Environmentally responsible events

5 minute read • Last published: 25 February 2025

Managing a responsible event, which ensures it's environmental impacts are considered and managed throughout the planning and delivery stages, helps the sector to contribute positively to Scotland's just transition to net zero.

While there are many great examples of environmentally responsible event practices, it’s recognised that the sector has a way to go on its journey to net zero. It’s important for events to lead and participate in the conversation about sustainability through responsible event management, in line with Scotland’s National Events Strategy, Scotland the Perfect Stage 2024-2035.

Find out more about what this means and some steps you can take to improve the running of your event and its impact.

Environmental sustainability resources for events

Buildings lit up in vivid colour — Buildings lit up for SPECTRA
© VisitScotland/Kenny Lam

How to plan sustainable events guide

The How to Plan and Deliver Environmentally Sustainable Event Guide was published in 2019 and provides a practical, useful guide for event organisers and suppliers. The guide is currently being reviewed and a new version will be available in 2025. It was created in partnership by EventScotland and Zero Waste Scotland.

Sustainability toolkit for festival managers

The Sustainability Toolkit for Festival Managers offers practical information, work guides and examples. It is intended for professionals working on cultural festivals who want to develop and improve their strategies for environmental sustainability.   

The toolkit was developed by Edinburgh Napier University as part of a 2022 British Council initiative.

Managing business travel emissions

The Claim Expenses travel tool was created by Culture for Climate Scotland to help you capture, track and manage carbon emissions from business travel using a simple online tool which also manages your staff expense claims.

Sustainable access to live events for disabled people

No Climate Action Without Us is a new toolkit on how to make disabled people’s access to live events environmentally sustainable. The toolkit aims to support the UK’s events industry to implement practical solutions that tackle both climate change and accessibility.  

This was created as part of a unique collaboration between Attitude is Everything, Julie’s Bicycle and A Greener Future.

Check out our advice and guidance on inclusive and accessible events.

Tracking and recording progress in environmental action

The Creative Climate Tools allow organisations to track their impact, record progress and make strategic changes in their environmental action. These tools are designed specifically for the arts and culture sector. They were created by Julie’s Bicycle.

Green competency resources and tools for festivals

Future Festival Tools is a useful resource designed to empower event professionals across Europe to be future-ready, with green competency, tools and personal certification. These are provided by Vision 2025.

 A Greener Future

A Greener Future offer a wide range of guidance, tools, research and information to members via their online resources hub.  They also offer an industry recognised quality certification scheme for events, festivals and venues.  

They are a UK based not-for-profit membership body helping organisations, events, festivals and venues around the world to be more sustainable and reduce their environmental impacts.  

Julie’s Bicycle

They host a resource hub providing practical tools and support on how to take climate action now through a variety of case studies, research, podcasts, webinars, and guides.

Julie’s Bicycle is a globally recognised not-for-profit organisation, mobilising the arts and culture to act on the climate, nature and justice crisis.

General sustainability advice for businesses

Create a climate action plan

In order to reduce your carbon emissions, you first need to monitor your existing outputs. VisitScotland has produced a Climate Action Plan Workbook which helps you to record and consider your waste, energy and transport emissions in detail.

There are also a number of advice articles to help you understand sustainability and key terminology and legislation.

Check out our adivice on how to create a climate action plan.

Sustainable advice factsheets

Some areas to consider in running sustainable event are recycling, energy efficiency, electric vehicles and saving water. VisitScotland provides factsheets with helpful tips and links to help you in these areas.

Check out our sustainable advice factsheets.

Partner advice

People enjoying ceilidh — Big Burns Ceilidh
© VisitScotland/Kenny Lam

Zero Waste Scotland

Zero Waste Scotland offer a general business advice hub with support, funding and expert knowledge.

Access Zero Waste Scotland resources.

Culture for Climate Scotland (formerly Creative Carbon Scotland)

Culture for Climate Scotland offer an environmental reporting framework and provide guidance for organisations who regularly receive funding from Creative Scotland, City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture Service and Edinburgh Festivals.

They support Scotland’s arts, screen, cultural and creative industries in the move to a more environmentally friendly Scotland.

