We help events and festivals cut energy use, switch to renewables, and manage waste, transport, and staging better.
And get real value out of brand activations — lowering costs and carbon at the same time.
The problem and the solution
Many organizers treat sustainability, green energy, and sponsorship as an afterthought rather than putting it in the forefront.
An extra recycling bin, reusable cups, and logo placement does not necessarily make you green or sustainable, or attribute value to an activation.
We strive to work with other nonprofit organizations, music and event associations, as well as brands and sponsors that strive for excellence in sustainability practices. That work is grounded in our mission and our vision.
NFE can help organizers reduce the amount of energy used, transition to renewable energy, and also better manage waste through our partners and vast network. We can also work with you to help with logistics, transportation, and even more sustainable staging and production.
While also maximizing the value attributed to sponsorship and brand activations and minimizing the overall cost. Through multiple iterations, metrics, and testing, the aim is to work together to minimize the overall carbon footprint across the entire event and music industry in a cost-effective and economically viable way!
Three parts, one system
Nothing on this list works on its own. Move one and the other two move with it.
Energy and Technical Systems
Power generated, stored, and spent. The layer everything else runs on.
Event Sustainability and Climate
Land, water, materials, and waste. The place that has to carry the event.
Wellbeing, Care, and Human Experience
Attention, care, and recovery. The people the whole thing is actually for.
The Tao Te Ching describes one becoming two, two becoming three, and three becoming the ten thousand things — each arising through the others rather than beside them. A festival behaves the same way. Power, place, and people are not three departments. They are one system seen from three sides.
Essays and working documents that make the infrastructure legible.
Care, accessibility, and recovery treated as production, not decoration.
Small, measurable pilots before anything gets called a result.
Where we actually are
NFE has not yet produced a large-scale event or festival, but has a wide network of people who have. Our current work involves research, public education, relationship-building and networking, pilot design, and measurement and metric implementation.
We will not produce impact reports until there is clear and viable evidence over time.
The planning and implementation is outlined on the Programs and Impact page.
Get involved
We welcome thoughtful conversations about pilot sites, partnerships, advisory support, public education, and funding.
