Most Gallery Climate Coalition members on track to halve carbon emissions by 2030, report finds – The Art Newspaper

Report on the Art Sector’s Contribution to Sustainable Development Goals through Climate Action

Introduction

A recent assessment by the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) indicates significant progress within the global art sector towards achieving key United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly SDG 13: Climate Action. The GCC’s inaugural Stocktake Report reveals that member organizations are on track to meet ambitious decarbonization targets, highlighting the industry’s potential to drive substantial environmental and cultural change.

Key Findings: Progress on Carbon Reduction (SDG 13)

The report’s data demonstrates a clear commitment to climate mitigation. These efforts directly support the objectives of SDG 13 by taking urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.

• Emission Reductions: Four-fifths of GCC members who began tracking their carbon output in 2019 have successfully reduced it by more than 25%.
• 2030 Target: This progress places the participating segment of the art world on a trajectory to halve its collective emissions by 2030.
• Global Impact Potential: If scaled across the sector, these actions could result in a collective reduction of over five million tonnes of CO₂ annually, an amount equivalent to the national emissions of countries like Nicaragua or Albania.

Fostering Global Collaboration (SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals)

The GCC’s structure and initiatives exemplify the principles of SDG 17, which emphasizes the need for global partnerships to achieve sustainable development. The coalition’s growth and collaborative approach are central to its success.

1. Expanding Network: The GCC has grown to over 2,000 members, including institutions and individual artists, across more than 60 countries, forming a robust global partnership for climate action.
2. Call for Unified Action: Frances Morris, Chair of the GCC, has issued a call for all members, partners, and allies to collaborate in shaping a future where creativity and climate action are integrated, influencing both the industry and the wider world.
3. Industry-Wide Events: The launch of London Art+Climate Week, coinciding with the UN climate summit COP30, further demonstrates a coordinated effort to align the art sector with global climate negotiations.

Cultural Transformation and Responsible Consumption (SDG 12 & SDG 4)

Leaders within the movement stress that technical solutions for carbon reduction must be accompanied by a cultural shift, addressing systemic issues of overconsumption and promoting public awareness, which aligns with SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production) and SDG 4 (Quality Education).

• Addressing Overconsumption: The report acknowledges that the climate crisis is rooted in economic and social systems that normalize overconsumption. This directly challenges the industry to adopt more sustainable practices in line with SDG 12.
• The Role of Art in Education and Advocacy: An open letter signed by over 200 creatives, including artists and scientists, urged world leaders to place storytelling and the creative arts at the center of global climate action. This highlights art’s unique capacity to communicate climate risks and inspire societal change, contributing to the educational and awareness-raising aspects of SDG 4.
• A Call for Imagination: The letter argues that a “failure of imagination” has hindered climate negotiations, proposing that the arts are essential for envisioning and communicating a sustainable future.

Conclusion and Recommendations

The art sector is demonstrating a growing capacity to contribute meaningfully to the Sustainable Development Goals. To accelerate this progress, the following actions are recommended:

1. Integrate Creative Industries: Governments and international bodies should formally involve the creative arts in future climate summits (COPs) to enhance communication and inspire public engagement.
2. Promote Systemic Change: The sector must continue to move beyond carbon accounting to address broader issues of consumption and production, fostering a culture of sustainability.
3. Leverage Partnerships: Strengthening and expanding coalitions like the GCC is critical to sharing best practices and scaling climate solutions across the entire industry, thereby amplifying its positive impact on the SDGs.

Analysis of Sustainable Development Goals in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

   The article highlights issues that are directly and indirectly connected to several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The primary focus is on climate action, but it also touches upon the importance of partnerships, sustainable practices, and education for achieving these goals.

   • SDG 13: Climate Action: This is the most prominent SDG addressed. The entire article revolves around the art world’s efforts to combat climate change by reducing its carbon footprint. It explicitly mentions “decarbonisation,” the goal to “halve their emissions by 2030,” and the broader “climate transition.”
   • SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals: The article emphasizes collaborative efforts. The Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) itself is a multi-stakeholder partnership with “more than 2,000 members, including art institutions and artists, in more than 60 countries.” The open letter signed by “more than 200 creatives, writers, scientists and public figures” also exemplifies a partnership to influence policy and action.
   • SDG 12: Responsible Consumption and Production: The article connects the climate crisis to “broader economic, social, and cultural systems that normalise overconsumption.” The art sector’s initiative to measure and reduce its carbon output is a step towards more sustainable production and operational patterns.
   • SDG 4: Quality Education: The article discusses the role of the arts in education and awareness. It highlights the call for “storytelling and the creative arts at the heart of global climate action” to “communicate climate risks and inspire societal change,” which aligns with the goal of educating the public on sustainable development.

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

   The article’s content points to several specific targets within the identified SDGs.

   • Target 13.3: “Improve education, awareness-raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.” The article directly supports this target by describing how artists and creatives are urged to “communicate climate risks and inspire societal change” and how art has a “unique and critical role to play” in the cultural transformation needed to tackle the climate crisis.
   • Target 17.16: “Enhance the global partnership for sustainable development, complemented by multi-stakeholder partnerships that mobilize and share knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources…” The GCC is a clear example of such a partnership, sharing knowledge (the Stocktake Report) and expertise to help the art world become more sustainable across more than 60 countries.
   • Target 17.17: “Encourage and promote effective public, public-private and civil society partnerships, building on the experience and resourcing strategies of partnerships.” The coalition of artists, galleries, and institutions, as well as the alliance of creatives signing an open letter to world leaders, are forms of civil society partnerships promoted in this target.
   • Target 4.7: “By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development…” The argument that climate negotiations have failed due to a “failure of imagination” and the call to put “storytelling and the creative arts at the heart of global climate action” directly relate to this target’s aim of using education and culture to promote sustainability.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

   Yes, the article provides both quantitative and qualitative indicators that can be used to measure progress.

   • For SDG 13 (Climate Action): The article provides very specific quantitative indicators.
     • The reduction of carbon output: “four fifths of its members that began tracking their carbon output in 2019 have reduced it by more than 25%.”
     • The long-term emission reduction goal: Being “on course to halve their emissions by 2030.”
     • The potential collective impact: The projection that the global art sector could “cut over five million tonnes of CO₂ a year.”
   • For SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals): The scale and growth of the partnership are used as indicators.
     • The number of members in the coalition: “more than 2,000 members.”
     • The global reach of the coalition: “in more than 60 countries.”
     • The number of signatories on the open letter: “more than 200 creatives, writers, scientists and public figures.”
   • For SDG 4 (Quality Education): The indicators are more activity-based and qualitative.
     • The organization of awareness-raising events, such as the “London Art+Climate Week.”
     • The creation and dissemination of advocacy materials, such as the “open letter urging world leaders.”

Summary of SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: theartnewspaper.com