P&J LIVE COMMITS TO MAJOR SUSTAINABILITY CAMPAIGN WITH DRIVE TO NET ZERO TARGET
09 July 2024
On the first day of Net Zero Week 2024, P&J Live has unveiled details of a major sustainability campaign set to boost the venue’s environmental credentials. As part of P&J Live’s commitment to achieving Net Zero carbon emissions target by 2050, the multi-faceted sustainability strategy calls on the collective support of staff, clients, delegates, promoters, artists and the wider community to join forces to take meaningful strides to minimise the impact of conferencing, events and live entertainment on the environment for years to come.
Having recently commissioned sustainability specialists, Positive Planet, to act as the venue’s Net Zero consultants, P&J Live has been able to measure its 2023 emissions and has started the implementation of a Carbon Reduction Plan to actively reduce the site’s carbon footprint. Several complementary sustainability initiatives around its energy strategy, transportation, food supply, waste and marketing will further help the venue to halve greenhouse gas emissions before 2030.
Rob Wicks, Managing Director of P&J Live, said: “From conferences to live entertainment, the industry is seeing increased demand for sustainable buildings and sustainable venue practices, with artists such as Coldplay and Billie Eilish actively pushing towards fully sustainable tours.
“With everything that was originally designed into the building and wider site, including a low carbon energy centre to power, heat and cool the venue, an anaerobic digestion plant that generates gas from local food and crop waste, as well as our various certifications and initiatives, I feel we are well placed to cater for what artists, event organisers and delegates need as we improve our combined sustainability performance – I like to call it our superpower!
“There is still a lot of work to be done, but by measuring our carbon emissions we have a clear benchmark to work from as we commence our carbon reduction plans. It’s also been most encouraging to see the support from the team internally and we work towards consolidating all our green initiatives into a set of meaningful goals and our own in-house pledge.”
Clients are buoyed by the news of the venue’s sustainability drive. RenewableUK, the country’s leading not-for-profit renewable energy trade association, regularly host conferences and events at P&J Live, including Floating Offshore Wind. Chief Operating Officer, Garth Halliday, said: “We need a venue that can be relied upon to deliver a high-quality event, and also one that aligns with our sustainability values, along with those of our delegates, exhibitors, and sponsors. P&J Live’s commitment to sustainability is most encouraging and I have no doubt their efforts will enhance our experience at the venue for years to come.”
Toby Leighton-Pope, Managing Director at promoter TEG Europe said: “We were delighted to bring Michael Bublé to P&J Live, with two sold out shows as part of the opening season in 2019. I have witnessed firsthand the efforts that the team at P&J Live place on sustainability and was impressed with the on-site Energy Centre and Anaerobic Digestion Plant that processes local food waste into energy. It’s clear that P&J Live are setting an excellent benchmark for live entertainment.”
In a further initiative, staff and key stakeholders have made their own personal commitment to help reduce the venue’s carbon emissions by today signing a Sustainability Pledge, which includes mindful activities such as switching off lights when not in use and ensuring waste is disposed of in the correct recycling bins.
View other News