At the Young Vic, we are committed to ensuring that everything we do is as environmentally responsible and sustainable as possible. We see an important connection between our Climate Justice work and our Racial Justice work, since climate change disproportionately impacts those in the Global South and is a legacy of industrial expansion and extraction across the world.
A more sustainable Young Vic
We have a dynamic Environmental Policy and Action Plan, driven and monitored by the Board, and our Executive Director, Lucy Davies, who is a Creative Climate Leader 2017 and Creative Green Champion 2020. We are on the European Theatre Convention Green Committee and are part of the Theatre Green Book triallers. We are proud to be the recipients of a 5 Star Creative Green accreditation from Julie’s Bicycle.
Measures that we have taken already include:
- Achieving the Theatre Green Book basic minimum for Productions, Buildings and Operations since 2023
- Reducing our carbon emissions by 40% since 2013
- Installing LED lighting across the building
- Working with ethical and environmental suppliers
- Planting a wildlife-attracting green roof garden and terrace
- Zero to landfill waste in partnership with First Mile
From The Theatre Green Book:
Over the last several months, we have had a team of theatre companies who have been trialling Version 2 of the Theatre Green Book. We are delighted to say that the Royal Opera House, National Theatre Scotland, Wales Millenium Centre, National Theatre, Headlong, Royal Shakespeare Company, Young Vic, Northern Stage, Opera North, The Lowry, Chichester Festival Theatre, and English National Ballet have all achieved the Basic Level of the Theatre Green Book Version 2, with the Royal Opera House and National Theatre Scotland aiming to reach Intermediate by the end of the year. We hope that the huge achievements of these theatre companies will inspire all of us across the sector to feel that this is a journey we can all go on.
In 22/23 nearly half of the Young Vic’s carbon footprint was from international travel on productions. We therefore made the decision to partner with the environmental organisation Ecologi to fund a solar project in Morocco as a climate positive response to the carbon impact of that travel.
What’s next?
- We are committed to the Theatre Green Book and are advancing to intermediate in the year ahead
- We are committed to continuing to track and analyse carbon footprint against Creative Green benchmarks
- Our Green Building Levy supports all of our carbon reduction investments
- We are achieving targets to reduce the kwh per m2 we use for gas and electricity to below best practice guidelines
- We source energy from a green energy provider
- We offset long haul global travel
- The Cut Bar sources food and drink from local and ethical suppliers, providing fresh, seasonal food all year round, and has a full membership to the Sustainable Restaurant Association.
- We develop and produce work that addresses the climate crisis
- Our Creators Program seeks to engage our network of artists in conversations around sustainability by holding workshops and discussions that explore how to make work that engages with the climate crisis.
Working together
The Young Vic is an active and committed member of the London Theatre Consortium, European Theatre Convention, the South Bank neighbourhood group and the Waterloo / Lambeth Net Zero plan.