Ny standard for Net Zero-bygninger
Fokus på bygninger: ny webinarrække, den nye UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard, Collectif 17h25's modulære scenografisystem og en ny dramatikerpris om klima.
A focus on buildings in this month's newsletter, with a new UK-wide standard for Net Zero buildings, and details of our new, buildings-focussed webinar series. Plus Collectif 17h25's new system for modular set building, what the annual Theatre in the UK report tells us about investment in sustainability, and more...
Theatre Green Book is free to use but it's not free to run. For details of our suggested donations for theatres and other organisations using Theatre Green Book, and to find out how you can support our work as an individual, go to theatregreenbook.com/support.
Theatre Green Book Buildings webinar series
Our new webinar series, running throughout 2026, will focus on the Buildings section of the Theatre Green Book. It's the area that often can make the most significant, long-term difference in reducing our environmental impact. But the challenges of building, adapting or replacing built infrastructure can also be the most daunting.In the series, expert guest speakers will talk about their work and present case studies that highlight different aspects of sustainable buildings. Topics will include:
Vision and planning capital projects
Renewables
Heating and cooling
Biodiversity
Materials for building and interiors
Building structure case studies
Buildings standards
Theatre fit-out
Webinars are free to attend, and recordings will be available afterwards for anyone unable to attend the live event.
Registration is open now for the first of our monthly Buildings Webinar series. Giving you an overview on how to plan capital projects, it takes place on Fri 17 April 1-2pm.
The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard
A game-changing new resource was published this week. The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard is a universally applicable, industry-approved, science-led model for verifying new and existing buildings that are carbon net zero, in line with the UK's climate targets.
Created by the industry for the industry, it covers measurement of
operational energy use, fossil fuel free sites, embodied carbon, on-site renewable electricity generation, electricity demand management, space heating and cooling, refrigerant use and water use. It specifies an approach to carbon accounting, reporting and submitting of evidence, as well as the optional methodology for offsetting residual carbon emissions.
Congratulations to the huge team of partners, researchers and contributors who have worked to shape this resource over several years. They include Theatre Green Book co-authors Buro Happold, and founder supporters CharcoalBlue and Haworth Tompkins, who were all represented on the Culture and Entertainment Sector Group.
The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard
News and events
"Environmental sustainability is now central to the case for capital investment"
SOLT & UK Theatre’s Theatre in the UK 2026 report tells a story about sustainability and decarbonisation that’s in line with the broader findings of the report: that the sector is making great gains, but new and sustained investment is needed to continue that success.
Along with near universal recognition (94%) of Theatre Green Book, the report shows a 19% year-on-year increase in organisations using Theatre Green Book achieving at least Basic standard for their Operations, and a 13% increase in organisations doing the same for their Buildings. The percentage of Productions achieving Intermediate or Advanced standards has increased by 50%.
Further progress is threatened by a lack of investment, despite the economic case being as clear as the environmental one: "Lower energy costs, reduced maintenance burden, and improved operational resilience directly strengthen financial sustainability while building confidence among funders, audiences, and local authority partners. This is not a competing priority. It is integral to the investment case."
Climate Playwriting Prize
Shakespeare's Globe has launched a Climate Playwriting Prize, in partnership with Climate Spring and Fern Culture. A winning playwright will receive £15,000 and support to develop and produce a new play that engages with the climate and nature crisis.
There's also going to be a series of workshops looking at climate storytelling for the stage with associate partners Chichester Festival Theatre, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Leeds Playhouse, Lyric Belfast, Mercury Theatre, New Earth Theatre, Pentabus Theatre Company and tiata fahodzi.
Submissions for the prize open in June – full details here.
A new app and new Theatre Green Book supporter!
We are delighted to welcome a new Theatre Green Book supporter: Re-Source.
Re-Source is a new app designed to enhance the ability of the theatre industry to reuse items. It's based out of research from the University of Surrey and is run by Michael Smalley, a stage manager and academic. They're keen for Theatre Green Book newsletter readers to try it out and give feedback so that the app can be developed in ways which work for you. So they're offering newsletter readers a three month free trial. Sign up at re-source.app/tgb.
Coming up....
The Ecostage Framework, a set of practical tools for embedding ecological thinking into creative practice, launches with an online event on Wed 18 March 6pm. Sign up here.
If you want to find our more about the UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard mentioned above, there's a series of webinars unpacking the work, beginning with a session about "Understanding the Standard" on Thu 19 March 11am. Details here.
We've just announced a new set of dates for our regular, free introductory webinars to help you get started using Theatre Green Book and its key tools. The next Production Calculator webinar is on Wed 25 Mar 2-3pm and the Theatre Green Book Introduction webinar is Wed 15 Apr 12-1pm.
We also have a one-off webinars giving you a practical guide to how to get your organisation to Preliminary level on Thu 26 Mar 1-2pm. and on getting from Preliminary to Basic on Wed 22 April 3-4pm.
Set & Scene 2026 is a new cross-industry event bringing together professionals from film, TV, theatre, live events, and immersive design for a day of panels, live demonstrations, and networking. Taking place at Central Saint Martins, London on Sat 25 April, the event explores the intersection of traditional craft, emerging technologies, and sustainable production. For more details of the programme at to book tickets (£35 for the day for freelance professionals) click here.
For any past events you may have missed you can see our archive here.
Stories, learning and inspiration
- Collectif 17h25 is a consortium of five opera houses in France and Belgium that have been working together to develop a system of standard structures for the making and use of sets. This month, the consortium has published its standardised modular structure system "MOD 200". The tool makes it possible to build a reference grid based on a multiple of 200 mm, within which all technical elements of the sets can be harmonised and are compatible and interchangeable. Read more and download resources here.
- A case study from the RIBA journal about the use of sustainable materials in construction of the Old Vic's new Backstage building.
- How Wise Children partnered with Ecotricity to ensure fossil fuel-free power supply for The Lucky Chance, the company's new home.
Browse our resources and case studies
Thank you
Thank you for being part of the Theatre Green Book community. If you have events, stories or questions you'd like to share via this newsletter, do get in touch: admin@theatregreenbook.com
The Theatre Green Book team