We recognise that, as festival producers, we must acknowledge the climate crisis and particularly the impact of events and their own carbon footprint.

Therefore we endeavour to deliver NOVUM Festival with the least amount of environmental impact as possible, working through every aspect of the ideation, planning and delivery of the event with an environmentally conscious approach.

We commit to be sustainable through the event cycle and implement best practices while expecting the same commitment from our partners and suppliers and encouraging the same environmentally conscious behaviour in our audiences.

Whilst we have defined our Green Policy and measures, we are aware that there is always scope for improvement, so we are adopting a continuous learning approach and we will carry out post-event assessments to monitor our sustainability, define areas that can be further progressed and set future targets.

A Net Zero Festival

• In line with Newcastle City Council’s “Net Zero Newcastle - 2030 Action Plan”, NOVUM Festival prioritises net zero practices rather than carbon offsetting, as offsetting can potentially dis-incentivise meaningful climate change mitigation actions.

• NOVUM Festival’s zero net practices cover different areas: Venue and Transport, Accommodation, Food and Catering, Procurement, Vendors and Contributors.

Venue and Transport

• Our festival hub is a low carbon public building - the Civic Centre has undergone installations of solar panels, heat pumps, efficient lighting and insulation.

• We encourage audiences to use public transport when visiting the festival - you can find all info on the easiest way to get there via public transport and our partners’ travel offer on the Travel page.

• You can also find info on alternative transport such as carpooling and public scooters on the Travel page.

• For the Festival team team and artists, train travel is the preferred ground travel option. For international artists, we encourage the use of slow travel. Train travel is the preferred ground travel option for the team and artists. When that is not feasible, we encourage car/taxi sharing.

• Did you know that the Festival production team works remotely in the run-up to the event? We minimise in-person meetings with suppliers and stakeholders to reduce travel.

Accommodation

• The Festival team and artists who need to stay overnight are accommodated at local providers in close proximity to the venue (walking distance), with a commitment to environmentally friendly practices. 

Food and water

• Bring your water bottle! You can use the Refill app to find a public business near the Festival where you can refill your water bottle for free, e.g. Costa and Greggs.

• We work with local food providers, and with Newcastle City Council catering provider who avoids the use of plastics and non-recyclable materials and has a commitment to the reduction of food waste.

• All unused food products are donated to local charities and food services.

Materials and Waste

• We adopt a reduce-reuse-recycle approach to minimise waste and prioritise sustainable solutions e.g. reduction in paper printing, taking smart approaches to design to ensure reuse of any materials and ensuring there are recycling stations at the festival venue.

• Where marketing materials are required, they will be sustainably printed and recyclable or reusable, and bear a QR code will link to the festival brochures or e-information pack.

• We are also coordinating with the venue Operations and Facilities team to be aligned on their recycling operations.

Procurement

• We outline that Sustainability is a shared value, therefore we ensure that during procurement of services, suppliers are directed to Newcastle City Council policies around re-use, recycle and engage in environmentally friendly practices.

• We prioritise local suppliers, to sustain the local economy and cut down on emissions..