(Photo: Wikimedia Commons)
Event organizers and venue operators in Singapore are undergoing a green transition to attract participants with stronger environmental awareness. British band Coldplay’s Music Of The Spheres World Tour in Singapore, which ended on Jan. 31, has not only entertained the fans but also aimed to reduce its carbon footprint.
By using kinetic dance floors and energy-storing stationary bikes at their performance arena at the National Stadium, the band has charged batteries to power elements of the show. These are just a few of the initiatives the band has implemented to enhance the environmental responsibility of its tour.
In June last year, the band said that on a show-by-show comparison, the Music Of The Spheres Tour produced 47% less carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e) emissions than its last stadium tour.
Transport operators like ride-hailing platform Grab have also swiftly joined the green movement by providing more eco-friendly options to get home from the concert, rolling out free buses to take passengers to Redhill, Boon Keng, Jurong East, and Toa Payoh MRT stations.
These moves are rasing awareness about the necessity of reducing the carbon footprint of large-scale entertainment event. As more event organizers and venue operators in Singapore transition to green to appeal to environmentally-conscious event attendees.
Singapore EXPO’s eco-friendly changes
One of these venues is the Singapore EXPO, which is implementing environmental-friendly initiatives.
The exhibition venue is now home to the largest single-site solar panel installation in the country. In January alone, it generated enough energy to power 170 four-room HDB flats for a year.
It aims to be Asia's first net zero venue running on green energy. There are also 20 electric vehicle charging bays nearby.
Ian Gan, vice president of center management at Constellar, the owner of Singapore EXPO, said that such efforts set a standard for the meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions (MICE) industry.
He added that sustainability is now a requirement from their clients who want to hold events.
The main challenge facing the industry is aligning standards, particularly in measuring and reporting greenhouse gas emissions.
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(Photo: Constellar)
Other players need to go green as well
Song Seng Wun, economist from CGS CIMB Securities, said that while efforts are being made by sectors including the MICE industry, they are part of a transition that cannot materialize overnight.
He pointed out that “It’s a case of how passionate the entertainers are, the companies behind and the engagement with concert goers is very important. If the fans leave with a message that they can do more, I think that's already half the battle won.”
As Singapore keeps making its name on the world stage as an event destination, other players in the ecosystem will also need to go green.
"When it comes to the hospitality sector, it is about how hotels can deliver their services and energy consumption in a more sustainable, more efficient basis,” he added. He suggested that the government can use the carrot-and-stick approach by introducing more incentives and penalties to get everyone on board.
