For the second year in a row, Roskilde Festival Group (RFG) has published Aftryk (Impact), our report on sustainable development. The report brings together data and insights across four bottom lines – artistic, environmental, social and economic. But its greatest value does not lie in the numbers alone. It lies in what happens when sustainability becomes something we return to year after year, and when reporting begins to shape the choices that follow.
The first year was primarily about creating the format: establishing indicators, developing data collection practices, and building a shared language across the organisation. The second year has been more about what comes next — the learning, and how measurements begin to influence the way we prioritise, collaborate and make decisions in everyday work.
As a recurring part of the annual rhythm, the report makes it easier to track development over time, identify patterns, and ask sharper questions about what sustainable development actually requires in practice.
The biggest learning is that we’ve become much more aware of which data actually tells us whether we’re moving in the right direction — and how we can quickly collaborate across the organisation to turn insights into something we can act on.
– Sanne Stephansen, Head of Sustainability, RFG
Seen over several years, it becomes easier to understand where efforts are making a real difference — and where the transition is more difficult than expected. In this way, Aftryk becomes more than a yearly summary; it becomes a tool that helps us understand what to hold on to and where to adjust course.
One of the most valuable aspects of publishing Aftryk is the ability to observe development over time. This makes it easier to understand where long-term efforts are working — and where reality proves to be more complex.
Some results clearly show that systematic choices make a difference. The high share of organic food, for example, demonstrates how partnerships and sustained prioritisation can shift practice. At the same time, the development of our CO₂ footprint is more complex, reminding us that sustainable transformation rarely follows a straight line. And it is often where the data doesn’t provide easy answers that the most important conversations begin.
Our CO₂ footprint doesn’t necessarily increase because we’re doing worse. It can also be a sign that we’ve become better at measuring reality more precisely — and therefore gain a more honest understanding of where emissions and challenges actually lie.
– Sanne Stephansen, Head of Sustainability, RFG
Sustainable development is not just about making all curves point in the same direction. It is about understanding the mechanisms driving change, the trade-offs that arise, and the new questions we need to ask ourselves.
After the second year, it is clear that Aftryk has become more than a report. It holds the potential to evolve into a tool that actively supports how we work and make decisions.
As a recurring part of the organisation’s annual cycle, sustainability also begins to shape internal conversations. Discussions are increasingly grounded in concrete data and experiences rather than assumptions, making it easier to surface priorities, dilemmas and next steps. It creates a shared language and understanding of the choices the organisation faces, and clarifies where efforts are making a real impact.
At the same time, the picture of sustainability becomes more nuanced. At RFG, it is not only about the environment, but also about communities, artistic value and economic responsibility and investment. Through the four bottom lines, it becomes clearer how different considerations interact, pull in different directions, and sometimes create new dilemmas.
It is often within these tensions that the most important insights emerge — revealing what sustainable development actually requires when ambitions are translated into concrete decisions.
There is also an important development in publishing Aftryk every year. Not only because it creates transparency externally, but because it sharpens our internal perspective.
Making our practices visible makes it easier to identify progress, blind spots, and the areas where transformation is still more challenging than anticipated. This leads to more honest conversations and provides a stronger foundation for adjusting course along the way.
It also requires a willingness not only to share what looks good, but also what remains difficult — and where answers have not yet been found.
I hope others can use Aftryk as inspiration — that you don’t need the perfect setup to get started. What matters is to begin somewhere. Even if the data isn’t complete, starting the process and generating insights can unlock action and make the next steps clearer.
– Sanne Stephansen, Head of Sustainability, RFG
As transparency becomes a recurring practice, Aftryk becomes more than documentation. It becomes a way of working — a way to return to practice, ask better questions, and use past experiences to make better decisions about what comes next.
In this way, transparency is not only something we do for others, but a method for continuously strengthening our ability to learn as an organisation.
Aftryk brings together our annual learnings, data and reflections on sustainable development across climate, communities, art and economy.
The report provides insight into how we work with four bottom lines, and how transparency and learning can strengthen decisions, priorities and next steps.
Photo credits:
Cover photo: Christian Solgaard
