About
Arendal Jazz and Blues Festival is Norway’s largest combined jazz and blues festival, with over 29000 visitors in 2007; having grown from a small two-day event back in
1997.
The 2008 international headliners include John Mayall the Bluesbrakers, Waterboys, Lizz Wright, Solomon Burke, Nils Petter Molvaer and Bugge Wesseltoft.
The festival takes place at the end of July, and this year it is from July 21 to 27, with about 60 different artists at 50concerts in 20 different venues.
Canal Street is unique in that it uses unusual and unexpected arenas throughout the coastal town of Arendal, and the surrounding countryside and offshore skerries. Every year, we arrange a concert on a small island with an old lighthouse just off the coast, bringing an audience of over 1500 people over half of whom come by ferry from the town center. The rest join in their own boats.
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Strategy
The Canal Street Jazz and Blues Festival has decided to become a climate neutral company and event. Canal Street was certified as a green event in 2006 (a Norwegian standard), and established in this process routines for the further development of strategies, targets and measuring of success. The process of becoming a climate neutral company is a new step in the same direction.
A simple carbon footprint analysis has been finalized for the festival's activities in 2007, and the emissions caused by the transport of the audience to and from the festival in 2007 was calculated. A more detailed footprint analysis will be completed in 2008.
The festival's emissions in 2008 including the emissions caused by the audience will be offset through the acquisition of official, UN issued carbon credits. We have chosen a project in Jinan, China, where methane emanated from a landfill is used to produce electricity.
As a festival we have the possibility to be a showcase of new innovative technologies for the audience and the mass media. Canal Street aims to use this possibility to promote both new environmentally friendly technologies and ways of personal responsibility and commitment towards the audience, the mass media and the political arena. We also aim to inspire the development of new technologies related to festival needs together with industrial partners and institutions.
Canal Street is part of a wide national and international network of cooperating festivals and aims to use this network to promote environmental policies and responsibilities.
Our main focus and targets in our climate neutral plan are:
1. Reducing direct emissions from the festival as an event: The main source of emissions is identified as transport of crew, equipment and goods. The current target for reducing emissions from this sector is 50 % by 2010.
2. Reducing emissions from the festival as a company: The routines of the administration and offices will be scrutinized to reduce emissions caused by use of energy in travel, heating, lighting and handling of waste. Target: 25 % reduction by 2010.
3. Reducing emissions from the audience: The main source of total emissions is caused by the transport of audience to the festival. The current target for reducing emissions from this sector is 25 % measured as emission by person and distance by 2010.
4. Offsetting remaining emissions: The Company will offset the remaining emissions by buying emission quotas as recommended by national authorities and the UN.
5. Promoting: Promote new environmentally friendly technologies and raise awareness on personal responsibility and commitment with the audience, the mass media and the political arena, directly and through existing networks.
6. Development of new technologies: The festival will establish a cooperation with the local high tech industrial companies and university to inspire the development of new technological solutions related to festivals.
7. Actions: The current climate and energy plan includes the following concrete actions:
Reduce the emissions from internal transport through better planning, better low-emission vehicles and by using second generation biofuels;
Use certified “green” electric energy only;
Increase the use of collective transport for the audience, staff and administration;
Reduce emissions from the transport of equipment and goods by choosing local companies and cooperating with other regional events and companies;
Place a strong emphasis on the environmental profile towards business partners, sponsors, audience and artists;
Include energy plans in the planning of new venues; and
Reduce the use of plastic shopping bags
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