https://www.linnovatoire.fr/6-questions-a-alexandre-de-betak/
Dear Shaded Viewers,
I’ve known Alexandre de Betak since the very beginning of his career when he produced Balade de l’Amour in his early 20’s. Along with Etienne Russo’s Villa Eugenie the two show producers have made the most outstanding fashion shows in Paris and around the planet. Today Bureau Betak made the following statement and all I can say is Bravo.
“With the same revolutionary approach that has driven Alexandre de Betak and his teams for the past 30 years, Bureau Betak is now undertaking an impactful shift towards eco-conscious and responsible event production.
Beginning in 2020, Bureau Betak will be the first significant agency worldwide specializing in the fashion luxury sector to receive ISO 20121 certification for sustainable event management. Every fashion show, exhibition and event overseen by Bureau Betak’s offices in New York, Paris and Shanghai will be conceived and executed with a commitment to the best practices of reducing environmental impact across its entire supply chain and production.
The action plan will consist of Ten Commandments (listed below), followed by a Manifesto that will be updated over time. Bureau Betak will also form a Do Tank committee: an advisory board comprised of committed thought-leaders (including but not limited to environmental specialists, NGO representatives, designers, heads of fashion and luxury houses, and media), who can help develop sustainability awareness and initiatives towards the future of fashion shows and events.
Several concrete measures are already in place with clear targets set for others over the coming years. Effective immediately, 100 percent of sets will be repurposed and 100 percent of waste will be recycled. There will be zero tolerance for single-use plastics, while clean energy will be sourced through contracts with utility companies that connect to the city’s power (such as Enercoop in France), or when necessary, provided by generators running on renewable bio fuel such as colza oil.
With some 100 events produced annually, Bureau Betak is pledging a 25 percent reduction in total CO2 emissions, as well as a “1 percent for the planet” contribution built into all contracts, by 2021 – the same year that the agency aims to receive B CORP certification.
A Sustainable Development Policy has been created to outline, uphold and communicate the key challenges that Bureau Betak is addressing as an ISO 20121-certified creative agency. Economic, environmental and social parameters will be applied rigorously and with transparency in order to further mobilize stakeholders, suppliers and external collaborators.
Bureau Betak, moreover, will ask suppliers to acknowledge and sign a Responsible Purchasing Charter, which establishes a baseline compliance for CSR; environmentally and socially- conscious products and services; working conditions that respect physical and moral wellbeing; health and safety regulations; waste management and more.
While this commitment marks a major shift in the entire cycle of a fashion event – factoring in upcycling/recycling of sets, energy use, backstage provisions, travel, distribution of post- show materials – it represents the inevitable progression of a business that has been conscious and ethically-minded for some time. Given the scope of these initiatives, the agency realizes the risk that this poses to relationships with clients and vendors. However, Bureau Betak hopes to lead by example, such that the ephemeral nature of fashion events becomes an opportunity to develop and implement innovative thinking and better practices throughout the industry.
A REDUCED CARBON FOOTPRINT IS JUST THE BEGINNING:
BUREAU BETAK COMMITS TO THE FOLLOWING TEN COMMANDMENTS
- ECO-CONSCIOUS DESIGN : INTEGRATE SUSTAINABILITY INTO THE DESIGN
AND PRODUCTION OF ALL FASHION EVENTS
• The entire cycle of a production will be as sustainable as possible while meeting the creativeand practical needs of the client.
• Bureau Betak will propose eco-conscious design solutions and responsible practices for every showand event. - REUSE MATERIALS THROUGHOUT PRODUCTION• Maximum effort will go into minimizing impact. Reusing materials will become standard procedure. This includes re-using existing décor (furniture, props, artistic designs); renting stage elements; or reducing the necessity to build from zero.
- UP-CYCLE AND REDISTRIBUTE TO GIVE A SECOND LIFE TO SET DECOR AND MATERIALS• Bureau Betak will give a second life to materials whenever possible. Following an event, anything in good condition that is no longer needed will be packed up and donated to local arts and social associations that specialize in redistribution.
- SORTING AND RECYCLING OF WASTE• Materials that cannot be used again will be sorted on site and sent to adapted recycling facilities or else composted in the case of food and organic waste.
- NO SINGLE-USE PLASTIC : ELIMINATE SINGLE-USE PLASTIC AND INSTALL WATER FOUNTAINS• Bureau Betak will stop providing single-use water bottles, cups, cutlery, coverings and more.
• Those working on sets will be supplied with refillable water bottles, and water fountains will be installedon site and backstage for the duration of a project. - RESPONSIBLE CATERING : OFFER RESPONSIBLE MEALS AND MINIMIZE FOOD WASTE• Bureau Betak will propose local and seasonal food in compostable and sustainable packaging. • Untouched meals will be immediately redistributed to people in need.
- GREEN ENERGY : MINIMIZE FOSSIL FUEL USE• Bureau Betak will work with cities to directly connect to their power grid via green contracts, such as Enercoop in France.• When generators are necessary, they will run on renewable bio-fuel (such as colza oil) instead of traditional fossil fuels.
- REDUCE TRAVEL : TRAVEL EFFICIENTLY AND REDUCE NON-ESSENTIAL FLYING• Bureau Betak will scale back air travel, especially for pre-production meetings when video conferencing is a viable alternative.• As shows will continue to take place in remote locations, travel remains essential for location scouting; however, Bureau Betak will still aim to reduce flying whenever possible.• Bureau Betak will work with clients to conceive efficient, impactful destination shows that make a stronger creative statement while reducing the number of guests who must travel.
- 100 PERCENT CARBON OFFSET : IMPLEMENT OPERATIONAL CARBON COMPENSATION• Travel carbon footprint will be calculated for every project in order to determine compensation through offsets. Offsets will be compensated to Pur Project at the high end of industry practices.
- CONTRIBUTE : ENFORCE “ONE PERCENT FOR THE PLANET” DONATION• Budgets will start to reflect this movement, which pledges ongoing international support to environmental initiatives. This contribution will become the new normal across all projects.
