
Find out more about Opera North’s commitment to environmental sustainability here.
