Almost everything that humans do has an impact on the environment and the climate: the production of energy from fossil fuels, agriculture and land use, the construction of buildings, transport and mobility or the consumption of raw materials in a wide variety of industries that emit emissions and generate greenhouse gases through their processes. People leave carbon- _footprint with almost everything they do, which impacts climate change and global warming.
Of course, this also applies to all areas of life where people come together – and therefore also to culture. Opera houses, theatres, concert halls, cinemas and pop concerts generate emissions that impact the climate. And, of course, so do classical concerts. The audience has to come to the concert hall for the concerts, as do the musicians for the rehearsals – sometimes over short distances, sometimes by travelling long distances. The concert hall, the foyers, and the entire building must be heated, lit, cleaned, and maintained, and energy and water must be consumed. Last but not least, there is catering during the breaks, with products, drinks, and waste produced for this purpose.

All of this is not without consequences for the climate. In view of climate change, a key question for the future is therefore how to make classical music operations as climate-friendly as possible. How can the opportunities for climate protection be realized as well as possible within the given framework conditions?

The Musikverein would like to contribute to these important questions and is therefore dedicating a separate programme focus to them: in the “Zero?” festival, which poses the question, somewhat pointedly in its title, of whether classical concerts could also be realized in such a way that their impact on the climate is “zero” – or at least as low as realistically possible. The festival provides answers and information on this, with insights into measures and strategies of the classical music industry and the Musikverein to address climate protection and make their activities more climate-friendly within the scope of their possibilities. What are the leading causes of emissions from classical concert operations? What levers for improvement can be applied, for example, in the Musikverein building or with the artists or the audience? What is achievable, what is not, what can the future look like? Insights into the climate issue that affects us all are embedded in a musical program with works that also refer to nature and the environment. The program includes discussions with experts on the topic, outstanding examples of other cultural event organizers who have developed clever ways to reduce their carbon _footprint, and a drummer who has performed an entire concert tour in a virtually climate-neutral way: on a bicycle.