The Sydney Opera House (SOH) will be carbon neutral for the 10 nights of Vivid LIVE, which begins 22 May, and expects to offset a total of 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide during the event– the equivalent to the average annual emissions of 92 Australian households.
The SOH says the carbon neutral status will be made possible through a number of “green initiatives” that will reduce the environmental impact of the annual event.
It will mostly come by switching the SOH to 100 per cent GreenPower from accredited renewable sources for all Vivid LIVE 2015 events – including the lighting of the sails.
The SOH also says that it will use fuel-efficient transport (where possible) to transfer all artists to and from the venue and that it will donate surplus food from the events and artist catering to the food-rescue charity OzHarvest. 200 artists and crew will also receive reusable water bottles rather than bottled water – saving an estimated 6,000 plastic water bottles across the event.
Related: Sydney Opera House receives grant to study its concrete elements and improve conservation protocols
Related: Design for a new opera house in Perth likened to echidnas and bony fish
The SOH has also committed to tracking and offsetting all remaining carbon emissions, including flights for performers as well as all other artist transport, catering, hotel accommodation, waste and paper.
All carbon calculations and offsetting will be externally verified and reported via the Vivid LIVE website in line with National Carbon Offset Standard requirements.
