Plan de Sostenibilidad XIV Muestra de Cine de Lanzarote

The Sustainability Plan is a work strategy we design each year to promote environmental awareness, circular economy, and take another step towards celebrating an event that is as sustainable as possible.

<< Sustainability >> understood as the act of meeting the needs of the present generations without compromising the needs of future generations, while ensuring a balance between economic growth, environmental respect, and social well-being.

The main goal of the Sustainability Plan for the XIII Lanzarote Film Festival is to minimize the environmental impacts derived from its celebration. Reducing our carbon footprint, decreasing plastic consumption, avoiding sound and light pollution, promoting the consumption of local organic, recycled, and recyclable products, and raising awareness about environmental issues that affect us all.

We analyze all actions carried out during the planning, organization, celebration, and post-evaluation phases of the Festival. Measures are implemented related to mobility, water and energy consumption, noise and light pollution, waste generation, disturbance to biodiversity and the local population, and local economic development.

The measures designed align with the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the UN’s 2030 Agenda and the Canary Islands’ Sustainable Development Agenda 2030 (ACDS 2030).

Furthermore, to ensure all members of the organization are involved in the Sustainability Plan, a training session is held prior to the event where each of the proposed measures is discussed.

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A sustainable event is one that, from the outset, considers all the impacts it generates on the environment in which it takes place, from an environmental, economic, and social perspective. Its organization must mitigate the high consumption of resources in a short time, the generation of waste, the increase in CO2 emissions, etc.

Measures to minimize waste

The concentration of attendees during cultural events such as the Lanzarote Film Festival can generate a significant amount of waste if its management is not properly planned, from purchase and use to recovery and separation for recycling.

Main measures we take to minimize waste generation:

• We use returnable glass or other material cups.
• We recycle banners and promotional materials by giving them a second life.
• We minimize packaging use.
• We reuse decorative materials.
• We separate waste into containers for recycling.
• We promote the use of recycled and recyclable materials.
• Promotional t-shirts and bags come from fair trade companies that use organic materials and biodegradable inks.
• We reduce paper consumption to a minimum, using eco-friendly paper, avoiding chlorine-bleached paper, and prioritizing paper from sustainably managed forests.

Sustainable mobility measures

Travel by plane, boat, or car to Lanzarote by the organization team, artists, suppliers, and the audience generates emissions, traffic problems, and overcrowding, among other impacts.

The Lanzarote Film Festival team works each year to minimize the ecological footprint and disturbances caused by our mobility by implementing the following measures:

• We efficiently manage the transportation of artists and all our travel.
• We encourage carpooling or public transport among the audience.
• We promote bicycle use by creating bike parking areas.
• We reduce travel by hiring local professionals and accommodating much of our team near the Festival venues so that travel can be on foot.
• We calculate and offset emissions generated by travel by car, boat, or plane, both by artists and the organization.

Circular economy

One of the main objectives of the XIII Lanzarote Film Festival is to highlight the natural and cultural resources of the Canary Islands and, more specifically, the island of Lanzarote. Knowing the place we live and interact in is vital to develop sustainable actions that guarantee its survival for future generations.

Connecting people who develop sustainable actions on the island through culture, sustainable tourism, and the environment is one of our core principles.

Each year we schedule various workshops, talks, discussions, and screenings to give visibility to different projects created from the unique perspective that insularity provides.

To realize these ambitious goals, we implement the following actions:

• We make a significant part of our purchases from local companies in Lanzarote.
• We prioritize local companies and artisans developing km0 recycled, recyclable, and reusable products and projects.
• We provide visibility to local businesses, professionals, and collectives through workshops and talks.
• We promote the recycling and reuse of decorative materials and waste generated during the event.
• We connect local artists and professionals with projects from other regions through dialogues and experience exchange spaces.
• We act as a catalyst for small local economies by hiring local professionals in production, film, and sustainability.

Water and energy

The increase in water, electricity, and fuel consumption and its impact on the territory where the Lanzarote Film Festival takes place is measured and assessed each year with the goal of minimizing it in future editions.

Reducing electricity consumption is a challenge we take on each year. To this end, we analyze electricity bills, calculate consumption, propose measures to reduce it, and offset its impact through decarbonization actions.

In addition, we are aware of the water stress alert affecting our islands; getting involved in reducing our ecological footprint by saving water and raising awareness among our audience about this issue is key to leaving a better-conserved territory for future generations.

Some measures to minimize water and energy consumption:

• A significant part of complementary activities takes place during the day to reduce energy consumption from lighting performance spaces.
• We provide water points for refilling reusable bottles.
• We prioritize the use of LED lights and low-consumption bulbs to minimize use.
• We ensure that a significant portion of electrical appliances are low consumption.
• We have set up water points to promote responsible water consumption by the audience.

Biodiversity

The Lanzarote Film Festival takes place in a unique setting: the Biosphere Reserve of Lanzarote. An island territory home to flora and fauna species found nowhere else on Earth. We work under the philosophy of “knowing to conserve,” and each year we carry out actions aimed at showcasing these unique natural values.

Measures to avoid disturbing biodiversity:

• Talks are scheduled to raise public awareness about the importance of conserving the rich and fragile biodiversity of the Canary Islands and islands around the world in general.
• We give visibility to organizations dedicated to the conservation and protection of Canary Islands flora and fauna.
• To avoid disturbing birds during drone flights in sensitive areas, we consult with an ornithologist.
• We recommend not attending with dogs or other pets to ensure their well-being and avoid disturbances caused by crowds, loud noises, and strong lights.

Eco-audit

To identify and measure the environmental issues of our event and its surroundings, we conduct a comprehensive eco-audit. This is understood as a tool to assess the impact of our activity on the environmental, rural, and human environment.

The eco-audit is an active and participatory process that involves the entire community engaged in the event. It becomes not only a means of producing tangible improvements in its quality but also a process of individual and collective learning for all participants.

Proposals for change and improvement are developed with a view to making the Lanzarote Film Festival more sustainable and to correctly implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals in future editions.