Wales Millennium Centre
Winning an IWFM Award for Positive Climate Action
WMC’s CEO Mathew Milsom
Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay
Wales Millennium Centre (WMC) is a charitable organisation and world-leading performing arts centre based in Cardiff Bay. It is the only organisation of its kind to be recognised for a King’s Award in Sustainable Development. Its long-term strategy for sustainability is informed by the Theatre Green Book, the UK’s leading initiative for the arts sector to make every aspect of its work environmentally sustainable, supporting the transition to net zero. In line with the Welsh Government’s Future Generations Act, WMC set measurable KPIs to drive social, economic, environmental and cultural wellbeing. Sustainability has been ingrained in this iconic building since it opened in 2004, from the use of recycled Welsh slate to locally sourced timbers from Mid Wales forests. In 2021, WMC installed 720 rooftop solar panels, which save up to 123 tonnes of CO₂ annually. This generates 10% of its electricity needs and powers its ‘solar stage’. (Each year, over the next 25 years and beyond, stage activities will be powered by solar generation.) Inefficient lighting is continuously replaced and upgraded, and currently 82% of the building is fitted with LED lighting. It holds a DEC rating of A23 and an EPC rating of A, up from a rating of B33 in 2023, placing it among the most energy- efficient major arts venues in the UK. Green operations WMC achieved ISO14001 certification in early 2025, formalising its environmental management system and demonstrating compliance with internationally recognised standards. Between
2014 and 2024, it reduced its electricity usage by 35.38% and gas consumption by 41.08%. These reductions reflect sustained investment in infrastructure, improved operational practices, and a building-wide shift in how it manages energy. WMC works with local suppliers, sits at an average of 68% recycling, and transitioned 98% of ticketing to digital formats (up from 65% in 2022). For its own productions and exhibitions, WMC reuses sets and supports recycling to support the circular economy and avoid disposal. Past productions, like Nye and the upcoming Owain & Henry, will be produced to Theatre Green Book standards. WMC believes in the power of the arts to unite, educate and inspire – and embracing sustainability will ensure a future where people can always benefit from the arts. Raising aspirations through the arts At WMC, social sustainability is rooted in equality, opportunity and wellbeing for staff, volunteers and visitors. As one of Wales’s most recognisable national institutions, located in a socially deprived ward in one of the UK’s oldest multi-cultural communities, it uses its platform to remove barriers, celebrate diversity and support people to thrive. Since 2023, WMC has run a ‘pay what you can’ scheme, offering affordable access to productions for those facing financial barriers and ensuring world-class arts experiences remain within everyone’s reach. In 2022/23, it offered over 3,200 seats across 27 productions, saving communities £83,000. By 2024/25, this had grown to more
Radio Platfform – a youth-led radio station and training space
than 5,880 seats across 109 productions, saving £136,000. Its flagship employability programme, Platfform, supports 16–25-year-olds from underrepresented backgrounds to develop confidence, creativity and readiness for the world of work. In 2024/25, it ran 23 creative learning courses, welcoming 295 unique participants across 1,202 attendances. WMC is committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, embracing its community and setting the stage for future generations.
WALES MILLENNIUM CENTRE Bute Place, Cardiff Bay, CF10 5AL Tel: 02920 634630 • tickets@wmc.org.uk www.wmc.org.uk
wales-millennium-centre WalesMillenniumCentre walesmillenniumcentre Wales Millennium Centre/Canolfan Mileniwm Cymru
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