The world is currently on the brink of linked environmental crises. In October 2022, the UN warned that the world’s governments are not yet on track to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees. The window for change and actions is rapidly closing. We are already seeing the impacts of existing warming with devastating droughts, storms and floods across the world. There are many related crises including collapsing biodiversity, dangerous levels of air pollution, and plastic contamination in our rivers and oceans. Urgent action is needed across society, without this the problems will rapidly escalate.
The art world has a vital role to play. Arts organisations have a disproportionately large impact on the environment, mainly due to a great deal of international travel, arts shipping, high energy use and materials. We need to act urgently to reduce these impacts in line with research and what science is communicating. Arts organisations are in a unique position to use their public platforms and cultural influence to set a positive example, by encouraging and supporting others to take action and shift public debate.
At Sim Smith, our mission is to promote emerging artists, to provide an ambitious programme and to work collaboratively with other organisations to create platforms for engaging with art and to start conversations.
In order to be true to these values, we need to take urgent environmental action, because art and culture across the world is directly threatened by the climate crisis, and those from marginalised communities and cultures are most at risk, while also holding many of the most effective solutions to the climate crisis.
As an organisation, we know that our main direct environmental impacts include:
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International air freight and domestic road delivery of artworks for exhibitions and for private sales of work
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Road travel for work
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Travel for art fairs
We have committed to tackling these impacts by:
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Joining the Gallery Climate Coalition and pledging to at least halve our carbon emissions by 2030 from a 2022 baseline. This is relative to the scale of the business and on a % basis.
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Regularly calculating our carbon footprint of our operations, in order to track progress towards this target
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Setting specific targets by:
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Reducing printing costs and solely use QR codes by 2024
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Look to consolidating 10 % of private sale shipments
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Ensuring that the majority of international shipments are carried out by rail, road, sea where possible rather than air by 2028.
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Ensuring all of our packing materials are reusable or recyclable by 2026.
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Alternative travel to flying for art fairs, such as train travel.
The actions we are taking to meet these targets include:
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Planning our exhibitions and events with care to minimise the need for air
freight. -
Reviewing our staff international travel policies and practices, and planning our
attendance at international events to reduce the need for air travel. -
Carrying out an energy audit of our buildings to find opportunities
for energy reduction and renewable generation. -
Working with other GCC members on projects to help develop
more sustainable packaging, transport and energy saving solutions
for the whole sector. -
Speaking to our suppliers and service providers about their carbon
footprint, and looking for opportunities to encourage them to take
action, or to switch to alternative suppliers who will. -
Maintaining a Green Team that meets to track progress on all of these targets and actions at least once a month.