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Paddy Dillon

Theatre Green Book

Mr Paddy Dillon is a director of Renew Culture, and in 2020 co-founded the Theatre Green Book initiative to help theatre-makers towards a sustainable future for theatre.

Mr Dillon and his partner Lisa Burger have since established a network of Theatre Green Books across the world, with the shared goal of working together towards sustainable theatre.

Mr Dillon was deputy chair, then chair of the UK Theatres Trust until 2021. He was chair of the International Theatre Engineering and Architecture Conference 2023, a global theatre conference with events in eight global cities which took place in autumn 2023. As one of the UK’s leading theatre architects, he was responsible for the regeneration of the National Theatre, in London, alongside many other projects. He sits on the boards of Headlong and Chichester Festival Theatre, and is a Life Fellow of the ABTT.

Paddy Dillon

Organisation Description

The Theatre Green Book is the world’s leading initiative for sustainable theatre. Launched in the UK during the pandemic, it has grown into a global movement with partnerships across Europe, Asia, and the Americas, and is endorsed by the European Commission.

Supported by all major UK theatre organisations and used by 69% of UK theatres, it provides a common framework for sustainability across three core areas: Productions, Operations, and Buildings. The guide introduces three progressive achievement levels—Basic, Intermediate, and Advanced—along with a Preliminary standard to help organisations begin their sustainability journey.

Developed in collaboration with theatre professionals and sustainability experts, the initiative offers practical tools such as a Production Calculator, Operations Tracker, and Building Survey Tool—all freely available online. These resources help theatres measure, plan, and self-certify their progress, making sustainability commitments transparent to artists, funders, and audiences.

Through its structured and collaborative approach, the Theatre Green Book offers a practical and recognised response to the climate crisis within the performing arts sector.

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