LIVE shares “green clauses” for environmental practices at live music events
Green clauses and suggested contractual language have been unveiled in a bid to encourage more sustainable live events.
Even for artists and crew who want to protect the environment, live music performances and tours throw up a lot of challenges when it comes to sustainability. Fortunately, the working group of music industry body LIVE, LIVE Green, has unveiled a set of “Green and Sustainability Clauses for Artist Contract” that can be seamlessly written into contracts between artists, promoters, venues, etc. This is all in the name of simpler adoption for greener practices within the live industry.
These clauses focus on critical areas such as energy use, waste reduction, water management, eco-friendly merchandise, sustainable food options, and audience travel. These clauses allow flexibility so stakeholders can adapt them to suit specific needs, making them accessible for various events and scales. By including these clauses in contracts, artists, promoters, and venues are encouraged to prioritise greener practices without compromising the quality of live performances.
This initiative was first announced in October this year, and its aim was to suggest contractual language that works as a template for all parties involved. As LIVE Green’s impact consultant Ross Patel explains, “Of course, if you’re an agent, you’re going to want to see something that’s in favor of the artist. If you’re a promoter or venue, you’re going to want something more in favor of the venue or promotions company. As a working group, and certainly from LIVE Green’s perspective, we felt an all-parties and best-endeavors approach was the best way to start.”
The clauses are not mandatory, but are instead designed to make it simpler to include green practices in contractual agreements. Patel revealed that organisations such as Live Nation, WME, Kilimanjaro Live and SJM Concerts have already confirmed that some form of adoption of the clauses is in the works.
Having a set of green clauses to be utilised as an adaptable template for live events could be significantly beneficial to the sustainability effort within the music industry. Environmental practices by high profile artists and events companies has surely helped pave the way for wider adoption. Whether an event aims to be completely carbon net-zero, or simply focuses on one particular area, these clauses should help make this easier to achieve. As Ross Patel says, “Doing something is always going to be better than doing nothing.”