Leeds event specialists First Event kick of sustainability drive with commitment of 500 hours to community projects

Leeds-based event specialists First Event have dedicated their time to mark Earth Day on 22nd April. Supporting both a commitment to positively impact local communities alongside a renewed mission to improve the sustainability of the organisation, First Event have set their sights on taking a leading role in sustainability in the events industry; calling on fellow operators to work with them on setting new industry standards by 2030.

65 employees spent the day volunteering across a wide array of community ventures, from cleaning up the streets with Litter Pick Leeds and giving Bradford North Food Bank a refreshed look with repurposed paints from Leeds-based social enterprise Seagulls, to bucket collecting for Bradford Neonatal Unit.

The Yeadon-based, employee-owned business have established this volunteer drive as the start of a significant shift toward including sustainability improvements alongside their standard performance metrics like profit, growth and employee satisfaction, with the company actively incorporating more sustainable practices into its operations. 

It was the company’s implementation of mandatory two-day Carbon Literacy Training from The Carbon Literacy Project for all employees that started this initiative. First Event, now recognised as a Carbon Literate organisation, has conducted its own carbon report, revised its ESG policy and incorporated a structured sustainability strategy within its business practice. On a practical level, wherever possible, all of First Events volunteering opportunities are focused on carbon reduction and education.

On top of this, First Event has recently worked with the leading provider of event sustainability and responsibility data, event:decision, to assess their events across environmental responsibility, social value, and governance. This enables them to benchmark performance and track progress over time in order to support informed decision-making whilst demonstrating credibility and transparency. With international events incurring an inevitable environmental toll, the Leeds team are relishing the challenge of working with event:decision to ensure next year’s report shows a significant decline in the company’s carbon footprint.

“First Event’s engagement shows how agencies can use data and insight to drive better outcomes for clients,” said Matt Grey at event:decision. “Responsible events are not about ticking boxes – they’re about making informed choices that align delivery with purpose, quality, and long-term value.” 

Recognising that having these initiatives in place is just the start, First Event aims to become one of the leaders in sustainability in this space. However, they also recognise that they cannot effect change alone. As such, First Event is encouraging event organisers to follow suit and adopt similar sustainability strategies as an industry standard. This includes recognising the need to refine, improve and develop these strategies in order to continue minimising the environmental impact of the events industry.

“While Earth Day is just one day each year, we know we need to act each and every day,” said Max, Head of Tech & Innovation and ESG Lead at First Event. “Sustainability has to be embedded in how we operate, not added on. From volunteering in our communities to strengthening our carbon reporting and ESG strategy, we’re taking real, measurable action. We’re proud of the progress so far, but this is bigger than us. We’re calling on the events industry to step up, collaborate, and commit to meaningful, measurable change.”

For more information, please visit: https://www.firstevent.co.uk/sustainability-at-first-event/

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