Environmental responsibility

Ecological transition calls on us to rethink our practices at every level — artistic, technical, logistical, and relational. It is a way of embracing our responsibility as a cultural institution while keeping artistic creation at the heart of our mission.

Our approach is structured around four complementary pillars: increasing awareness, measuring, mobilising, and transforming.

Increasing awareness

The 2024–2025 season marks a major milestone in raising awareness within our teams: 82% of the Opéra’s staff have taken part in training or information sessions on ecological transition issues. These sessions, tailored to the diverse professions within the institution, foster a better understanding of the sector’s environmental impact and help identify concrete paths for progress.

Measuring

The Opéra national de Nancy-Lorraine is actively engaged in collective initiatives to better understand and quantify its environmental footprint. It has played a leading role in the steering committee led by AFO (French Orchestra Association), ROF (Association of French Opera Houses), the DGCA (Directorate-General for Artistic Creation), and BL Evolution, which developed a shared carbon assessment tool for opera and symphonic institutions.

In 2024, the Opéra conducted its first environmental impact assessment: 1,657 tonnes of CO₂ emissions, equivalent to the annual average emissions of 184 people in France. This carbon diagnosis helps identify the most effective levers for change and enables the design of realistic yet ambitious sustainability strategies.

Mobilising

Convinced that transformation requires dialogue, the Opéra promotes formats that foster critical thinking and exchange. A concert-conference was launched in 2024–2025 and will return in 2025–2026, creating spaces for shared reflection on ecological issues and building a bridge between culture and environmental awareness.

Transforming Our Practices

Lasting transformation lies in long-term choices, practical decisions, and collective effort. Four key areas are currently being addressed:

• Audience mobility: exploring sustainable travel options and improving geographic and scheduling accessibility for performances
• Building and energy performance: optimising facilities, promoting energy efficiency, and undertaking progressive renovations
• Creative processes (sets, costumes, props): focusing on reuse, sharing resources, and responsible sourcing
• Internal operations: project governance, daily logistics, procurement policies, and production and communication tools

This approach is driven in part by an internal Sustainability Workshop, which serves as a hub for monitoring, proposing, and testing new ideas. It is also part of a broader dynamic: the Opéra is an active member of several environmentally engaged networks, including ARVIVA, REDITEC, ROF, AFO, and Opera Europa. It is also closely involved with the 17h25 collective and contributes to the "Sustainable Innovative Destination" label awarded to the Grand Nancy Métropole and Destination Nancy.

Above all, this commitment is grounded in a shared awareness: the cultural sector accounts for 3% of France’s GDP — the same as agriculture. Its impact is real, and even greater when it comes to shifting symbolic representations. The stories we tell can help inspire new ways of being and acting — towards a more sustainable world.

Contact

Elise Némoz, Director of Civic Engagement
elise.nemoz@opera-nancy.fr