What your arts organisation can do to be more sustainable
It’s 2022, and sustainability isn’t just a business buzzword, it’s a necessity. And every organisation, in every sector, should be playing their part. At After Digital, we understand that it can be hard to decide where to start. That’s why we’ve outlined some great resources that arts organisations specifically can use to improve their operations and boost their sustainability.
Set yourself a science-based target
Science-based targets show organisations how quickly and by how much they need to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to prevent the worst effects of climate change. Setting these targets presents you with the reality of your emissions and allows you to accurately and strategically think about your operations. This will provide you with a clear pathway for reducing your carbon footprint. What’s more, a science-based target offers much more validity than empty promises of sustainable practices’ which can often be seen as ‘greenwashing’ by consumers.
The Theatre Green Book
The Theatre Green Book is exactly what it says on the tin. Its 3 volumes of advice and standards for making productions sustainable. These 3 books set out standards for change and give advice on how to improve the sustainability of productions, theatre buildings and general operations. The resources were created using the input of many different arts organisations and climate change professionals. They’re also completely free and downloadable via their website.
Ecologi
Now, while Ecologi isn’t just for the arts, it’s an amazing organisation to support. They calculate your carbon output and offset it by planting trees and supporting climate positive projects all over the world. By partnering with them, you can offset your emissions and put power behind your words. At AD, our Ecologi partnership has helped us to support climate projects in Madagascar, India and right here in Scotland. View our forest to see the badges you can achieve and the difference your membership could make to the world.
Education
Unless we commit to learning about our impact on the environment, nothing will change. That's why it's important to regularly train your staff on the best sustainability practices. There are plenty of courses and resources available online for your team including:
Sustainability, Society and You - University of Nottingham
Sustainability Unlocked has countless educational videos to help you understand the latest green movements and the science behind climate change.
Sustainable corporations programme - University of Oxford
Whole Grain Digital offers digital sustainability consulting, low carbon web design and sustainability workshops to help you understand and mitigate your impact on the environment.
Become a B Corp
Now, this objective may take a little more time to achieve. B Corp is a legal commitment to use your profits and power for good. It ensures that you are meeting the highest standards of social and environmental performance whilst being held accountable by all stakeholders. Check out the steps we’re taking on our B Corp journey.
Green web hosting
If you’re an arts organisation it's likely that you sell tickets directly from your website for each of your attractions. That's a lot of information and a lot of traffic. Did you know that the average website produces 1.76g of CO2 for every page view? Now consider the amount of people who check your website for show times, general information and to buy their tickets. It’s a lot, to say the least. A simple way to mitigate this waste is by switching to a sustainable web host. Our blog post details the benefits of doing this and the green impact it can have. We’re making a commitment to host our client’s sites in a sustainable way – so make sure you don’t miss out.
SME Climate Hub
Are you a smaller arts, culture or heritage organisation that still wants to make change but struggles to find the resources? The SME Climate Hub is a global initiative that aims to encourage climate action in the small to medium sized business community. They want to support you in your net zero journey by providing tools for education, emissions measurement and reporting. Becoming their partner shows the industry that you’re publicly committing to making a change and puts action behind your words. Making a binding commitment to your stakeholders ensures that they know your values.
Make sustainability part of your offering
Over 95% of people across the world say that climate change is a serious issue. It's something that we will all be affected by in our lives and people want to know more about what they can do to help. As an arts, culture or heritage organisation– you have the opportunity to educate your audience. In fact, sustainability is a great way to target younger audiences. In the UK, two thirds of students want to learn more about sustainability. Whether it's through offering sustainability workshops, displaying new exhibitions on climate change or promoting sustainability resources in your sector– you can combine your values with revenue generating activities. This strengthens your relationships with your customers, gives you a competitive edge and presents you as a leader in your community.
Sustainability is non-negotiable for the modern day consumer. Your customers are looking for sustainability in every aspect of their lives – from the way that they dress, to the media that they consume. There are hundreds of small changes that your organisation can make to become more sustainable and play your part in tackling the climate crisis – and they don’t have to be strenuous on your budget or require an in-house sustainability team. The above free resources can help you on your climate positive journey. What actions are you making to become more sustainable? Let us know on Twitter or Linkedin or take a look at our commitments.