The Play Green! Recommendations are designed to support the green transition of the higher music education (HME) sector, responding to the needs and practices of AEC members, higher music education institutions, and the wider music community.
Rather than strict guidelines, these recommendations offer practical advice on how institutions can make their operations, events, and projects more environmentally friendly. They also explore how the educational, research, and artistic dimensions of HME can contribute to addressing climate change.
The recommendations focus on two thematic areas:
- Embedding environmental sustainability in the operations of HMEIs.
- Driving change towards the green transition – through learning & teaching, artistic practice, research, promotion, and communication.
Recognising the complexity of this issue, these recommendations do not attempt to provide definitive solutions. (Environmental) Sustainability is a broad and evolving topic, and responses will naturally differ across institutions, shaped by their national, regional, and cultural contexts, as well as financial realities. The diversity within AEC membership means that different institutions will have varying capacities to implement change.
The Play Green! recommendations for the green transition aim to:
- Offer concrete recommendations tailored specifically for the music education sector
- Be grounded in inspirational frameworks
- Transform learning environments through the promotion of interdisciplinary approaches
- Be inclusive, by offering ways of engaging entire institutional and local communities in sustainability efforts
Objectives of Play Green! recommendations are to address societal challenge of climate change & environmental sustainability by offering recommendations for actions that contribute to the reduction of CO2 emissions and other ways of contributing to answering the climate emergency that can be addressed particularly and creatively by the HME sector.
The examples of good practices included in this publication aim to encourage and inspire institutions to take action in ways that are meaningful and feasible for them. Even the simple act of engaging with this publication is a step towards a more sustainable future.
As a reflection of society, the music and cultural sectors both shape and mirror prevailing attitudes and practices. More importantly, given music’s communicative power, music professionals can serve as strong advocates for sustainable change, influencing behaviours and inspiring action.
