Arenas from across the globe have demonstrated their commitment to sustainability in 2025 by achieving AGF’s Greener Arena Certification. Recipients include Ancienne Belgique, Brussels (BE), Co-op Live, Manchester (UK), M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (UK) and AsiaWorld-Expo (HK).
Receiving certification for a fourth time are Forest Green Rovers FC, “the world’s greenest football club,” according to the UN. For the third time Glasgow’s OVO Hydro, (the first-ever arena to obtain the certification in 2021). For the second time London’s ABBA Voyage are also certified.
AGF (A Greener Future) is a not-for-profit dedicated to making the global event sector greener. To be certified, venues undertake a thorough assessment using the AGF Framework with self-assessment, site visits, and post-event evidence submitted to AGF’s assessors for an independent auditors’ report. The AGF Framework includes 11 key themes, including local environments, community, travel, food, energy, water, waste, EDI, and governance.
Arenas making the grade in 2025:
Greener Arena certification – Outstanding
Forest Green Rovers FC’s The New Lawn, Stroud (UK)
Greener Arena certification – Highly Commended
Co-op Live, Manchester (UK)
M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool (UK)
Greener Arena certification – Commended
OVO Hydro, Glasgow (UK)
Greener Arena certifications – Improvers
ABBA Voyage (UK)
Ancienne Belgique, Brussels (BE)
AO Arena, Manchester (UK)
AsiaWorld-Expo (HK)
P&J Live, Aberdeen (UK)
Claire O’Neill, CEO, AGF said: “Venues are the backbone of the live indoor sector and touring circuit. The more venues that take sustainability seriously, the more artists have a song sheet to sing from that connects with their values and perpetuates a greener event sector for everyone. Hats off to the greener arenas and venues who made the grade in 2025.”
Dane Vince, Forest Green Rovers CEO said: “We are proud to receive this Outstanding Greener Arena award, as we strive to lead the way with innovative and sustainable solutions, in line with our mission as the worlds greenest football club. As an environmental conscious business, we aim to inspire and educate more organisations to help protect the planet and be part of a Green Britain.”
Eddie Dos Santos, Director of Operations and Venue Management at the ACC Liverpool Group, said: “To see the M&S Bank Arena recognised alongside other leaders in sustainability is incredibly rewarding. Our journey has been rooted in making meaningful, measurable change – whether that’s rethinking how we power our events, reducing waste at scale, or working closely with our audiences and partners to protect our local environment. Earning this accreditation reinforces that our approach is working, and it motivates us to keep pushing further. We’re proud to represent Liverpool in this movement and to show that venues like ours can set a positive example for the industry.”
Sara Tomkins, Sustainability & CSR Director, Co-op Live: “We are delighted to see Co-op Live’s focus on giving back to the planet recognised by A Greener Future, testament to the innovative efforts placed in our design, supply chain, and daily operations. Sustainability sits at the very heart of the venue, leading industry-wide conversation on reducing the live entertainment industry’s carbon footprint. We continue to encourage ourselves, our friends, partners, and peers to strive for meaningful positive impact, and indeed a better future.”
A certification ceremony will take place as a part of the International AGF Awards 2026 ceremony, which is held during the Green Events & Innovations (GEI18) Conference, in partnership with the International Live Music Conference (ILMC), on 24th February in London.
Arenas who achieve certification are automatically nominated for the International AGF Awards. The event is sponsored by Skydiamond and will feature the most innovative and green-aspiring global events, venues, organisations, and individuals from the last 12 months. Awards include the International Greener Festival Award, supported by Earth Positive Future, the Greener Power Award, supported by GeoPura, and the Greener Arena Award. The shortlist of nominees will be announced in January.
Last year’s roll call included 34 nominees from 14 countries, with nine taking home one of the prestigious awards.
There are more arenas, festivals, and events currently completing their assessments, which will be announced in due course. Applications for 2026 assessments are open. Find out more information and apply here.
Notes to Editors:
About AGF Certification
AGF Certification has been developed over 18 years in consultation with hundreds of events, event services, suppliers, and sustainability experts across the key areas assessed. Each application involves a detailed self-assessment, on-site independent audit, post-event supporting evidence analysis, and improvement recommendations. The assessment includes 11 categories: Governance & Systems, Local Environments, Local Community, Travel & Transport, Energy & Power, Procurement, Food & Beverage, Waste & Recycling, Water & Sanitation, External Reach & Behaviour Change, and Carbon Footprint.
To be awarded AGF Certification, events must apply for an assessment and provide evidence, such as fuel or electricity and water usage, waste transfer notes, transport measurements, procurements policies and traceability, and survey data. Applicants also need to address set requirements, and based on their performance against these, can be given the following grades: Improver, Commended, Highly Commended, and Outstanding. Assessments are completed by trained sustainable-event auditors and recommendations are made for improvements year on year. https://www.agreenerfuture.com/
About A Greener Future
AGF is a not-for-profit company committed to helping events, festivals, and venues around the world towards sustainability. AGF provides certification, education/training, consultancy, resources, and green riders, facilitating the exchange and implementation of good ideas. They share information about how environmentally efficient methods are currently being employed at events and how environmental impact can be limited at future events. They offer independent assessment and verification of sustainability claims through the AGF Certification for festivals, venues, tours, and events; plus, sustainability diagnosis and detailed carbon footprinting. www.agreenerfuture.com
About GEI
GEI is the foremost conference for sustainability for the events sector organised in partnership with the world’s leading platform for the live music and entertainment sector, the International Live Music Summit (ILMC) www.agreenerfuture.com/gei
Contact:
Nikki McNeill | Global Publicity
nikki@globalpublicity.co.uk