The Royal Opera House aims to be a catalyst for positive change, working towards making our operations more sustainable, efficient and economical. Find out below more information on what we are doing to help secure a sustainable future.
The Royal Opera House is committed to reaching net zero emissions by 2035.
This is in relation to emission Scopes 1 and 2:
Scope 1: The Green House Gas emissions we make directly. At the ROH this includes heating the building and running some vehicles.
Scope 2: The emissions made indirectly. At the ROH this includes the electricity that we purchase.
We commit to sustainably purchasing our electricity and permanently changing how we heat our buildings. We will also work with our suppliers to help them reduce their emissions and set Scope 3 emission targets by 2025. Scope 3 emissions are emissions not directly associated with us but we are indirectly responsible for as part of the value chains. This includes the suppliers we use, how we travel and the products we sell. Activity will be closely monitored and reported each year to ensure targets are on track.
You can find out more about what processes we have in place to make our building, operations, productions and staffing more sustainable in our Environmental Policy.
The Theatre Green Book is an initiative of the theatre industry aimed at helping those in the sector work more sustainably by bringing a common standard for practitioners. The second version of the book has been a collaborative project that included teams from the Royal Opera House. This new edition is quicker and easier to navigate, making it more accessible to all users.
As part of this work, the Royal Opera House is proud to apply for certification of Basic Standards under the new version. This certification means that we commit to meeting certain standards regarding the reuse and recycling of our sets, props, and costumes. It also holds us accountable for how we care for our buildings and manage our back-of-house operations. Emphasizing our commitment to sustainability, we will work with our creative teams, staff, artists, audiences, visitors, and contractors to continue improving how we manage our organisation and reduce our environmental impact.
The Royal Opera House also played a key role in creating the Operations Tracker, a new tool for recording progress in the behind-the-scenes running of a theatre. Additionally, we have been trialling the use of the Production Calculator and the Buildings Tool Kit, both of which are included in the book.
Our sustainability team uses these tools daily to monitor progress and support teams across the organisation in making changes. These tools also aid us in planning for continual improvement.
We are delighted that we remain involved with continual updates to the Theatre Green Book, as this is such an important resource for our sector to move forward together.
The Royal Opera House was the first cultural organisation to sign up to the Sustainable City Charter, a scheme recently launched by Westminster City Council and Westminster Property Association. This scheme is for all businesses based in Westminster to show their commitment to combating climate change through adhering to eight pledges aimed at reducing the carbon emissions of buildings and improving overall efficiency.
The Royal Opera House has made commitments in relation to:
Charter signatories can access exclusive networking and knowledge sharing events, an evolving toolkit of support and advice and the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment to Westminster’s city wide 2040 net zero target.
The Royal Opera House are delighted to be part of this scheme and look forward to creating successful partnerships and developing new ways of working with other local businesses to reduce our impact on the environment.
More information regarding the Sustainable City Charter can be found here.
You can learn more about projects happening across our organisation helping to reduce our environmental impact in 2023 on our Sustainable Stories page.
At the Royal Opera House, we are working hard on our commitment towards becoming more sustainable.
Look out for the posters across our building to find out more about what we are doing and how you can help us achieve our goals.
If you have any feedback or would like to know more about our commitment to becoming a more sustainable venue, please get in touch with our Environmental Manager:
Royal Opera House Covent Garden Foundation, a charitable company limited by guarantee incorporated in England and Wales (Company number 480523) Charity Registered (Number 211775)