ITGWO is on its way to being climate positive but is certainly not there yet. However, since 2023, the festival has been offsetting its ‘unavoidable residual emissions’ by utilizing high-quality and stable natural CO2e storage. 

ITGWO does not see this as sufficient or a final solution, but rather as a temporary necessity as long as there are still ‘unavoidable residual emissions’ and the operations are not yet completely emission-free. So it is also very clear that this can only happen in combination with a rigorous emission reduction plan and execution.

This is done in collaboration with Climate Cleanup’s ONCRA and Scature. They ensure that Dutch regenerative farmers can certify the carbon they have locked into the soil for years and sell it to parties like ITGWO in a transparent and fair manner. This not only locks carbon long-term into the soil but also creates healthy and biodiverse agricultural land, and allows farmers to build a better business case. In this way, ITGWO can capture its carbon back through its Transition Fund and help build the new agricultural economy.

Costs per ton in 2025 are once again set at €90,- per ton CO2e. A relatively high carbon price creates a strong internal incentive for reducing CO2e emissions in its own operations since every ton of CO2e emitted costs the festival €90,- and this can also be invested on the prevention side. 

This works like a self-reinforcing transition to continuously lower emissions and thus to a climate-positive festival and world.