Sustainability is very much at the forefront of people's minds this month and our member venues continue to make impactful changes to their venues and the events held within them. Innovative ways you will find within the venues to minimise their impact on the environment include the recycling of coffee waste into eco-friendly logs, the carrying out of rigorous selection processes when working with suppliers, a venue that is the home to a design research programme that is at the forefront of the UK’s response to the climate crisis, the hosting of sustainability workshops and venues driving action plans, donating leftover food to local charities, eliminating single-use plastics, supporting climate-positive start-ups in creating a range of clean technologies, boosting biodiversity by adding green walls to their buildings, making sure 0% of waste is going to landfill, using renewable sources to generate 100% of their electricity, achieving certifications in environmental best practices and many more achievements and initiatives. To learn even more about how our member venues are making these impactful changes:
Image credit: Rupa Photography
Sustainability at RCP London Events
RCP London Events, the Royal College of Physicians’ (RCP) event venue in Regent’s Park, puts sustainability at the heart of all its operations, including catering, energy and waste management.
The RCP is the first and only royal college to achieve the Carbon Trust Standard, the world’s leading independent certification of an organisation’s achievements in reducing environmental impact. It also holds ISO 14001 standard certification for environmental best practice.
The venue is constantly striving to minimise its impact on the environment and coming up with innovative ways of doing so. For example, its partnership with bio-bean, the world’s largest recycler of spent coffee grounds, allows RCP London Events to transform its waste coffee grounds into eco-friendly fire logs used in the venue’s pizza oven throughout summer.
RCP London Events partners with hospitality caterer CH&CO, who are deeply committed to operating in a socially responsible and sustainable way. Some of its initiatives at the venue include: using local and seasonal produce to support British businesses and reduce the environmental impact of transport; prioritising plant-based, vegetarian and vegan dishes in all menus; purchasing high-welfare meat and dairy products.
In collaboration with its caterer, RCP London Events has also introduced new sustainable menus and drinks packages for Spring/Summer 2023 to allow event organisers to host green summer parties in the RCP’s iconic Medicinal Garden.
The planet matters to the venue and the team takes a long-term approach to operating in a sustainable way across the business.
For further details contact: events@rcp.ac.uk
Image credit: VIP Dinner to celebrate the ground-breaking Waste Age Exhibition (2021)
The Design Museum is committed to being a net zero organisation. They work with consultants to continually improve their carbon profile. They are also the home of Future Observatory, a design research programme at the forefront of UK’s response to the climate crisis.
Their building was designed with sustainability in mind:
- Since they opened in 2016, they haven’t sent any waste to landfill. They recycle over 70% of refuse with the remainder being converted into energy.
- Surface water at their site is stored and used to flush WCs.
- They are developing their outside green spaces in collaboration with the local community.
- All their cleaning products are bleach and surfactant free.
All their approved event suppliers go through a rigorous selection process to ensure they are working towards Net Zero, committed to zero waste to landfill, and are encouraging clients to make their events more sustainable.
For further information on holding an event at the Design Museum: events@designmuseum.org
This year the Westminster venue has further committed to reduce its carbon footprint through a number of upgrades and careful repairs to the original features in the Lindley Hall. Already a series of improvements have been completed with the rest due to be concluded between 1st – 31st August, during which the venue will be closed.
The North Annexe has a new 4K HD projector with sound system and microphones saving clients hiring in an external company and therefore reducing pollution. The Annexe has a new parquet floor, with the original blocks being used to repair the main Hall’s original floor. Having had a fresh lick of paint, the curtains and drapes have also been cleaned and repaired and there are new oak doors on the Annexe allowing for greater security and heat conservation.
The Mezzanine Café, which can be used as a breakout space, lunch or for sales and networking, has been fully refurbished with energy efficient fridges and counters.
House lighting, including the wall arches, has been replaced with LED bulbs, meaning that all lighting in the venue is now pure LED.
The main entrance to the Lindley Hall has been refreshed with new oak doors, restored and polished marble steps, new logo on the glass doors and new emergency lighting.
During August, the rest rooms in the Lindley Hall will undergo complete refurbishment and further painting will take place, plus a water bottle filling station will be installed.
For further details please contact the events team on: horthalls@rhs.org.uk
At the Museum of Brands we are full of ideas on how to deliver events that are more conscious and sustainable. Our brand heritage collection and new sustainability workshop explores how brands have changed their outlook and adapted to sustainability.
In line with our Sustainability Policy, we are plastic free, we donate leftover food to local charities, encourage the use of public transport, work with local or zero mile suppliers, and re-use coffee grounds in the Museum’s beautiful garden. Our caterers supply food which is healthy and fresh, covering all sorts of dietary needs such as vegetarian, pescatarian, or vegan meals.
Come along with your team and discover the impact of sustainability on consumer culture, while working together with a venue which puts environmental needs first.
For more details please contact: events@museumofbrands.com
Image credit: Matt Chung Photography
As the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) headquarters, 66 Portland Place is committed to issues of sustainability and has implemented several significant initiatives across the events department.
