Spotlight on… QGreen
QGreen is our bold and ambitious strategy, aligning with Arts Council England’s investment principles, dedicated to reducing carbon emissions and championing environmental responsibility. Initiated in 2021 with a £250,000 grant, QGreen has evolved through our QNext scheme, a small fee added to each ticket purchase, enabling us to extend our green initiatives.
In 2022, Indigo and pointOne collaborated on the ‘Act Green’ report, delving into audience perspectives on cultural organisations addressing the climate emergency. A resounding 77% of theatre audiences believe cultural institutions, such as theatres, should actively shape views on climate change, while over 90% of audiences expect these organisations to prioritise the energy efficiency of their buildings. These statistics underscore the urgent need for cultural venues to embrace sustainable practices.
From 2021 to 2023, our team, in collaboration with the Environmental Sub Committee, have enhanced our building’s sustainability. Transitioning to a 100% renewable energy electricity supplier was our first step. We revamped our waste management by partnering with a new refuse company. To date they have diverted 60% of our daily waste from landfills by converting it into energy and recycled the remaining 40%, this has been a significant leap for us towards sustainable waste practices.
To slash our electricity consumption, we implemented various energy-efficient measures: we’ve installed 80 solar panels on our roof, replaced all lights in the building with LEDs, improved the air handling units, and added motion sensors on lights in our office spaces.
These changes resulted in a reduction of 17,233 kWh in electric usage (Mar–Sep) 2023 vs 2022
Addressing our gas consumption, point-of-use water heaters were installed in select areas, minimising wastage by ensuring we heat only the necessary amounts of water. An energy-efficient boiler and sub-metering system enhance our heating efficiency and allow us to continuously monitor use. Upgrades were also made to the ‘back of the house’ areas, with new windows, skylights, and doors being installed to contribute to overall temperature regulation, reducing excess heating needs. To further improve this, Thermostatic Radiator Valves (TRVs) were installed to ensure only occupied offices receive heating, and Thermo Foam roof insulation has been placed above our stage to curb heat loss.
Recognising the role it plays in our overall environmental footprint, our café has also made some changes. We’re pleased to say that the café now has fully recyclable food packaging, and we are now offering a 20p discount on your tea or coffee order if you bring your own reusable cup. In an effort to combat our food waste, we changed our menu to reduce food waste while still giving visitors a great offering. To further reduce our food waste, we joined the ‘Too Good To Go’ initiative. Since we signed up, the café has provided 224 meals and effectively prevented 560 kg of waste CO2e from entering our atmosphere.
Looking ahead, our commitment remains unwavering.
Our immediate ‘next steps’ include strategically placing recycle bins in all ‘front of house’ spaces, to foster a recycling culture among our visitors. We aim to enhance the energy efficiency of our foyer space by exploring the possibility of future window improvements or replacements. And finally, Carbon Literacy Training for all team members is underway, empowering every member of our staff to actively contribute to the ongoing sustainability efforts.
We are very proud to announce that we are working towards making our building carbon-zero by 2030. We look forward to sharing our ongoing progress with you in the coming months. With thanks to our audiences for their brilliant support in making all this possible.