Keep Scotland Beautiful

Keep Scotland Beautiful exists to inspire action on climate change, help tackle litter and waste, restore nature and biodiversity and improve places. They deliver leading Climate Emergency training and also run Green Key – an accreditation scheme that can help tourism and hospitality businesses including conference centres to secure environmental improvements.

Event adaptation and resilience

As well as working to reduce emissions, it’s important to recognise and adapt to the evolving conditions we are all facing as a result of the climate crisis.

You need to act in response to new weather changes in Scotland that will impact on the continued successful delivery of your activity.  

VisitScotland has prepared some practical advice to help tourism and events businesses with their approach to adaptation, which can help you manage these risks and perhaps identify new opportunities for growth and development.

Read VisitScotland's advice on adapting to climate change.

Other helpful sources of information and resources include:

A climate resilience checklist created by Adaptation Scotland.
The Adapting Our Culture Toolkit provides a framework for creating a climate adaption plan, which Culture Climate Scotland (formerly Creative Carbon Scotland) recommend all organisations have. 
Read more about adaptation in our understanding net zero article.

Environmentally responsible travel and transport planning

Drummers marching — Drummers at the Braemar Gathering
© VisitScotland/Kenny Lam

Events can use their unique reach and profile to play a leading role in driving positive behaviour change in relation to travel and transport which are critical to event delivery and typically the largest contributor to the carbon emissions associated with an event.

Promote and provide responsible travel and transport choices to event attendees, suppliers and staff, incentivising them to choose a lower carbon alternative where you can.

Looking for inspiration? You can start by considering the following actions:

reviewing the expected audience size and profile/demographics
anticipating the number of vehicles (audience, staff, contractors, etc.) and on and off-street parking arrangements
requiring suppliers to minimise delivery numbers
selecting a suitable venue with existing public transport links and the potential for enhancement and with accommodation on site or within walking distance
investigating existing or temporary options for Park and ride facilities
discouraging car use by having parking fees (except for blue badge holders)
promoting the use of car-sharing/pooling on your website or social media
active travel options ie bike parking/walking routes etc.
promoting the use of sustainable travel options through your website, social media, ticketing and other promotional activity

Therefore, to reduce emissions and enhance the event experience, a coordinated and concerted effort is required from the outset by organisers, suppliers, ticket distributors, travel operators, local authorities and attendees.

It’s important to consider this during planning, as where your event is located will impact public transport links and journey times, as well as the infrastructure you provide on-site eg car parking and drop-off facilities, shuttle buses, safe cycle routes and secure bike parking and inclusive ticket and travel packages. Procure where you can from those who have an environmental sustainability or climate action plan and will support your own mission.

Green Travel and Transport Guide for Events

The Green Travel and Transport Guide for Events provides best practice advice and research, case studies, tools for measuring emissions, plus expert advice on how to positively influence audience behaviour and the future of travel in the UK.

The guide was produced by Vision 2025, a network of over 500 outdoor events and businesses taking positive climate action. It works to provide an industry roadmap for a shared journey toward net zero and the knowledge to help get there including tools, guides and events that connect people. 

How to create a sustainable travel policy

Culture for Climate Scotland (formerly Creative Carbon Scotland) have developed a guide to writing a sustainable travel policy. 

Transport and traffic management

The Health and Safety Executive provide important and helpful advice for event organisers around transport and traffic management.

The Purple Guide produced a resource that provides important and helpful advice on transport and traffic management for outdoor event organisers. There is a subscription fee of £25 plus VAT for 12 months access to the Purple Guide.

Rail travel

Scotrail has a team that work with major event organisers around rail travel. Organisers should contact customer relations.

Road events

Transport Scotland has an article about events which take place on a road.

Active travel

Scottish Government have more information on active travel.

Managing travel demand and promoting sustainable options

You Smart Thing is a paid for travel demand management platform that some event organisers are using to help promote sustainable transport options to event attendees.

Measure impact of travel

eventIMPACTS provide guidance around how to measure the impact of audience travel to and from events. 

Check out our advice on choosing a venue for more ideas to consider.

Your guide to net zero and sustainability

Learn all about sustainability and understand key terms with these FAQs, and find training courses to expand your knowledge further.

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