Sustainability at Dutch National Opera & Ballet

At Dutch National Opera & Ballet, we are committed to creating art in a sustainable way. We recapture and reuse our sets and costumes where we can, we make sustainability improvements to our buildings and we are working on reducing our carbon footprint. We are even working on attracting a sparrow colony to one of our buildings!

Photo: Ronald Tilleman

Moving towards a sustainable future

Dutch National Opera & Ballet (DNO&B) has the ambition to enrich the lives of as many people as possible with the wonder and beauty of opera and ballet. Because we want both this and future generations to be able to enjoy the magic of our performances, sustainability has been a core value for DNO&B for many years. Also, climate concerns play an increasingly important role in how the creators we partner up with go about their work.

Our primary focus at this point is to make sustainability improvements to our buildings and to our opera and ballet productions. We are also working on reducing our carbon footprint.

We are a dynamic organisation that is constantly in development. It takes a lot to become more sustainable; every step you take leads to the next. That can be challenging, but is a source of inspiration at the same time. We learn from everything we do and adjust our procedures accordingly. We are committed and driven, not just when it comes to creating great art, but also in our sustainability effort.

BREEAM

Our sustainability drive is based on the BREEAM method. BREEAM is an internationally recognised measure of the sustainability of buildings and business practices. In 2019, DNO&B was the very first theatre in the Netherlands to be awarded two BREEAM-NL certificates. We are proud of this achievement.

BREEAM

What is BREEAM?
BREEAM is an acronym for Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method. With BREEAM, we assess all kinds of sustainability-related aspects, for instance in our purchasing policy, our transport arrangements and our commitment to biodiversity.

In 2019, DNO&B was the very first theatre in the Netherlands to be awarded two BREEAM-NL certificates. We were recertified for three categories, i.e. building, management and use, in 2022. That is rather unique, not just because BREEAM raises the bar higher than the authorities do, but also because our theatre was built in the 1980s, which means that there are sustainability challenges to overcome.

We have been awarded a new BREEAM-NL certificate for our Production Workshop in 2023. In 2019, both the theatre building and the Production Workshop were rated ‘Good’. While this was a great result at the time, the Production Workshop managed to achieve a ‘Very Good’ rating in 2023, despite stricter assessment criteria. This marks a 20% improvement in our overall rating from 2019 to 2023.

Learn more about BREEAM-NL

Productions

Reusable sets and costumes and environmentally friendly materials: sustainability considerations are increasingly gaining traction in our opera and ballet productions.

Theater van Nationale Opera & Ballet in de avond

Buildings

We are working tirelessly to implement sustainability improvements in our theatre and the Production Workshop, for instance by installing solar panels, using green power and LED lighting, and planting an insect-friendly garden.

Business practices

Our business practices are the procedures that allow us to undertake our activities. We separate our waste and dispose of it by electric boat, offer a greener menu, and have embraced emission-free travel. We are also reducing our impact here.