Carbon footprint assessment and the creation of a Sustainability Strategy Framework and Action Plan for Tortuga
Tortuga Music Festival is an annual 3-day festival held on the beaches of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, every April. The festival is known for its sustainable practices, particularly around ocean conservation due to its unique positioning and surrounding wildlife.
Tortuga festival has itself been severely impacted by extreme weather, with emergency evacuations having to take place in 2023. The festival therefore recognises the need for urgent climate action.
Role: Sustainability Consultant
Objective: To assess and compare the impacts of Tortuga Music Festival 2022 and 2023, and support the creation of a Sustainability Strategy Framework and Action Plan for ongoing impact reduction.
KEY ACTIONS:
Full event environmental impact summary and carbon footprint report
We engaged with key stakeholders at the festival to collect relevant impact data which we used to measure and analyse the impact of the 2022 and 2023 festival operations. Our assessment was used to create a comprehensive carbon footprint report that demonstrated the main sources of emissions for the festival and key areas for reduction.
Sustainability strategy and policies
Prior to the assessment, our team reviewed any existing sustainability policies that the festival had, providing insights and feedback to improve these, which were then actioned by the festival team. Following our assessment of the festival, we then designed an overarching sustainability framework that allowed for tactical initiatives aligned to a long term sustainability plan which focused on key impact areas highlighted by the assessment.
Implementation of strategy
Our team provided guidance to deliver the sustainability strategy through ongoing support and advice on how best to communicate policies to stakeholders to achieve buy-in from all parties. We supported practically by offering guidance on tactical interventions and initiatives, particularly around power management.
Carbon offsetting plan
We provided expert insight on carbon offsetting routes, the pros and cons of each, and the importance of making validated claims. Once the offsetting strategy was decided based on our guidance, we worked with the festival to develop a set of ‘FAQs’ explaining the festival's offsetting strategy and reasoning behind the choice to not solely support carbon credit schemes.
ALL IN ALL:
2022 and 2023 GHG assessments were carried out and presented back to the Festival and Live Nation teams in a comprehensive report that drew comparisons between the years and provided tactical recommendations for impact reduction.
A detailed and bespoke strategy framework and action plan was created for the Tortuga Festival team to reduce their environmental impact and enhance sustainability long term.