All disposable items are now compostable including food boxes and cups, and single-use plastic has been eliminated across all spaces. To reduce paper wastage, all internal communications are electronic, and clients are encouraged to use digital only communications with the team.
Low waste menus are a key focus for RIBA and in-house catering partner CH&Co with chefs reworking leftover ingredients into dishes. For example, turning left over vegetables and meat into stock, roasting potato skins to make crisps or using unsold croissants in the bread-and-butter pudding. RIBA’s Bauhaus Café has recently launched on Too Good to Go, an app that connects customers to cafés, restaurants and stores that have surplus food unsold, to further reduce food waste.
Other initiatives in the kitchen include recycling coffee grinds and cooking oil, redistributing food to a clients selected charity, mindful portion sizes, and nose-to-tail cookery. Meat usage has been reduced by 20% and the proportion of vegetarian dishes on menus has increased to combat environmental damage.
To enquire about hosting an event at RIBA at 66 Portland Place, email venues@riba.org or call 020 7307 3888
Image credit: Matt Chung Photography
Science Museum joins isla to further sustainability targets
The Corporate Events Team at the Science Museum recognises the incredible importance of operating sustainably as a venue and is committed to helping further the work being done by the wider organisation in order to achieve Net Carbon Zero by 2033.
Having recently become the first unique venue to join independent sustainability body isla, the Corporate Events Team will be utilising proseed by isla, the event industry’s first universal best practice framework. This will help the museum benchmark the performance of events across its venue operations and supply chain focusing on key areas including energy, food & water, travel & transport, and production.
The museum’s carbon footprint was measured in 2019/20 to give a baseline year, which has informed the route to net zero by 2033 and is underpinned by science-based absolute emission carbon reduction targets that are consistent with the Paris agreement of limiting warming to 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels.
The five key sustainability objectives that will drive the museum’s ‘Sustainability Action Plan’ across the Group’s five museums and National Collections Centre are: working towards a net zero target, empowering colleagues, inspiring visitors, reducing its carbon footprint, and becoming sustainability leaders.
If you’d like to host your next event at the Science Museum, please call 020 7942 4340 or email venuehire@sciencemuseum.ac.uk
The Royal Institution of Great Britain
Image credit: Matt Chung Photography
Sustainability is at the heart of the Royal Institution as a venue and an organisation, ever since 1859 when the principles of Greenhouse gases were discovered and investigated in our very own basement by John Tyndall.
Our Grade 1 listed building takes pride in our in-house catering services, through our partner company Searcy’s, who are committed to supplying locally sourced and seasonally produced ingredients. They work with British farmers to ensure that up to 90% of all seasonal fruit and vegetables used are grown in the UK. We are also dedicated to minimising our carbon footprint by avoiding single-use plastics, using biodegradable packaging, reducing food waste and becoming a more energy-efficient organisation.
All our clients directly support the Ri as a charity, and when visiting you can also find out about our collaboration with Imperial College London – Undaunted – which supports climate-positive start-ups in creating a range of clean technologies to tackle the climate crisis. This collaboration has helped us to secure £4.35 million funding from the GLA to take us even closer to a carbon net zero future as an organisation.
For further details please contact: mkeay@ri.ac.uk
MCC is the Home of Cricket and has long held a reputation for being a pioneer in cricket and sport. As such, we are morally obliged to future-proof Lord’s Cricket Ground by evolving and adapting to the changing environment and why the principles of environmental care, economic growth, and social well-being are embedded in our daily operations and plans.
The Club first hired a Sustainability Manager in 2010 and have since introduced a number of initiatives to make sure they are a leader in sustainability within sport, as an example we have not sent any waste to landfill since 2010. MCC sources 100% of our electricity from a wind farm in the Irish Sea and has significantly reduced our carbon footprint in recent years. We no longer sell single-use plastic and have boosted biodiversity by adding green walls at our Warner, Compton, and Edrich stands and bug hotels in our Centenary Gardens. We are now a UN Sports for Climate Action Framework member, which has committed us to net zero carbon by 2040. MCC also recently won a Civic Trust award for the Compton and Edrich design, of which sustainability was a major category.
For more information or to enquire about hosting your next event at event at Lord’s Cricket Ground, please contact the team: events@lords.org 0207 616 8501
Over the last 18 months, we have made a conscious effort to introduce a number of initiatives across our events department to ensure our impact on the environment is reduced to an absolute minimum. For the first time, the Museum of London now has 0% of waste going to landfill. We have reduced our printed material, increased our recycling rate to 52% and use only sustainable, reusable promotional material.
Our green roofs on our Terrace Gallery, Boardroom and Garden, are partially covered with planting, which releases oxygen, filters pollutants, and helps insulate the buildings, whilst also creating natural habitats and encouraging biodiversity. In addition to this, we have a rainwater harvesting system. This concerted effort across the department has saved over 600 trees, 70 tonnes of CO2 and over 7,000 gallons of water.
Being sustainable and reducing our impact on the environment requires action from everyone and we actively encourage our partners and clients to avoid needless printing, to use energy saving lightbulbs, and utilise accredited, ethical suppliers.
