In a world where global warming emerges as a pressing issue, the events industry is also concerned. Every event, whatever its size, leaves a carbon footprint, and it is our collective responsibility to understand, measure and reduce this impact.
To this end, we have decided to carry out our carbon audit. This work was carried out alongside Hugues Barbotin, a specialist in events and CSR issues and former Director of the Terres du Son Festival in France.
These 3 figures are particularly useful for calculating the impact of our activities on your events:
- 37 gCO2e per ticket generated,
- 18 gCO2e per ticket scanned,
- 226 gCO2e per activated chip.
Find out more in this article about our approach, detailed results, commitments, and tools for calculating the carbon impact of your own events.
Summary
1. Context and key figures for Weezevent in 2022
The carbon footprint presented in this article concerns Weezevent’s activity in 2022. To put our approach into perspective, we need to understand the scale of our operations that year.
The 116 employees (permanent, fixed-term and freelancers) included in the calculations for this carbon footprint supported more than 129,000 events and deployed more than 7,000 terminals.
In terms of ticketing, we issued 13 million tickets and scanned 18 million (the existence of third-party distributors explains the difference).
This reflects Weezevent’s reach in the events sector and the importance of our commitment to an eco-responsible approach.
2. Carbon footprint methodology
Carrying out a carbon footprint requires a systematic approach to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the obtained results.
Data collection
There are two main ways of collecting the necessary data: based on monetary flows and based on physical flows.
- Based on monetary flows: It focuses on the expenditure incurred by the company, each of which is assigned an emission coefficient. This method provides an overview based on the volume of money spent.
- Based on physical flows: It is based on concrete data, such as the weight of materials used or the exact quantities consumed. Although more complex, this method offers greater precision.
For our assessment we prioritised calculating physical flows, and we used monetary flows when it was impossible to obtain the exact data we wanted.
Scope of analysis
For 2022, we have included our three main activities: ticketing, access control and cashless payment. Each activity has been the subject of an assessment completed with an overall assessment covering all our operations. The staff concerned include all our employees, whether permanent, freelancers or seasonal and covers all the territories in which we operate (France, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain and Canada).
In short, the methodology adopted for our carbon footprint reflects our commitment to providing a transparent, comprehensive and accurate analysis of our environmental impact.
3. Our goals
While companies with more than 500 employees, in France, are required by law to carry out a carbon footprint assessment, Weezevent has done so voluntarily. Faced with the reality of climate change, initiating positive change in the events sector is essential.
We have therefore defined 3 priority areas of impact:
- Internal practices: We aim to involve all our employees in this approach. We firmly believe that every team member can contribute to improving our practices, whether through everyday actions or broader initiatives.
- Weezevent solutions: We aim to reduce the carbon footprint of every solution we offer. This means rethinking and optimising our processes to minimise the resulting emissions while maintaining the quality and efficiency event organisers expect.
- Events sector: We want to positively impact the industry by sharing our knowledge, tools and best practices.
“In 2022, we supported 15,000 event organisers. Even a small positive impact on each of them would translate into a significant impact.” Grégor Einis
4. Impact per unit of our activities
Our carbon footprint enables us to reflect the impact per unit of our activities:
- 37 gCO2e per ticket sent,
- 18 gCO2e per ticket scanned,
- 226 gCO2e per activated chip.
These figures are essential for event organisers, as they can evaluate the carbon impact of Weezevent on their own event by multiplying their volume of activity by these impacts per unit.
Here are a few comparisons to help you get your bearings:
5. Weezevent’s detailed carbon footprint
In total, Weezevent generated 2,041 tCO2e over the year. Considering the number of employees, this represents 17.6 tCO2e/employee.
The breakdown by activity shows that the cashless activity is the most significant contributor, with 61% of emissions, followed by ticketing at 23% and access control at 16%. This distribution is roughly equal to the breakdown of activities in our sales.
To put these figures into perspective, our carbon footprint is equivalent to the annual carbon footprint of 200 people (data from France).
Find out which items emit the most CO2 for each activity:
- For ticketing: 23% comes from e-mails, 13% from data storage and 10% from browsing event organisers’ websites.
- For access control: 23% is attributed to infrastructure and telecommunications (the connection needed to deploy terminals), 15% to e-mails, 13% to manufacturing and 5% to equipment end of life.
- For cashless: 18% comes from infrastructure and telecommunications (the connections needed to deploy terminals), 8% from data management, 8% from banking and 18% from transport.
6. Action plan
Our carbon footprint assessment provides a clear picture of our carbon footprint and enables us to implement effective reduction strategies. Here are the leading measures we have adopted or plan to implement:
Digital:
- Raising awareness among our employees of the carbon impact of digital technology, highlighting the importance of responsible digital practices.
- Training our technical teams in digital responsibility, ensuring that our solutions are developed with an ecological awareness.
- Raising awareness among our teams (books, etc.)
- Encouraging organisers to adopt eco-design for their websites, thereby reducing the carbon footprint of their online presence.
Equipment:
- Offering RPET options for RFID supports, favouring recycled materials.
- Researching and prioritising local manufacturing for RFID, thereby minimising transport-related emissions.
- Enhancing the value of fixed assets by optimising the lifespan of terminals, extending their useful life and reducing the need for replacement.
Mobility:
- Favouring rail travel, considerably reducing our carbon footprint compared with air travel.
- Reassessing the use of planes, considering their necessity and frequency, and exploring more environmentally friendly alternatives.
- Promoting soft mobility, with initiatives such as bicycle vouchers and optimising home-work travel for our employees.
Sector:
- Raising awareness among event organisers through dedicated workshops and activities, sharing our knowledge and best practices.
- Providing our customers with a carbon footprint guide associated with using solutions, enabling them to make informed decisions.
7. How can you assess the carbon footprint of your event?
Drawing up a carbon footprint assessment for your event is crucial in understanding and minimising your environmental impact. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you through the process:
Preliminary steps
Define the ambition
- Start by determining your goals and assessing the benefits of conducting a carbon audit for your organisation.
- Estimate the resources required, both in terms of time and personnel.
Choose the scope
- Decide on the scope of your carbon footprint: will you include only direct emissions or also indirect emissions?
- Select the reference year.
- Define the specific activity or activities to be studied. Is this a one-off event or an annual event?
Select the method
- Choose between monetary flow data collection and physical flow data collection, depending on the availability of data and the accuracy required.
Preparation
- Information: Familiarise yourself with the subject by consulting relevant resources and learning about best practices.
- Budget: Plan a budget for your carbon footprint assessment. This could include costs for tools, consultants or training.
Human factor
- Team: Set up a dedicated team with clearly defined roles. Some members will be responsible for data collection, while others may be consulted for specific information.
- Expertise: If possible, enlist the help of a carbon audit expert, especially if this is your first carbon audit.
Analysis
- Collection: Identify your data sources in advance. Make sure they are reliable and available.
- Organisation: Plan your approach, set deadlines, and ensure your team is committed and trained.
It’s essential to start thinking about how you will collect the information, especially if you plan to carry out a carbon audit for the next edition of your event.
In a context where sustainability is vital, Weezevent is committed to playing an active role in the ecological transition of the events sector.
Despite its complexity, the carbon footprint assessment is crucial to reducing our ecological footprint and guiding our actions towards a greener future. We hope this information will encourage others to adopt similar approaches, thereby strengthening our collective commitment to the environment.
Would you like to discuss reducing the carbon emissions of your events?
Contact Grégor Einis, Director of Development and Green Initiatives.
Our carbon footprint is an integral part of our CSR approach. To find out more about our commitments, visit our CSR page:
