Opera goes green: a 4-act strategy
A sustainable development approach
Our holistic approach
As we commit to a future of greater sustainability, the Opéra Royal de Wallonie is thrilled to unveil the initial chapters of our ecological journey. Our inaugural sustainability report transcends a mere document; it is a mirror of our aspiration to weave social responsibility into the very fabric of our artistry.
This initiative springs from a profound urge to comprehend and engage in meaningful action. We have embarked on an in-depth exploration of our key sustainable development challenges, a venture demanding methodical analysis, open-mindedness, and humility. It is only through a clear understanding of these challenges that we can set milestones towards a greener, more accountable future.
Our report goes beyond simply outlining these endeavors; it primarily seeks to establish a robust foundation for our ecological aspirations. We are eager to share the origins of this environmental odyssey with you, our dedicated and enthusiastic audience. Consider this an invitation to delve into the core of our commitment and to be part of the progress we achieve together.
We invite you to delve deeper into our sustainable development path and the four major issues steering our actions. For a comprehensive insight into our vision and goals, you will find our complete CSR report below.
Join us on this significant journey and become a catalyst for change alongside the Opéra Royal de Wallonie.
Challenge No. 1: Shaping a sustainable creative future
Sustainability / Customer satisfaction / Innovation
Sustainability
Objectives:
- Zero decrease in employment levels
- Increase the percentage of own revenue by 10% (compared to the base year 2019)
- Maintain the percentage of our audience under the age of 32
- Customer Satisfaction
Objectives:
- 100% occupancy rate of venues
- Gauge customer satisfaction through surveys
- Innovation
Objectives:
- 15% of staff to dedicate a portion of their work time to R&D
Challenge No. 2: Reducing Our Environmental Impact
Responsible Marketing / Sustainable Procurement / CO2e Emissions / Eco-Design
Sustainable Procurement
Objectives:
- Incorporate a clause on sustainable procurement policy in each specification (respecting deadlines)
- 100% compliance with specifications
- Translate specifications to ensure optimal understanding
- Maintain 90% Belgian suppliers and 60% local suppliers (Province of Liège)
- 100% of food products from short supply chains and 100% seasonal
- CO2e Emissions
Objectives:
- Reduce energy consumption by 15% across all sites
- Update our carbon footprint in 2025 (reference year 2024)
- 30% reduction in CO2e emissions scope 1, 2, and 3 by 2030
- Eco-Design
Objectives:
- End-of-life stage sets: Ensure 100% of stage sets at end-of-life are valorized (recovered, reprocessed, recycled)
- Standardize 20% of basic elements of stage set structures
- 20% of costume elements made from our stock
- Zero costumes discarded
- Continue 100% management of costumes’ end-of-life (donation, sale, recovery, rental)
- Responsible Marketing
Objectives:
- Improve our printing processes
- Aim for 80% of show tickets to be sent by email
- Opera’s website hosted on “green” servers
- Aim for a maximum of 6% of brochures and programs undistributed
Challenge No. 3: Being a Benevolent Cultural Actor
Promoting Culture / Educational Mission / Accessibility / Security / Recruitment, Attractiveness, and Well-being
Promoting Culture
Objectives:
- Maintain international fame and distribution
- Foreign tours: strive to minimize transportation (sets, costumes, staff, and artists)
- Continue participating in conferences to keep the Opéra Royal de Wallonie-Liège connected with other opera houses
- Production rentals: optimize transportation
- Increase presence in Wallonia: intensify decentralizations (Charleroi, Namur, etc.)
- Keep informing our patrons and sponsors
- Educational Mission
Objectives:
- In collaboration with Jeunesses Musicales and school activities (kindergartens, primary, secondary), welcome 15,000 students per year.
- Further highlight the art professions in our production workshops (sets, costumes, wigs, etc.) beyond the frequently organized open days
- Accessibility
Objectives:
- Through targeted actions (CPAS, article 27, hospitals, mutuals, etc.), make the Opera accessible to the most distant audiences
- Maintain advantageous pricing policy for the youth, making the Opera accessible to young people
- Ensure 100% of the hearing impaired can attend performances in optimal conditions
- Be physically accessible to all
- Security
Objective:
- Maintain a safe space for everyone
- Recruitment, Attractiveness, and Well-being
Objectives:
- Implement a staff satisfaction survey (NPS)
- Maintain a low absenteeism rate (permanent staff absenteeism rate, turnover rate, number of departures/entries)
- Send 10% of staff for training
Challenge No. 4: Promoting Conditions for Good Governance
Governance
Objectives:
- Establish a CSR committee that meets four times a year