Arena Group moved fencing a total of over 1,000 miles to Newcastle Quayside. That single supplier produced 1.5 tonnes CO2e, more than the food, energy and waste of the whole event combined. Total footprint 14.6 tonnes.
Red Bull · Newcastle Quayside · Newcastle, UK · 2024 · Sport and live events · Consultancy
2024 was the first time Tyne Ride ran on Newcastle Quayside, a location that allowed free access for every attendee. Red Bull commissioned a measured footprint covering the categories under event control, plus a supplier assessment and a waste and catering audit. The commercial reason was comparability: Red Bull is building a picture across its UK event portfolio, and a city centre event on a public quayside behaves differently from a mountain event. The brief was to measure it on the same basis so the two could be read side by side.
Nineteen suppliers were surveyed and 74% completed a sustainability information form, each asked for journey origin, distance, vehicle and load, crew numbers and overnight stays. Logistics was broken down per supplier rather than reported as a single line, which is how the fencing journey surfaced: Arena Group's movements were logged as separate legs and totalled over 1,000 miles. Catering was measured by weight, by protein type and by point of purchase. Energy was metered at the generator. Waste was weighed by stream. Materials were audited on site during the build: the course was recorded as 100% reusable or natural materials, mainly timber, soil and reused shipping containers. On-course graphics were originally specified in PVC. That was identified during the event and changed mid-event to ALUFLOOR, a printable aluminium graphic with no PVC content and full recyclability.
The fencing. Arena Group's transport accounted for 1.5 tonnes CO2e, 26.35% of all logistics carbon, on journeys totalling over 1,000 miles, while logistics as a whole was 59.87% of the footprint. The food, energy and waste at the event came to 510.83kg combined. One supplier's fencing produced more carbon than all three together. Two gaps matter: production machinery data including diggers and soil moving equipment was not supplied, so the on-site machinery figure does not carry it, and water use was not collected at all. Neither can be estimated, so neither is claimed.
14.6 tonnes CO2e across seven categories, the equivalent of driving 73,000 miles. Logistics 8,752.61kg (59.87%), accommodation 2,323.00kg (15.89%), on-site machinery 2,055.46kg (14.06%), travel 976.68kg (6.68%), food 498.87kg (3.41%), energy 8.47kg (0.06%), waste 3.49kg (0.02%). 238 litres of HVO gave a generator figure of 12.35kg CO2e, over 70 times less than standard diesel, 589kg avoided. 0.5 tonnes of waste, zero to landfill, 59% recycled. 19 suppliers, all UK, averaging 40 miles, 32% holding third-party assured certification. Zero red meat served. Excluded: attendee travel and accommodation, production machinery data, build and signage, merchandise, social media. Water data not collected. Indicative, calculated in house, not independently audited.
IPS (power), Remondis (waste), Gig-a-Bite (catering), DAT Events, Arena Group (fencing). ALUFLOOR aluminium graphics, substituted mid-event.