Environmental Pledge
Changing events for good.
Meet Callum! He heads up our ‘green team’ and has made a short video on our plans for genuine sustainability.
The live events industry is notoriously throw-away, but we’re on a mission to change that.
We’re taking steps to reduce consumption, reconfigure our building and evolve our operations in light of the climate emergency; and we encourage everyone we work with to do the same.
Our Green Team meets quarterly to ensure sustainability is woven throughout our day-to-day, and it’s a recurring item on the Senior Leadership Team’s agenda.
Sustainability Policy
‘Be the change you want to see in the world’. It’s a cliché, yes, but it’s a cliché that rings true with us here at Clownfish.
Our roots are in live events – an industry that, until now, has been notoriously ‘throw-away’. We’re all on board with stopping plastic cups and cutlery, but did you know that marquee carpets are often single use? That bright blue polyester that keeps your conference styling on brand is probably heading straight for landfill at the end of the day.
It’s not good enough. We know that our industry needs to change, and we want to lead by example. We’ve set high sustainability expectations for ourselves, which we hope to extend to our suppliers and our clients so that together we can find a kinder way forward.
Our Responsibility
Clownfish Events is committed to reducing its environmental impact. Continual improvement in this regard is an integral part of our business strategy and is an ongoing agenda item at our monthly Leadership Team meetings.
This policy will be reviewed annually, and its implementation will be overseen by a ‘green team’ who will meet quarterly.
Our Aims
Our Sustainability Policy is based upon the following principles:
– To comply with and exceed, where practicable, all applicable legislation, regulations and codes of practice.
– To integrate sustainability considerations into all our business decisions.
– To ensure that all staff are fully aware of our Sustainability Policy and are committed to implementing and improving it.
– To minimise the impact on sustainability of all office and transportation activities.
– To make clients and suppliers aware of our Sustainability Policy and encourage them to adopt sound sustainable management practices.
– To review, annually report and to continually strive to improve our sustainability performance.
Steps in the Right Direction
Clownfish Events recognises the climate emergency and is working towards becoming carbon neutral by 2025. The steps we are taking to address climate change include:
– Minimising the use of consumables across business operations (including but not limited to paper, ink, energy, water and fuel).
– Purchasing energy from renewable sources to power our warehouse and office building.
– Switching all house lighting in our building to LED and upgrading most studio and event production lighting equipment from halogen to LED.
– Using a zero-waste-to-landfill waste contractor who ensures that all waste is recycled.
– Replacing vehicles with hybrid/electric options as part of our fleet management cycle.
– Consolidating deliveries and collections into efficient routes to minimise mileage and emissions.
– Digitising all event-related documentation.
– Choosing compostable and/or biodegradable options where available (for example faux snow, glitter and confetti).
– Storing, reusing and reselling the components of bespoke build projects, with recycling as a last resort.
– Choosing recycled materials where available (for example recycled polyester fabric) and FSC-certified timber products from well-managed, sustainable sources.
– Using local suppliers and labour whenever there is an appropriate option available.
We’ve been working on an initiative that will see us increase clients’ minimum spend. It will mean that we send vehicles out less often and always fill them to capacity, which we hope will be good for the planet as well as our P&L.
Company Culture
This policy is not just a PDF download. We expect our staff to live and work by the values and aims set out here and play their part in taking our industry forward.
– All employees are trained in reducing the environmental impact of our operations.
– We encourage everyone to make suggestions on how we can improve sustainability in our business and industry.
– Client-facing staff take account of sustainability in any advice or proposals to customers. A copy of this policy is shared with all proposals sent to clients.
– Everyone is encouraged to bring reusable containers for food and drink to work, and to minimise single use packaging.
– We have implemented a cycle to work scheme, with secure bicycle parking, for staff and support alternative working arrangements, where practicable, to reduce the need for travel.
Are you doing your bit too?
We encourage our clients to weave sustainability into their event, activation or film project from the outset. Things to consider include:
– Sourcing sustainably – do all your suppliers have similar values in terms of working to reduce the environmental impact of your project?
– Refusing single-use plastics – the world has come on in leaps and bounds in this area but look beyond straws and forks and consider your decorations, fabrics and special effects too.
– Waste management on site – how will you ensure that your event is sensitive to its surroundings and leaves no trace afterwards?
Wouldn’t it be nice to leave the planet in a better state than we found it? That may seem fluffy for now, but it’s a nice goal and we must make a start. This policy is Clownfish Events’ commitment to that journey. We’ll review it annually and we’ll only get better.