A carbon footprint analysis was done at World Village Festival 2009, measuring the event’s strain on the environment. A carbon footprint indicates the amount of greenhouse gas emissions from different products and activities.

World Village Festival’s direct carbon footprint for 2009 was 109 tons of carbon dioxide (TCO2). This only includes the festival’s direct emissions. The festival’s single largest environmental strain was transportation. 88% of the emissions were caused by transporting guests and artists, as well as logistical transportation. Still, 109 tons of emissions for a two-day event with 65000 people is a small amount.

The indirect carbon footprint per festival visitor (which includes the direct carbon footprint as well as the indirect ones caused by the exhibitors’ logistics, the food and the products) was 3,39 kgCO2. The average Finn’s daily carbon footprint is about 35 kgCO2, meaning that the event was 10% of a festival-goer’s average everyday footprint. With this amount, the visitor commuted to the festival grounds, enjoyed quality music, ate a healthy and delicious meal, and perhaps purchased some products. 3,4 kgCO2 per visitor amounts to the same as driving a car for 20 km, 2 hamburgers, 2 litres of milk, or a kilo of pork.
 

Carbon Footprint Analysis (pdf in Finnish)