For the future
Saison 2024/2025 |
By being awarded the Austrian Ecolabel at the beginning of the year, the Vienna State Opera set a strong example for sustainability. This certification recognizes the opera house's comprehensive commitment to sustainability, environmental protection and resource conservation.
In recent years, the Vienna State Opera has taken numerous measures to reduce its ecological footprint. Although it is a listed, historic building and the structural implementation in particular therefore poses major challenges, it has succeeded in reducing its energy consumption by 21% since 2017 alone.
The measures already implemented include
- Introduction of a certified energy management system (ISO 50001:2018)
- Introduction of district heating and district cooling
- Gradual conversion of lighting to energy-efficient LED lighting, both in the building and on the stage
- Reduction of outdoor and indoor lighting times
- Effective waste separation through a modern waste management concept
- Partial reuse of backdrops from abandoned productions through collaboration with the Wert:Stoff initiative
- Conversion of all printed materials to sustainable paper
The award of the eco-label marks the starting signal for further innovative projects: Among other things, the prompt implementation of a high-performance photovoltaic system that generates renewable energy directly at the site is planned. Furthermore, the existing sustainability measures at the Ballet Academy and the new NEST venue will be introduced and the traditional Opera Ball will also undergo an ecological analysis.
"At the Vienna State Opera, sustainability is not just a word, but a core value to which we are fully committed. As one of the leading cultural institutions, we are aware of the responsibility we bear towards our environment. We want to show that cultural excellence and sustainable management can go hand in hand. Achieving the Austrian Ecolabel for music theater is therefore not only an award for us, but also an incentive to continue working consistently on the implementation of ecological measures and a significant step towards living up to our role model function in culture."