Sustainable development
Because the Festival d'été de Québec dreams of thrilling festival-goers for many more years to come, the organization has implemented sustainable development initiatives, both on-site and year-round, thanks to the involvement of an interdepartmental green committee.
- Obtained Biosphere Certification
- Ongoing collaboration with Planetair since 2014
- Promotion of our sustainability initiatives during the event and year-round (website, communications, publications, etc.)
- Ongoing dialogue with food vendors to prioritize local products, and with all suppliers to encourage the adoption of sustainable practices within their organizations.
- Working toward carbon balance since 2014 by offsetting part of the event’s GHG emissions through the purchase of Gold Standard carbon credits via Planetair
- Collaboration with Qualiplus and Stratzer Environmental Strategies
- Installation of numerous garbage and recycling bins on-site, as well as the creation of an on-site sorting center during the event
- Efforts to reduce the number of disposable cups by encouraging the sale of beverages in cans
- Development of a custom machine to wash and decontaminate cans, ensuring a clean recycling stream
- Multiple water fountains installed on-site, and encouragement for festivalgoers, staff, and technicians to bring reusable bottles
- All FEQ venues are located in the heart of Québec City and within walking distance. Festivalgoers are encouraged to bike (Desjardins bike parking areas) or use public transportation (RTC’s FestiBUS) to get to the sites
- Reuse of construction materials and decor elements for site installations
- Full site restoration after the event: cleaning, waste removal, reseeding grass, and planting shrubs as needed
- A wide variety of food options, including vegetarian and vegan meals from local restaurants
- All unclaimed lost and found items are donated to local organizations (e.g. YMCA in 2024)
- Creation of the Effet Rassembleur initiative, supporting organizations that combat social isolation
- Free admission for children ages 0 to 10, except on nights when passes are required for all attendees for safety reasons
- Free access, no pass required, to shows at the Hydro-Québec Stage (Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale) and the Crave Stage (Place D’Youville), helping make culture more accessible to all
- Poupon Zone (nursing and relaxation area) at Place de l’Assemblée-Nationale
- Accessibility features on all sites: viewing zones for people with reduced mobility, access ramps, adapted restrooms, and pass-throughs
- Implementation of La BRIGADE, in collaboration with CALACS Québec and the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, to ensure all festivalgoers can celebrate in a safe environment
- FEQ Hope Award, presented by the Government of Québec, to support and encourage the next generation of music artists
Destination Québec City has created an awesome user-friendly tool to calculate and offset your carbon footprint related to your visit to the Festival d'été de Québec. Give it a try!
Thanks to multiple efforts to offer an increasingly sustainable event, the FEQ has achieved the 17 Sustainable Development Goals and thus earned this distinction!
The Festival is also part of the first cohort of Destination Québec Cité, which aims to support businesses in transitioning to environmentally and community-friendly tourism.
