Sustainable Rhythms: Study Finds Dutch Festival-Goers Eager to Offset Their Carbon Footprints

Dutch Festival-Goers Show Support for Carbon Offset Initiatives

Fatemeh Aghanassir, a Master of Business Management (MBM) student at Wittenborg, recently completed her thesis on 'Customer Involvement in Carbon Offset Programmes at Dutch Music Festivals'. Her research sheds light on the crucial role that the events industry – and, more specifically, music festivals – play in contributing to both cultural vibrancy and greenhouse gas emissions.

In her thesis abstract, Aghanassir, originally from Iran, emphasises the economic importance of the events industry. She notes that the sector has a significant impact on tourism, hospitality and entertainment, particularly in the Netherlands, where music festivals attract millions of visitors annually. However, she also points out that this sector releases substantial greenhouse gases, raising sustainability concerns and underscoring the need for actionable carbon reduction strategies.

To explore these concerns, Aghanassir’s study focused on factors that could motivate festival-goers to participate in carbon offset programmes. She designed and distributed a web-based questionnaire to a sample group of festival attendees, setting an age minimum of 16 and targeting both Dutch and international respondents. To qualify, participants either needed prior experience attending Dutch music festivals with plans to attend again or a stated interest in attending a Dutch festival in the future. This focus group approach allowed her to analyse the engagement of those with relevant experience or interest in the festival scene.

The survey garnered 124 valid responses, and Aghanassir used Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modelling (PLS-SEM) to process the data. Her research model, based on established studies, incorporated four hypotheses concerning the relationship between attendees' knowledge and attitudes toward carbon offset programmes. Her results confirmed a positive relationship between participants' subjective and objective knowledge and their attitude towards carbon offsetting. This attitude, in turn, showed a positive correlation with their desire and intent to participate in these programmes.

Aghanassir found that the more informed attendees were about carbon offsetting, the more likely they were to express both a desire and a strong intention to engage with such programmes. These insights suggest that increasing awareness about the environmental impact of festivals could be a powerful tool in driving carbon-conscious behaviour among attendees.

Reflecting on her research, Aghanassir advises students working on their final projects to choose topics relevant to their current country of residence, noting that research conducted in one’s immediate environment can yield more practical and insightful results. For her, the most rewarding part of the process was evaluating her findings and discovering the truth of her hypotheses.  

WUP 22/01/2024 
by Erene Roux 
©WUAS Press