In shaping the Show Must Go On 2030 (SMGO3) Climate Transition Plan, the industry working group authoring the SMGO are investing in research and knowledge-sharing to help the events industry move forward—together. A key step in this process has been reviewing existing sustainability reports to better understand how festivals and events are tracking progress, what information is in the public domain, where practices align, and how we can accelerate change through collective effort.

For the upcoming Show Must Go On report (2025), Anna Johnson, Sustainability Consultant and part of the SMGO working group, reviewed four recent(ish) major industry reports—More Than Music report (MTM – 2024), A Greener Future-Festival Sustainability Insight Report (AGF – 2024),  Green Events Code of Practice: National Pilot Key Findings (GECoP – 2025) and Show Must Go On report (SMGO – 2020). This comparative exercise was not about reconciling carbon footprint reporting, but rather understanding and learning from different approaches to best practice, identifying commonality of available information to strengthen the ‘state of the industry’ context for the SMGO report, and supporting recommendations for the industry as part of developing a Climate Transition Plan 2030. 

Note: A separate piece of collaborative work is underway to establish UK festival benchmarks for the Show Must Go On report with Julies Bicycle, A Greener Future, Hope Solutions and Live Nation contributing data.

What was learned:

This comparison aimed to give us a more confident picture of the state of sustainability in the events industry. What we find is that differences are useful: they reflect different purposes—compliance, improvement, certification, guidance. Acknowledging these diverse approaches strengthens our collective knowledge base.

• There is meaningful commonality across the reports—especially in areas like energy, waste, and travel.
  
• However, the figures sometimes differ due to varying scopes, methodologies, and definitions (e.g. “zero waste” is used differently / AGF is Europe-wide).
  
• A wide range of terminology creates challenges in alignment but also shows depth and evolution in thinking.
  
• Where alignment exists, we can have more confidence in those practices at industry scale as ‘evidence-backed’.
  
• Best practices segmentation varies: some are surveys of practical measures in place,  such as GECoP, and others more data-driven from either primary data (AGF reporting) or desktop research (More Than Music Report).

Common Ground Across Reports

We found alignment across all reports in critical areas:

*Note: The A Greener Future-Festival Sustainability Insight Report does not represent the full range of factors considered in their assessments and other reports, which include all of the above critical areas.  

Why this matters 

• There are currently 18+ aligned best practices that can be used to inform the basis of shared expectations across industry and help bridge gaps in reporting for greater comparability.
  
• Discrepancies in data stem from different purposes and methods—not necessarily contradictions.
  
• The diversity of frameworks is a strength, enabling adaptability while moving toward greater alignment.
  
• There’s an opportunity to develop shared tools, language, and benchmarks without enforcing uniformity.

Looking Ahead: A Shared Climate Transition Plan for Live Events

Our comparison shows common ground in how organisations address environmental impacts, despite varied approaches. By bringing together data from different sources, we have a real opportunity to build a clearer picture of how the industry is doing. Sector-level reporting can offer powerful insights; helping us track progress, spot gaps, and shape smarter sustainability strategies. It also gives us a stronger, united voice when talking to government and funders about what support and policies are needed.

Looking ahead, the goal is to lay the groundwork for an industry-wide climate transition plan. This would set out clear, realistic targets that align with broader climate goals, while recognising the unique challenges of live events. A shared plan like this would bring people together, define who’s responsible for what, and help the industry stay ahead of change—while protecting the cultural, social, and economic value we all care about.

With growing momentum behind sustainable best practices and a rich landscape of existing guidance, there is a clear opportunity for the events industry to move towards a more unified and effective approach. By working together to develop a ‘single source of truth’—a shared understanding of what good looks like—we can strengthen sector-wide communication, drive improvement, and present a more cohesive voice to stakeholders, policymakers, and the public.

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This guest blog originally appeared in our June 2025 Vision for Sustainable Events newsletter. Sign up to receive monthly event sustainability news, case studies and guest blogs direct to your inbox.