AGF Insider: Neftalí Acosta ON BEST PRACTICES IN SUSTAINABILITY
Welcome to AGF Insider, our insightful series where we bring you monthly interviews with industry experts.
Each month we catch up with an industry leader in the sustainability world to find the current trends and best practices
This month, we catch up with Sonidos Líquidos Festival’s Founder and Director Neftalí Acosta.
What are the best practices that you are seeing give the best results?
We see that the various awareness campaigns encouraging attendees to return their reusable cups, as well as highlighting the importance of using public transport, continue to be well received year after year, achieving very encouraging and significant results.
Photo Credit: Sonidos Líquidos Belingueo Tiburona by danicabe
What trends are you seeing this year?
We are seeing that both audiences and artists are becoming increasingly interested in the sustainability measures we implement. We are also delighted that this year we are putting into practice a number of improvements recommended by the working group we established last year, made up of attendees from different backgrounds and locations, to help us further enhance our sustainable event management.
Photo Credit: Sonidos Líquidos Belingueo Tiburona by danicabe
What are the obstacles?
The fact that the festival takes place on an island such as Lanzarote, and that more than 70% of attendees travel from outside the island, with air travel being the primary means of transportation, represents a significant challenge in terms of carbon footprint. We are actively working to offset these emissions both at the destination and at the points of origin of our audience.
Photo Credit: Sonidos Líquidos Belingueo Tiburona by danicabe
What’s the next big thing in sustainability in events?
I believe the next revolution will come from what Artificial Intelligence can positively contribute. It is still uncertain how far it can go, but there is no doubt that it opens up a whole range of opportunities which, if managed properly, could help drive exponential progress in the field of sustainability.What would be the biggest game changer from your perspective?
Festivals and events genuinely seizing the nettle on Scope 3 emissions. Too many organisations, including sustainability teams who should know better, have treated Scope 3 as someone else's problem. It isn't.
Merchandise is a direct Scope 3 emission source and it's one of the easiest to act on. You choose your supplier. That choice either adds to the problem or reduces it. There's no grey area.
The game changer is purchasing teams, sustainability managers, and senior leadership all stopping the shoulder shrug and demanding verified emissions data from every supplier in their chain. When that becomes standard practice, the "game" changes.
Photo Credit: Sonidos Líquidos Belingueo Tiburona by danicabe
What would be the biggest game changer from your perspective?
Without a doubt, climate change is already playing a significant role in our daily lives, and the events industry is no exception. It influences many aspects of event planning and delivery, and it is driving a wide range of changes that will be essential when designing and producing any type of event in the future.
Keep an eye out for next month's edition of AGF Insider, where we'll bring you more expert perspectives and fresh ideas!
