Our Commitment

West Cork Music is committed to reducing the impact of our work on the environment, while maintaining high standards of artistic excellence and festival atmosphere. The production of three international festivals in a remote location has always been a major draw to artists and audiences, but also creates problems for sustainability. This policy aims to work with WCM staff, artists and audiences to collectively make WCM activities work in a more sustainable and environmentally friendly way.

Volunteer taking audience surveys

Challenges

CMF 2022 emissions chart

The Climate Crisis and how to reduce the impact of WCM international festivals presents a unique set of problems. The location of the festivals in Bantry, a rural setting with poor transport infrastructure, is one such problem. Even where artists are resident in Ireland there will remain a significant carbon footprint due to travel, not only for artists but also for audiences. This is a problem that requires all stakeholders to be aware of and to commit to trying to manage by considering at the individual and group level how we can reduce this impact. For many artists and audience, flying is the only practical method of coming to Bantry, but everyone involved with the Festivals should aim to help us to reduce the impact of travel by thinking carefully about the most green friendly and sustainable way they can travel here and their impact on the local environment when they are here.

Our Policy

This policy is intended as a first step only in committing to reducing the environmental impact and will be added to and updated as new data, new options and new ways of thinking are developed.

“The old ways of thinking – defining success as endless growth and unsustainable levels of international travel – need to be made to disappear” – Scottish Classical Music Green Guide 2021.

The Climate Crisis does not allow for complacency and with the help of all stakeholders, the festivals will move to a greater degree of sustainability to try and reduce our. Creative Europe have already brought in a requirement for applicants to show how their proposal is making an effort on green issues, and the Arts Council of Ireland brought in requirements for Strategically Funded organisations to commit to Action Plans on this issue.

Actions so Far

In 2019, WCM’s largest area of carbon emissions was travel for artists and volunteers to the Festivals.

Goal: Reduce Transport Emissions

Barriers:

Ireland’s isolation from the rail network in continental Europe, making airline travel a necessity
Bantry’s remote location, infrequent public transport and absence of direct transport link to Cork Airport

Actions:

Write into artist contracts to take direct flights to Ireland, rather than connecting flights
Further develop Artist Residency Policy – The Chamber Music Festival has a policy that overseas artists stay a minimum of five days, this reduces transport and waste emissions significantly. West Cork Music will explore how its other festivals and activities can develop similar practices for non-domestic artists.

Discontinue sending private taxis to Dublin to collect artists, but request them to take public transport to Cork

Promote new Local Link bus services in West Cork for audience members

Include questions about travel habits in audience surveys to raise awareness

Results: Between 2019 and 2023 transport emissions for artists dropped from 47,500kg to 35,700kg of CO2

Everyday habits – Are we asking the question: Is this sustainable/environmentally friendly?

Goal: Embed an awareness of sustainability throughout WCM, so that it is considered in everyday habits, decision making and programming, and becomes a central aspect of WCM brand.

Barriers:

Limited choice available in an isolated rural town, e.g. catering and accommodation options
Conflicting or confusing data about what option might be better for the environment, e.g. if a piece of merchandise is produced in a sustainable way, but must be shipped from across the globe, is that better or worse for the environment

Actions:

Increase in remote working and online meetings
Move to online board meetings rather than in-person

Consultation with staff about the Green Policy, to obtain their buy-in and raise awareness
Measuring carbon emission – office emissions, transport and accommodation emissions
Change to green energy providers in the Box Office and CEO’s office

Raising awareness in our sphere of influence about the climate change and environmental issues

Goal: Keep the Green Policy as a living document and the issue of sustainability alive

Actions:

Audience survey questions about WCM Green Policy
Promote the Green Policy with signage, QR codes, WCM website and communications

Literary Festival programming writers discussing Green issues
Elevate important case studies in sustainable practices, e.g. Artists using slow travel rather than air travel

Action Plan 2025-2030

Audience travel emissions

Goal: Learn more about audience carbon footprint

Actions:

Develop a methodology for measuring audience carbon footprint, especially for travel and accommodation. The audience survey is endeavouring to do this, and with feedback from audience, staff and surveyors we hope to find the best set of questions that can capture this data.
Develop an action plan for reducing audience carbon emissions

Embed sustainability and green habits

Goal: Increase awareness and encourage sustainable practices

Actions:

Continue to publicise and promote the Green Policy in publicity materials, communications, surveys, online and at events
Promote good practices by showcasing case studies of sustainable practices by audience, artists and staff

Targeted communications with advice and tips for sustainable attendance at the Festival
Initiate discussions with accommodation providers about their sustainability policies
Consult experts in the sector on best practices

Links with other arts organisations

Goal: Work to develop practices across the arts

Actions:

Participate in workshops, seminars, webinars and other networking opportunities in these areas to share tools, ideas and solutions to sustainability barriers
Stay informed on developments in best practice, sustainable resourcing and purchasing

Waste reduction and management

Goal: Reduce waste of non-reusable materials, such as publicity materials and catering materials

Actions:

Audit publicity materials, such as posters, brochures and programmes after the summer festivals, and reduce accordingly for the next year.
Where possible, use water filters and glasses rather than plastic or glass bottles for artists in green rooms

Audience Habits

Many thanks to everyone in the audience who took part in our surveys. It’s so useful to us to be able to understand our audience.

For the past few years we have included questions designed to understand the issues facing our Festivals in regards to sustainability.

Here are some key takeaways from the audience surveys

There is a growing awareness about the WCM Green Policy
78% across all 3 Festivals use a car to attend events
Less than 20% across all 3 Festivals use public transport to come to the Festivals

Get in touch if you would like to share your story on slow travel to the Festival, or have any useful tips.

Useful tips for reducing emissions

Greenhouse gas emissions – transport

Fly direct instead of taking short transfer flights. If you can’t fly directly into Cork, try flying to Dublin and travelling to Cork by train or coach.
Can you car share or offer a lift?
Stay close by to travel less each day.

Taking public transport has less environmental impact than a private car by approximately 80%.

Even adding one more passenger to a car journey makes it more environmentally friendly than flying.

Most fuel is burnt at the take-off and climbing stages of flying (the first 250km approx.), and cruising uses less fuel than take off and climbing. Therefore, a single flight produces less emissions per kilometre than multiple short flights over the same distance.

If you have any useful tips for being green while at the Festival please let us know!

Case Study: Rail & Sail v Direct Flight

At the 2023 Chamber Music Festival, 2 musicians based in Amsterdam, Rebecca Wise and Jeanita Vriens from Ragazze Quartet, returned there from Bantry travelling by land and sea instead of flying, carrying their luggage and instruments (including a cello!)

Here you can see a direct comparison in the emissions created and the cost compared to a direct flight a day later from Cork to Amsterdam and all the stages of the journey.

The slow travel produces nearly 40% less emissions that even a direct flight, and is very close to the the same price!

The 2023 Chamber Music Festival exceeded its targets for reducing emissions. We would like to thank all the musicians, staff and volunteers for helping.

West Cork Music Environmental and Sustainability Policy_updated 2025 – Download the PDF.

West Cork Music Environmental and Sustainability Action Plan-updated 2025 – Download the PDF