AIF Unveils New Sustainability Fund for Independent Festivals

The UK’s Association of Independent Festivals (AIF) has launched a fund to assist independent festivals in becoming more environmentally sustainable.

The details:

• The AIF Sustainability Step Change Fund will support AIF as it works with members to minimize the impact of their events on the climate and implement more sustainable practices.

• Independent ticketing platform Ticket Tailor – which is carbon neutral and donates to climate causes every time a ticket is sold – has made a £40,000 pledge from its EarthInvest fund to support the initiative.

• AIF members can submit an expression of interest in receiving funding or nominate themselves to be part of a “coalition of the willing” that AIF can work with to make meaningful change.

• The industry body will use the ‘30 Climate Actions For Events’ checklist from Vision For Sustainable Events’ Show Must Go On report as a guide for festivals’ move to sustainability.

What they said:

• John Rostron, AIF CEO: “AIF has worked hard over the years in an effort to raise awareness and improve practices among both music festival fans and promoters on this issue. With the Sustainability Step Change Fund, we can now take those efforts to the next level, providing pockets of financial support, new resources, skills and expertise directly to our members to enable them to facilitate real change. This contribution from Ticket Tailor’s EarthInvest is a great launchpad for the fund and for the independent festival sector.”