Environment

Regarding environmental issues, Rock en Seine is committed to short-term and long-term actions and aims to persevere in its search for solutions to reduce the festival’s environmental footprint. To this end, in 2023, Rock en Seine undertook its first Carbon Footprint, supported by the BPI and its Diag Décarbon’Action programme, and monitored by experts accredited by Bpifrance and ADEME in accordance with demanding specifications. Last year, the festival also joined ADEME’s ACT Pas à Pas (Accessing low Carbon Transition) programme, which supports its decarbonisation strategy and helps it to build a transition plan for the near future. The results of the Carbon Footprint and the transition plan will be presentable in 2025.

“ACT is an initiative launched in 2015 following the Paris agreements jointly with ADEME, CDP and WBA. It provides sector-specific methodologies as a framework to help companies drive climate action and align their strategies with relevant and ambitious low-carbon trajectories.”

At the same time, Rock en Seine is implementing a large number of measures to give life to its environmental commitments through various action areas.

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Video created in partnership with the École Estienne, under the educational and artistic direction of Mehdi Hercberg, Eric Boisseau and Géraldine Hervé-Dannhauer. Many thanks to the students involved in the project!

SOFT MOBILITIES

Since its inception, the festival has planned its line up schedule so that audiences can come and go to the festival using public transport available around the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud and other more environmentally-friendly mobility solutions, such as cycling or scooting. The secure bicycle/scooter parking put at the disposal of festival-goers in 2023 will be renewed in 2024. This year, it will be able to accommodate up to 200 bikes. The organising teams are also keen to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions when travelling on site. More than 35 bicycles and electric vehicles will be available to them for the duration of the festival.

BOOK YOUR SECURE BICYCLE/SCOOTER PARKING SPACE

CONTROLLING CONSUMPTION AND USING GREEN ENERGY

For the third year running, Rock en Seine is being supported by ENGIE, the official supplier of green electricity. This 2024 edition marks a major and essential step in reducing the festival’s environmental impact:

80% of the festival will be powered via the distribution network and supplied with green electricity.

This considerable percentage has been attained thanks to the work carried out with Enedis to bring the site’s electricity distribution network up to high voltage. This high rate of connection to the electricity grid means a drastic reduction in the use of generators. The latter are still used to supply scenes with electricity. However, they are powered by biofuel, a synthetic fuel made from waste, to minimise their carbon footprint.

In a constant effort to understand and improve, a new energy audit will be carried out in 2024 thanks to the support of our loyal sponsor Faséo, a specialist consultancy firm.

Thanks to Dron Location, the festival has been able to move forward with solutions to reduce energy consumption:

Synthetic fuel: Since 2022, 100% of our generators have been powered by biofioul (a synthetic fuel made from waste). Unlike other biofuels, biofioul does not generate excess fuel consumption. This alternative solution to fossil fuels reduces CO2 emissions by 90% for all temporary electrical installations during operations. Made from waste, it does not monopolize agricultural land for its production.

Coupling and wattmetric management: Adding several small units together rather than one or several more powerful ones considerably reduces consumption.

Data recording: We have been able to reduce the power of several units by recording their electrical consumption data, enabling better optimization for the following year. This not only saves fuel, but also enables better use of the machines, increasing their lifespan, and reducing the logistics required (fewer trucks and therefore CO2 emissions). As part of the CNM’s plan to support the transition of venues, Rock en Seine received assistance to carry out an energy audit, with the aim of gaining a better understanding of real needs in the field and optimizing consumption as part of its low-carbon transition strategy.

The use of LED masts: The entire festival is lit by LED lights, and part of the site lighting is programmed for night-time hours or triggered by sensors. This equipment cuts fuel consumption by a factor of three for the lighting systems concerned.

Logistics/transportation: Knowledge of the site, its constraints and the equipment used enables us to optimize transport and reduce the number of trucks used.

WASTE AND WATER MANAGEMENT

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Since 2023, Rock en Seine has been working with its service providers to optimise the sorting of its 13 waste streams: glass, cardboard, wood, metal, bio-waste, edible oils, cigarette butts, household waste, recyclable waste, batteries and light bulbs, grey water, black water and bulky items. To give life to its action plan for managing the waste generated by the festival as a whole, Rock en Seine is applying the 3R strategy: reduce, reuse, recycle.

1– Reducing waste

Since 2008, cups served in bars have been exclusively reusable and returnable. This system avoided 6091.372 lb of waste in 2023.
As part of our partnership with Fritz Kola, the sale of glass bottles is returnable.
Since 2022, the number of drinking water points at the festival has been increased to enable and encourage festival-goers to bring their empty water bottles.
Dry or vacuum toilets and male and female urinals have been installed throughout the site
120 bi-flow sorting garbage cans, collecting recyclable waste as well as household refuse, are distributed throughout the festival grounds. Used edible oils, cigarette butts, unsold foodstuffs and recycled materials are collected throughout the grounds.
Since 2023, the festival has abandoned its paper program in favor of a digital version on the app.
Raising the awareness of our partners and suppliers in advance of the event, and involving them in the subject of sustainable development, considerably reduces waste at source. As a result, the amount of waste generated by the festival has fallen by several tons a year since 2015 (-25% overall). The number of lb of waste generated per festival-goer has fallen from 0,66 to 1,10lb between 2019 and 2022.

In 2023, 20% less waste than in 2022.

2- Reusing scenic elements

Part of the signage and decoration is designed to be recycled and reused over several editions.
Some communication elements are based on a timeless graphic charter, making them easy to reuse.
The ability to reuse and recycle components and products proposed by our suppliers is one of the essential criteria set out in our specifications.
The collection and reuse of used edible oils (2,6lb in 2023), the recycling of cigarette butts (8,8lb in 2023), the redistribution of unsold foodstuffs (1.2T in 2023) and recycled materials are now generalized on the site.

3- Recovering waste

In 2023…

1.2 tonnes of unsold food collected by Linkee for distribution to students in precarious situations.
8,8lb of cigarette butts collected and recycled by Lemon Tri

What’s new in our waste management in 2024

The introduction of reusable and returnable tableware in catering areas
The management of bio-waste has been amplified and deployed more widely among restaurant owners and the general public, to maximize the sorting of this waste stream and recycle it into compost. All areas of the festival (general public, VIP and production) are equipped with garbage cans for this purpose.
Cardboard flow management will also be optimized this year.
In 2024, Rock en Seine will take a first look at its impact on biodiversity and water resources, thanks to a diagnosis produced by A Greener Future.

LOCAL AND ETHICAL SOURCING

Catering for festival-goers, teams and artists is a key area for optimising waste recovery from the relevant audiences. As happens every year, local suppliers and service providers are given priority in order to reduce travel and the resulting emissions. In terms of catering, this year’s specifications for the companies present will require them not only to use products from sustainable and local sources, but also to systematically offer vegetarian specialities. All in all, half the catering on offer will be vegetarian or vegan!
We also make sure that the products sold in the festival merchandising shop are in line with our commitments. The T-shirts, sweatshirts and shopping bags are made from organic cotton, GOTS labelled and certified, a guarantee of respect for the environment and working conditions throughout the supply chain, right up to the consumer.

PRESERVATION OF THE DOMAINE

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The preparation of the festival takes into account the specific characteristics of the site where it takes place, and everything is designed in such a way as not to alter or have a lasting impact on its vegetation.
Each year, the festival makes a donation to the Domaine to finance the restoration of an area or monument in the park.

The Rock en Seine public is made aware of the specific nature of the site and the importance of preserving it, through spots on the giant screens between concerts, or through events organized by the Domaine national de Saint-Cloud.