AGF Insider: Trends and Best Practices in Sustainability with Lyke Poortvliet

Welcome to AGF Insider, our exciting new series where we bring you monthly interviews with industry experts.

Each month we catch up with an industry leader in the sustainability world to find the current trends and best practices.

This month we catch up with Lyke Poortvliet - Co-director Green Events & Sustainability Expert

What are the best practices you see giving the best results?

In the last decade, I have experienced collaborative projects like Green Deal Circular Festivals, Future Festival Tools, Vision 2025 and annual gatherings like Green Events & Innovation Conference and ADE Green as significant catalysts in the music industry to prioritise, develop knowledge and push actions forward. Combining doing, failing and improving on the ground and sharing cases online and on stage with the industry fuels professionals worldwide to take action for a sustainable and inclusive industry. Also, the network of industry professionals, including ecological and social themes in their work, is growing and expanding rapidly.

What trends are you seeing this year?

There is more pressure and pinching on environmental themes in the Dutch events industry. Where it all started with terms such as responsibility and sustainable guidelines years ago, the tone is different now. National legislation, translated from the EU Green Deal, is demanding and mandatory. Think of CSRD, emission-free city zones, restrictions on permits due to nitrogen emissions (in the Netherlands), water quality directives, SUP plastic, etc. 

What are the obstacles?

The events industry has had multiple crises to overcome in the last five years: the corona lockdown, shortage of staff and rising production costs in combination with ecological, social and political challenges and problems becoming more urgent. Think of the increase in extreme weather during the festival season and the decrease in ticket sales. Combining these internal and external factors with a strong sustainability strategy and bold action to reduce the negative impact seems impossible to many. I quote transition professor Jan Rotmans: “The current feeling of chaos and unease has everything to do with the transition to a new era” It’s up to us to envision and create this new era. And which industry would be best skilled in this…?! 

What’s the next big thing in sustainability in events?

Green Events has identified the need for national harmonisation of event sustainability criteria from stakeholders in the Dutch events sector. We initiated the development of the Dutch Event Sustainability Ladder. We are developing this with the Ministry of Infrastructure & Water Management, Green Deal Circular Festivals, and several major municipalities in the Netherlands.

The goal? Making the events sector more sustainable by clearly presenting the most critical steps for frontrunners and beginners on 14 ecological, social and governmental themes.

Meanwhile, we are also conversing with Lab Vleiland, Green Deal Circular Festivals, A Greener Future, Vision2025, Yourope, Julie’s Bicycle, and Music Declares Emergency to create European sector standards.

What would be the biggest game changer from your perspective?

To create a European events industry standard for ESG themes, focussing on positive impact and results. Innovators like DGTL, Shambala, Into the Great Wide Open, Roskilde, Paradise City, and We Love Green are leading the way. However, the most significant reductions in impact are in the great numbers of the early and late majority events, together with millions of visitors at thousands of events. A standard could support all European countries in uplifting inclusion and sustainability at events. Sign up for our quarterly newsletter and follow us on Linkedin and Instagram to keep up-to-date. 

Join us at ADE Green on 18th October Amsterdam. 

If you want to keep up to speed on CSRD in the music industry, Sustainable Industry Standards, and the Dutch Sustainability Ladder of Events, visit ADE Green on the 18th of October. This year's topics will be climate justice, accessibility, water management, and rituals and ceremonies' transformative power. Subscribe here to keep program updates via the mail, follow ADE Green on Instagram, and lock your ADE Green ticket here.