OPERA HOUSE GOES GREEN FOR CARBON - NEUTR A L

Use of 100% Green Power, fuel-efficient artist transport and food-surplus donations help reduce carbon footprint during Vivid LIVE

Sydney, – Thursday, 21 May 2015: The Opera House announced today that it will be carbon neutral for the 10 nights of Vivid LIVE, as part of , the largest festival of its kind in the world – an achievement made possible through a number of green initiatives that will reduce the environmental impact of the annual contemporary music takeover.

NSW Deputy Premier and Minister for the Arts Troy Grant said: “As the centrepiece of Vivid Sydney festival, Vivid LIVE is demonstrating that we can enliven our city and create great social places while addressing our collective environmental impact. Today’s announcement is testament to the environmental awareness and action of everyone involved in creating this incredible event at the Opera House.”

Sydney Opera House CEO Louise Herron AM said: “Our mission is to inspire people through everything we do. Vivid LIVE, presented in partnership with Destination NSW, is all about showcasing the most ambitious and innovative artists in contemporary music, but it goes far beyond that. We’ve taken a similarly ambitious approach with our sustainability initiatives and I am thrilled that this year Vivid LIVE will also be carbon neutral.”

The Opera House is taking a number of steps to reduce the carbon footprint of Vivid LIVE:  All electricity used for Vivid LIVE 2015 events – including the iconic Lighting of the Sails – will be powered by 100% Green Power from accredited renewable sources  Fuel-efficient transport will be used for artist transfers as available (approximately 35 transfers)  Surplus food from events and artist catering will be donated to the food-rescue charity OzHarvest  200 artists and crew will receive reusable water bottles rather than bottled water – saving an estimated 6,000 plastic water bottles across the event  Switching to electronic marketing where possible to reduce printed materials.

Alongside these initiatives, the Opera House has also committed to tracking and offsetting all remaining carbon emissions, including flights for performers as well as all other artist transport, catering, hotel accommodation, waste and paper. A total of 1,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide are expected to be offset during the event – equivalent to the average annual emissions of 92 Australian households. This will be achieved by investing in accredited projects and through transparent reporting. All carbon calculations and offsetting will be externally verified and reported via the Vivid LIVE website in line with National Carbon Offset Standard requirements.

Sydney Opera House Manager, Environmental Sustainability, Naomi Martin said: “Whether you’re coming down to enjoy the incredible Lighting the Sails projections or taking a front row seat at a show, it’s great that patrons and festival goers will know that Vivid LIVE is being powered entirely by renewable energy. This is our greenest year yet and the first time our team has successfully made Vivid LIVE fully carbon neutral – but it’s just the beginning. This is a commitment we will build on as we continue to set a new standard in sustainability.”

Today’s Vivid LIVE announcement is part of an ongoing program to reduce the Opera House’s environmental footprint. This includes a recent major upgrade to the Concert Hall lighting system which has reduced its energy use by 75 per cent. The Opera House also has introduced wireless microphones for performers powered by rechargeable rather than disposable batteries. The new design saves about 10,000 AA batteries per year – equating to around 250 kilograms of batteries that would otherwise be disposed.

To find out more about ‘Greening The House’, check out a series of videos.

For information on accessing the Sydney Opera House site during Vivid Sydney 2015, please visit http://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/vividsiteaccess.

Visitors and patrons are also being encouraged to get involved in the online conversation by using #VividLIVE when sharing photos of the light projections inside and outside the Opera House. The best moments from around the precinct will be curated across social channels and digital screens on site.

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Media Enquiries: Jess Gooch, Communications Manager, Sydney Opera House Email: [email protected] T: 02 9250 7428 M: 0415 403 135

About Vivid Sydney Vivid Sydney is the world’s largest festival of light, music and ideas, which for 18 days, from 22 May to 8 June 2015, transforms the Harbour City. Now in its seventh year, and owned and managed by Destination NSW, the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Vivid Sydney features large-scale light installations and projections (Vivid Light); music performances and collaborations (Vivid Music including Vivid LIVE at the Sydney Opera House); and creative ideas, discussion and debate (Vivid Ideas), all celebrating Sydney as the creative hub of the Asia-Pacific. For more information visit www.vividsydney.com.

About Vivid LIVE From 22 May to 8 June, 2015, Sydney Opera House will welcome some of the most ambitious and innovative local and international artists for Vivid LIVE, a celebration of music that is part of Vivid Sydney. Vivid LIVE invites the world’s leading artists, creative collectives, promoters and digital animators to raise the roof of the Opera House's theatres, rehearsal spaces, recording studios and most famously, its sails, which are transformed into a unique canvas each year for Vivid Sydney.