What Sustainability Means At Pride in London

Sustainability is increasingly important to the global LGBTQ+ community.

As a part of this community, Pride in London is aiming to become a positive impact event by embedding sustainability into everything we do, and seizing opportunities to help our participants and communities to do the same.

Some of our key ambitions include becoming zero waste and net zero carbon by 2030 and developing brand initiatives to promote the achievements of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Read on for more information on what we are doing to inspire sustainable developments and to run both environmentally and socially responsible events at Pride in London.

The Impacts We Want to Make

In order to take meaningful steps to drive impact environmentally, socially and economically, Pride in London is a proud supporter of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We seek to focus on initiatives that will allow us to contribute positively on the following SDGs: good health and wellbeing (SDG 3), gender equality (SDG 5), reduced inequalities (SDG 10), climate action (SDG 13), peace, justice and strong institutions (SDG 16) and partnerships for the goals (SDG 17).

SDGs PiL

Three Pillars of Sustainability

Inspiring Sustainable Development

What this means: We need to ensure we are evolving how we run Pride in London so we can make a positive impact socially, economically, and environmentally. Through our efforts, we also want to inspire everyone involved—our staff, sponsors, attendees, and partners to move the dial forward.

What Pride in London is doing:

  • Our purpose is to promote long-term sustainable development for LGBTQ+ community, in the way that we run the event but also in how it's implemented in the community as a whole.

  • Use our content at 6 different stages to support the sustainability of the LGBTQ+ community

  • Develop close partnerships with community associations and giving them a platform to promote their purpose

  • Facilitate discussions on pertinent topics including diversity & inclusion, ESG, sustainability, the impact on the environment & more.

Running an Environmentally Responsible Event

What this means: We strive not only to produce best in class event, but also the one that work actively on reducing our carbon footprint through energy efficiency. We are also conscientious about the choices we make when it comes to energy use, waste reduction and procurement.

What Pride in London is doing:

  • We are working with partners to create a framework for measurement and reporting of all 3 scopes, which will create a benchmark that will be used for comparisons in future years.

    • Partnering with Westminster Council to understand the baseline of the waste in 2023, and set up a year on year plan to reduce general carbon footprint.

    • Partnering with local businesses on the parade footprint to develop free water refill point locations.

  • Reduce plastic waste with aspiration to become single use plastic free

  • Encourage attendees using less physical promotional material and using digital signage wherever possible

Running a Socially Responsible Event

What this means: For Pride in London, a positive event experience needs to consider the welfare of all of our stakeholders. Our efforts need to enhance inclusivity, equality, and accessibility.

What Pride in London is doing:

  • Our 6 stages focusing on all spectrum of the LGBTQ+ community

  • Run Pride in London safely and ethically

  • Consider wellbeing and accessibility

  • Create a positive impact on our host city: London, our community and start measuring our impacts

A Shared Responsibility

As the largest Pride event in the UK, Pride in London believes in championing its values of visibility, unity and equality. Through our brand, we also want to be championing sustainability within our business and with the community we serve.

Our commitment to sustainability will be ongoing. And while we continue to learn, grow and accelerate change, we want to invite everyone to join us on this journey, so we can work together to reimagine a brighter future.

Looking for ways to help?

Here are some simple tips for our attendees, sponsors and partners to consider when you are joining:

For Attendees:

  • We encourage everyone to take public transportation when possible: check out how to join us using bus, bike or tube here. If you have to drive in, consider sharing.

  • Reduce waste by bringing your own reusable shopping bags and water bottles. We strongly encourage attendees to pick up your own rubbish or recyclable materials at the end of the event.

  • Say no to single-use plastic: do you know that England uses 2.7 billion items of single-use cutlery — most of which are plastic per year, but only 10% are recycled. Plastic pollution takes hundreds of years to break down and inflicts serious damage to our oceans, rivers and land. It is also a major source of greenhouse gas emissions.

  • Shop local: when you choose to support local businesses, the money you spent is also recirculated, improving infrastructures, creating more job opportunities, and enriching the communities

For Partners:

  • Use renewable energy sources when possible: we recommend exploring how renewable energy sources can help power the event, and your fleet.

  • Reuse and recycle: influence your suppliers to build your structure using sustainable and long-lasting materials that can be reused and repurposed for the next year.

  • Reduce waste: Encourage less printing of marketing material and provide information digitally when possible.

  • Use less promotional items when possible. Allow opt-out option when offer freebies to internal and external participants.

  • Communicate our efforts: are you supporting other charities? Are you minimising the use of plastic in your production? Share what you are doing with the Pride in London, as well as our attendees so that your efforts can be amplified.

Contact our Sustainability Team