Suzanne Bull MBE, Founder of Attitude is Everything and the charity’s Environmental Champion, reflects on the challenges and successes of 2023/24’s environmental work.
The overlooked impact of climate measures on disabled communities
During the Covid-19 lockdowns, the live events sector took a massive hit. It effectively shut down and didn’t fully re-open until July 2021, meaning I was unable to work. I was also diagnosed with breast cancer which has now been successfully treated – I’m now on a preventative treatment programme. During the most intensive part of my treatment, my garden became my sanctuary. I noticed that nature was taking over London once more, the skies clear from vapour trails, and London’s polluted air became easier to breathe in.
However, at the same time, I noticed that climate change measures were implemented without extensive consultation on the impact of communities, especially disabled people.
According to the World Health Organisation, there are more than one billion disabled people in the world. They’re one of the communities that are disproportionately affected by climate change. According to Disability Rights UK ‘Disabled people are twice as likely as any other group to die in disasters’. ‘Disabled people are currently excluded from discussions and solutions on climate change, meaning that laws, policies, and programmes don’t consider the needs of Disabled people or the impact of proposed change.”
“Climate justice isn’t justice if it doesn’t include everyone.”
While on sick leave, I watched the music and live events industries grapple with how to be sustainable. They were starting to design solutions to protect the planet. But I became aware that these climate change solutions may become yet another way of excluding people from music; that eco-conscious solutions were going to be prioritised over accessible solutions.
Attitude is Everything’s environmental programme acknowledges that sometimes there might not be a solution available yet that is both accessible and environmentally friendly. Disabled people might require the use of single use items, cars, or additional equipment but they should never be blamed or shamed for this.
Returning to work, I asked the team: “Could access to music and live events for disabled people become environmentally sustainable?” I’m lucky to work with talented, open-minded, creative and caring people, who, unsurprisingly, wanted to see if we could make it work.
To create attitudinal change both within Attitude is Everything and the music and live events sector, I brought on leading environmental organisations that focused on addressing climate sustainability in arts, cultural and live events – Julie’s Bicycle and A Greener Future. We shared a vision that the best sustainable festival is an accessible one, and that disabled people should be at the heart of our research alongside industry partners.
Thanks to investment from Arts Council England, we created a transformational programme of change that would bring access solutions and climate change solutions closer together as equal partners.
Environmental responsibility and achieving sustainability goals in the workplace
Since implementing our Environmental Policy and Action Plan in 2011, more sustainable options have become available in the workplace: options for public transport and vehicles that are both accessible and sustainable, paperless offices, hybrid-working, hosting remote training sessions and virtual meetings.
My first action in 2023 was to create a new organisational Environmental Responsibility subcommittee made up of staff and trustees. The subcommittee supported us to strengthen our commitment to reducing our negative environmental impact. They urged us to adopt a ‘circular first’ approach, encouraging us to ask ourselves if we could fix, reuse, repurpose or share equipment before buying new, for example. They also advised us to research how we might become Net Zero by 2030. The subcommittee also supported the creation of a refreshed environmental policy and a three-year action plan.
Since implementing our plan and policy, our travel usage reduced in 2023/24, even though we are now a bigger team. This was a result of staff and Board taking no international business-related flights, and we’d met our target to mostly travel by train, public transport and electric vehicles. This has been a key measure of success. But we are aware that with more place-based work on the horizon, and trustees and staff working outside of London where our office is, this may mean more transport both public and private.
Over this period, our waste target increased, but this was because we deep cleaned the office, which included the disposal of unfixable electric equipment and unfixable furniture, which was recycled by First Mile where possible. Furthermore, our energy score was the same as the previous year, but halfway through 2023/24, we moved to a renewable energy supplier.
Ready for more? Read part two.
Can you support us?
We can’t do our environmental activities without your feedback and support. There two ways in which you can help us:
If you’re a Deaf, disabled or neurodivergent music creative, please complete our public survey by Monday 16th September.
If you’re involved in running a venue, festival or event, feedback on the No Climate Action Without Us toolkit by Monday 23rd September.
