Sustainability

In 2019, the Schaubühne was one of the first cultural institutions in Germany to draw up a carbon report as part of a pilot project organised by the German Federal Cultural Foundation. Since then, we have continued this annually and are constantly adding new categorie to it. For us, the carbon footprint forms the basis for analysing our environmental impact and is therefore the foundation of our sustainability concept and the starting point for planned measures. To this end, we also regularly collect data from employees and audiences on mobility: How do we move around the city and, ultimately, how do we both travel to the Schaubühne? And how can we work together to make our city and thus our surroundings less “traffic-heavy”? The results of these surveys can be clearly seen in the following graphs.

Here you can see the climate footprints since 2019 and the mobility results of the audience:

Net Zero in 7% Increments by 2034

Visitor Transportation

Climate Balance 2019–2023

Based on the categories of the carbon footprint report and expanded to include areas that cannot be summarised in data but are nevertheless important to us, the sustainability concept developed at the Schaubühne has four central fields of action: Facility, Production, Touring and Communication & Structure. In each of these areas, the aim is to achieve continuous improvement and reduce CO2e emissions, right up to the point of unavoidable emissions. We follow the NetZero path and aim to steadily reduce an annual percentage of our emissions in line with the motto: Avoid - Reduce - Compensate.

Here you can gain an insight into the Schaubühne's sustainability concept.

What have we achieved so far?

• Switch lighting in buildings to LED
• Regulation of heating systems using thermostats
• Installation of motion detectors in all corridors
• Reorganization of waste separation in offices and workshops
• Switching to certified wood in set design where possible
• Built-in water filter in kitchen to fill water bottles and thus reduce plastic
• Secure bicycle parking spaces for employees to make bicycle mobility more attractive
• E-cargo bikes as company bikes
• Introduction of the job ticket, to create even more encouragements to use public transport
• Company bike leasing
• Reduction of quantity of our print media
• Direct exchange with artists on the topic of sustainability
• Since 2019, annual climate report of our theatre operations
• Since 2022, recording of emissions for the construction of stage design for new productions and offsetting these
• Train travel within Germany and neighbouring countries
• Accommodation preferably in certified hotels
• Purchase of primarily certified materials

What else is planned?

• EMAS Certification to ensure continuous improvement and to challenge ourselves
• Increase biodiversity and making the Schaubühne's surroundings greener
• Examining the requirements for installing a photovoltaic system on the roof of the Schaubühne
• Complete adaptation of the scenic stage lighting to LED
• And many many more measures planned …

In order to learn from the results of the carbon footprint report and to fulfil the planned measures in the long term, we are aiming for an EMAS certification in spring 2026. EMAS is a environmental management system in accordance with European standards that not only continuously improves environmental impact, but also takes occupational safety and social issues into account. This type of certificate has not yet been introduced very often at theatres across Germany and is intended to establish a permanent level of development and continuity at an early stage so that we can work sustainably as quickly and continuously as possible.

With funding from the German Federal Cultural Foundation and in the pilot round of the Zero programme, we have dared to experiment in our small venue in the 2023/2024 season under the project ‘Studio for climate-neutral practice’: How can sustainability and theatre go together and what does it take? With the productions ‘In Memory of Doris Bither’ and »Ulster American« as well as the series »BUCCI × ꒰(･ ‿ ･)꒱«, we were able to use ongoing production processes and individual events to investigate the areas in which a sustainable production method can be effective, what agreements and arrangements are needed and how high the degree of effectiveness really is. It was astonishing to discover that the realisation of these projects has less to do with the actual artistic work and artistic freedom than one might initially assume: many factors lie in logistics, energy, mobility, materials and good advance planning and agreements. Taking a look at all these factors and examining what can be permanently changed or adapted and can have an impact on everyday theatre operations, beyond the small stage and into the production processes, was a unique opportunity for us and a great catalyst for the next steps in production.

For Katie Mitchell's »NOT THE END OF THE WORLD« project, we have already looked at reusing materials in the area of stage design and set construction. Which materials are particularly harmful to the environment? How ‘easy’ is it to reuse existing stage design parts from the storage or what difficulties might this entail? What about second-hand, longevity and supply chains for certain materials? And how can the whole thing be summarised in comparable figures and categories? To this end, the Schaubühne's constructing department has developed a CO2e calculator for stage sets, which now contains more than 140 common materials and continues to grow with each new production. This enabled us to analyse stage sets with a wide range of artistic ideas and requirements and to get an idea of how we could not only replace certain materials, but also find a fundamental way to make set construction more sustainable without compromising artistic ideas. This is how the concept of the CO2e budget for stage design was developed: a fixed limit that must not be exceeded when planning and realising a new production. This unique principle is currently in its first test phase in the 2024/2025 season and applies to all new productions produced at the Schaubühne.

In the area of sustainability, as with many other new topics, a good network is one of the greatest sources of support and development opportunities. In addition to the existing connections and collaborations from the Fond Zero network, partnerships with the Action Network for Sustainability, Performing for Future and the Green Culture contact point, it is also important to develop new networks of our own. Since 2023 a monthly round table for sustainability in Berlin's theatres has been established: Representatives of the sustainability groups from the various theatres and opera houses meet here once a month not only to discuss successes and progress, but also to talk about dead-ends or obstacles and resistance that might be easier to overcome together.

As a result of the double invitation in 2024, our artistic production management for sustainability is also part of the sustainability forum at the Theatertreffen as a Green Ambassador, where progress and developments are discussed several times during the year in workshops and meet ups.

In July 2025, the Schaubühne was awarded the Neumarkter Lammsbräu Prize for Sustainability in the ‘Corporate Environmental Protection’ category.

How can we make not only our theatre but also its surroundings greener?
To adapt the Schaubühne to the effects of climate change, we are currently examining a range of measures to remove surface sealing and green nearby paved areas. We are carrying out a feasibility study to look at this in detail. What is possible. What is needed. What impact such measures can have. Cooling surrounding buildings. Reducing heat buildup. Improving rainwater infiltration. Supporting biodiversity. And more.

The Schaubühne receives support from BENE 2 funding for this work. The funding supports the implementation of measures for an energy-efficient, climate-friendly, green, healthy and mobile Berlin. The State of Berlin provides these grants with support from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

The project »Begrünung Privatstraße Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz« with a project duration from July 2025 to December 2025 is funded under the Berlin Programme for Sustainable Development 2 (BENE 2) with resources from the European Regional Development Fund and the State of Berlin. Funding reference number 2429-B4.

*https://www.berlin.de/sen/uvk/umwelt/foerderprogramme/bene/foerderperiode-2021-2027/