Popular celebrations and events are meetings attended by a large number of people. From the point of view of the sustainability of the environment, festivals and citizen gatherings generate negative impacts on the environment.
Popular celebrations and events are meetings attended by a large number of people. From the point of view of the sustainability of the environment, festivals and citizen gatherings generate negative impacts on the environment.

Patron saint festivities, festivals, congresses, etc., have a negative impact on the environment since they occur:

• An increase in the consumption of resources (food, water, electricity, fuel, etc.)
• An increase in waste generation.
• An increase in air pollution (CO2 emissions from transport and generators).
• An increase in light and noise pollution.
• A greater occupation of space (tents, vehicles, etc.).

The objective of the “Sustainable Events” project is to transform the paradigm of the organization and management of popular celebrations and events, and to introduce sustainability criteria that reduce their environmental impact.

This transformation will be carried out by training workers professionally linked to the organization, management and financing of events, promoting the change of work habits towards more responsible behaviors.

The modification of these habits, focused on the acquisition of environmental behaviours, will have an impact on an improvement in environmental quality, quantifiable in the reduction of waste and the saving of energy and water, in addition to the reduction of pollution from transport and the promotion of a more civic popular culture.

In this way, compliance with the national and international objectives set for Spain in terms of climate change and environmental protection is promoted. On the other hand, new business avenues are opening up within the framework of green employment.

The recipients of the project are all participants in the organization of events (hotel companies, neighborhood associations, security services, financing entities, entertainment services, companies supplying products and food, etc.). These are workers from SMEs and micro-SMEs, with a high percentage of low-skilled educational profiles.

Thanks to the project, 90 recipients will be trained, although the initiative will reach 10,979 workers, and a new line of business will be launched in an event management company.