For more information on our sustainability initiatives or to enquire about hosting an event at the Museum of London, email venuehire@musuemoflondon.org.uk or call 020 7814 5789
Sustainability plays a huge part in what we do at the Museum of London Docklands. We have introduced a number of initiatives across our events department to ensure our impact on the environment is reduced to an absolute minimum with 0% of waste now going to landfill.
We’ve reduced our printed material, increased the recycling rate to 52% and use only sustainable, reusable promotional material. In addition to this, all building lights are being changed to LED in both the galleries and back of house areas, which will minimise the consumption of electricity. The building also has Voltage Optimisation (running on 220v instead of 240v), which will contribute to a reduction in energy use too.
We actively encourage our partners and clients to avoid needless printing, to use energy saving lightbulbs, and utilise accredited, ethical suppliers as we know every little change can make a big difference when it comes to protecting the environment.
For more information on our sustainability initiatives or to enquire about hosting an event at the Museum of London Docklands, email venuehire@musuemoflondon.org.uk or call 020 7814 5789
The Royal College of Music, the global no. 1 venue for performing arts, believes that managing environmental issues is a responsibility we all share. The College has a longstanding commitment to sustainability and has made great progress in reducing its impacts over the last five years.
The Royal College of Music operates an Environmental Management System, certified to ISO 14001:2015. Through careful management and a focus on taking action, it’s made consistent improvements in its environmental performance. A target to reduce carbon emissions by 34% by 2020 was set against a 2004/05 baseline year. Overall, a 60% reduction was achieved, and the College has set an ambitious target to be carbon net zero by 2035.
When it comes to events, the team at RCM requests that all suppliers share their sustainability process documentation so that initiatives and targets can be aligned – whether this be using local produce or reducing food waste. The RCM Café uses fully recyclable packaging and is currently focussing on a more sustainable menu, including vegan options.
To book an event at the Royal College of Music, contact the team by emailing venuehire@rcm.ac.uk or calling 020 7591 4320
Image credit: Philip Vile
At Sadler’s Wells environment and sustainability is at heart of our event experiences.
As a cultural organisation we embrace the role we play in the conversation around climate change, and are fully aligned with the UK’s commitment to the Paris Agreement.
Our sustainability policy aims are to continue to improve current environmental performance by reducing the impact of our activities on the environment, as well as educating and increasing environmental awareness amongst staff, clients and audiences, and promoting sustainability.
Some of our sustainability initiatives:
- All our packaging is biodegradable and plant based
- We use the borehole underneath Sadler’s Wells to supply our sinks, toilets, and temperature control
- We use LED lights throughout our foyer spaces, the theatre auditorium, and backstage areas
- We use renewable sources to generate 100% of our electricity
- Our solar panels produce an average of around 17,000 kilowatt hours per year – enough to power two family homes for a year
We are a member of the Islington Sustainable Energy Partnership and have a five-star Creative Green rating for environmental best practice.
We are also proud of our 5/5 rating in the Creative Green certification by Julie’s Bicycle.
For further details please contact: events@sadlerswells.com
Image credit: © Trustees at Natural History Museum London
Sustainability is at the heart of the Natural History Museum. The venue thinks sustainably when making decisions and tries to operate in a way which is kind to the environment – for example it was the first museum globally to set a science-based carbon reduction target.
This value is wholeheartedly reflected in its approach to the events it often plays host to.
A trigeneration centre generates most of the energy that the Museum uses. It combines cooling, heat and power to reduce waste and has saved more than 15,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide since its installation – and means that when clients hire the Museum as their venue, the energy usage for their events are powered by this system.
Environmental impact is also a significant consideration in the application process to become an accredited supplier for events at the Museum. It’s of paramount importance that interested businesses demonstrate a genuine commitment to sustainable practice and policy.
As a Museum that has won accolades for its environmentally friendly practices, it remains dedicated to hosting sustainable events – from weddings and intimate receptions to conferences and parties.
For further details please contact: venues@nhm.ac.uk
Image credit: Ben Fischer
Across Tate, continuous innovations are being incorporated to reduce its carbon footprint, with the ongoing target of working towards reducing emissions to net zero by 2030. Renewable energy sources are being implemented, they are conscious of their water usage, and recycled materials are being used for new purposes. These efforts don’t stop there.
Tate Events are carefully curated by a team of experts, who tailor every detail on request for their hosts. At the front of this service is Tate’s enthusiasm for sustainability. Sustainability is the key to a better future. Which is why Tate is dedicated to prioritising sustainability practices that reduce our impact on the planet.
Spencer Ralph is the Head Chef at Tate Events. He and his team are forever striving towards providing an excellent service of delicious and beautifully presented food. They continually source new producers and ingredients that reflect these values. Many of the Tate Event’s suppliers are based in and around London, so not only are transportation emissions low, the team also believe it is crucial to champion local businesses, which makes Tate a wonderful and special place to host.
For further information please contact: private.events@tate.org.uk