We care about the environment and are committed to its protection; however, we are aware that our festival causes emissions: energy costs incurred by our partner theatres for electricity and heat, the nation-wide tours of the companies, and audiences travelling to venues.

Our Ecological Footprint

For Steps 2022 and 2024, the environmental impact of the festival format was analyzed by external experts. Reports with the key findings detail how the approximately 160 tons of greenhouse gas emissions from the 2022 edition and 144 tons from the 2024 edition are composed. What became evident: With an average of around 10 kg, the emissions per visit to Steps were lower than those of a restaurant visit where meat was consumed.

Our Strategy

We strive to further reduce our ecological footprint. For Steps 2026 we have further adjusted refined our measures. Thanks to the analyses, we better understand where we can take action.

With a Little Help from the Theatres

Since we do not organize the dance performances ourselves, we are limited to indirectly influence certain areas. We work closely with our partner theatres to develop strategies for creating more sustainable events. reflector’s “Green Guides” and its recommendations for a sustainable theatre industry have been a valuable resource in this endeavour.

With a Little Help from the Companies

The reduction of tour-related emissions is also a concern of the companies participating in Steps. We collected ideas for sustainable touring and published them in a guide. Steps and the companies commit to jointly selecting the most environmentally friendly and resource-efficient travel and accommodation options for the tour, within the scope of what is possible.

We want sustainable culture to be the new norm. We are convinced that we can reach this goal if we collectively continue to re-think, learn, and creatively develop new strategies.