At the beginning of the 1990s, Mauricio Lizarazo Prada experienced his first major concert as a teenager - Paul McCartney - and was deeply impressed: vegetarian offerings and a drastic, cinematic display of animal testing on stage. On the one hand, this was the first time he came into contact with these issues, and on the other, a fundamental idea was imprinted on his mind: Culture, and music events in particular, can be used to create awareness and help shape social transformation with selected messages.

The idea of designing a kind of digital platform for players in the event industry that could be used to easily plan more sustainable music events came to Mauricio during his many years working as tour management service Pachamama Culture. Such a tool should make it possible to avoid or at least reduce emissions in the planning and production of events with little effort and make it clear that the cost-benefit ratio of music events can be optimized. From the outset, the aim was to understand sustainability as a three-dimensional construct (ecological, economic and social).

In spring 2022, fueled by the pandemic situation, the project became concrete: Mauricio, with a university background in business administration and music business, brought Josephine Doepner (BA Social Sciences, responsible for general project organization) and Alicia Pfeifer (Communications Manager; responsible for external communications and social media) into the team. This interdisciplinary collaboration was complemented by a similar background of extensive experience in the - largely subcultural - event scene in and around Berlin, be it in a club context or at festivals. Among other things, these were experienced as places of experimentation and collectivity.

These experiences should be bundled as much as possible, especially with regard to the implementation of individual sustainable approaches: In the form of an app, which would combine a CO₂ calculator tailored to event areas with a directory for best-practice providers and serve sustainable networking.

CO₂ calculation and social sustainability

It quickly became clear that the initial focus on CO₂ in the Eco Check must not distract from other environmental pollution and destruction contexts, as well as other relevant areas such as resource management, biodiversity, and social fairness. Our shared belief is that neither CO₂ offset measures nor a "business as usual in green" approach—much less greenwashing—can do justice to the status quo. Regarding the CO₂ calculation, there is no claim to completeness or scientific perfection (more details can be found in our Transparency Declaration).

Instead, we pursue a practical approach aimed at quickly translating existing knowledge into practice and making it effectively usable for Tool users. At this point, we thank graphic designer Hebert Asprilla Cardenas, who has actively supported us in UX design. We also thank Laura Sielenkemper for her UX/UI input and visual implementation of the concepts during the development of the Social Compass and the icons used for the four areas of social sustainability.

In this context, we also want to examine the central social dimension of sustainability more closely. Two levels of social sustainability are particularly important: on the one hand, working conditions and consumption structures; on the other hand, the cultural economy has the potential to motivate audiences and inspire active reflection. Changes in event operations can be perceived as restrictions and may meet resistance. Therefore, it is crucial to emphasize the opportunities and added value, thinking positively about change and implementing it constructively. More on this can also be found in our Transparency Declaration.

Music C•A•R•E•S needs you — future-oriented people from the music industry

The proactive inclusion of music professionals is at the core of this effort. The Provider Directory aims to promote collaboration with local, regional, and small to medium-sized suppliers and service providers (including those outside the industry).

Our goal is to raise awareness and sensitivity around the topic of sustainability while simultaneously providing concrete support for action. By integrating realistic and quickly implementable criteria, we aim to create a leverage effect for immediate emission reductions and the direct implementation of sustainable work models in the cultural sector. However, it cannot be expected that smaller, non-commercial but socially valuable venues will overhaul their entire infrastructure with sustainable yet costly innovations. Here, sponsors, targeted subsidies from politics, and structural measures—such as training sustainable event professionals and legal frameworks that not only regulate and prohibit but also allow and enable new, creative solutions—are necessary.

Decisions in event planning are therefore also a matter of mindset: organizers, venue owners, bookers, and audiences must be willing to accept short-term higher costs or greater organizational effort, with the awareness that these investments are ultimately worthwhile. An investment-driven rather than purely consumption-driven behavior is crucial here. We know that the platform does not offer a comprehensive solution and that the linear economy must be fundamentally rethought. From the very first discussions and decisions around this project, it became clear that contradictions and complexity will not be rare in this process.

In other words: It requires conscious decisions, guided by sufficiency as the main principle, focusing on progressive social potential. Therefore, we also advocate for holding smaller, local events that are less resource-intensive and less frequent.

The initial implementation of the concept in the form of a pilot version was made possible through funding from the Initiative Musik. The confirmation of EU-wide LIVEMX funding has allowed us to continue working on Music C•A•R•E•S since November 2024.

The pilot version 2.0 currently offers:

• A CO₂ calculator (Eco Check) for the exemplar planning of a single show, covering four areas of event planning: mobility, location, catering, and merchandise.
• A user survey on social sustainability (Social Compass) for a more nuanced assessment of the cost-benefit ratio and social potential of music events.
• Improved usability, accessibility, and transparency.
• An expanded provider directory featuring selected companies, institutions, and individuals (EU-wide) based on specific criteria.

It is recommended to use these tools before, during, and after the event planning process. Ideally, they will be used repeatedly—such as for series of events—allowing for the collection of data and experiences, as well as setting and evaluating goals. As a complement to the calculations and information on areas where more sustainable actions are possible and the key factors to consider, targeted searches for suitable providers are also a central element.

We are currently working on developing a concept to ensure that the platform and tools can continue to be offered for free or at the most affordable, fair prices possible in the future. In the long term, we also plan to enable the planning of tours and festivals with our tool. For now, we wish you lots of fun exploring and trying out Music C•A•R•E•S, and hope that it can assist you until “think global, act local” becomes a reality!