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Green Arts Charter

This charter aims to inspire, support and provide a framework for cultural organisations in the Green Arts Initiative to deliver the climate action needed to achieve transformational change in the sector.

We developed the Green Arts Charter through a series of meetings, workshops and ongoing feedback from a core group of Green Arts Initiative members. The four core pledges focus on mitigation and adaptation, collaboration, community and advocating for change. They are pledges that all Green Arts Initiative members can work towards and provide a way to bring about collective climate action as a network.

We encourage all Green Arts Initiative members to sign the charter and work towards this change.

Sign the Green Arts Charter

Why create a charter?

To deliver transformational, systemic change we need collaborative and collective action from the cultural sector and beyond. The Green Arts Initiative was established as a network in 2013 to support cultural organisations with their sustainability goals. We now have over 500 members across Scotland. Despite the ever-expanding network, we often work in silos and think about culture and climate action as the responsibility of our own individual organisation. The Green Arts Charter aims to help us rethink this, to enable collective action, and establish shared goals and pledges.

During our SPRINGBOARD: Assembly for Creative Climate Action in 2023 a cohort of culture and climate organisations developed ideas around what a Green Arts Charter could look like and where it could take us. With feedback from members along the way, we have produced a charter for everyone to unite behind, no matter where you are on your journey.

The charter aligns with our training programme to support you to deliver the pledges and commitments within the charter, alongside our growing online network to encourage peer-to-peer learning.

The charter also runs parallel with and is connected to Creative Scotland’s criteria for funding programmes where you are asked about your environmental sustainability commitments or, in some cases, to report on your emissions and have a carbon management plan. Committing to the pledges in this charter will help you consider how to respond to these questions.

Evaluation and improvement are a core part of the charter. It will be updated and developed as and when new ideas, technology and policy are introduced.

The pledges

To reduce our emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

We question the ways we work, the impact we have on our planet, and how our organisation sits within wider society’s climate change mitigation and adaptation. As part of this, we endeavour to reduce our impact as well as recognise that as trusted messengers in our communities we have a responsibility to shape and promote a net-zero future.


To inspire our communities and collaborate with others to deliver climate action.

We collaborate with other Green Arts Initiative members to achieve collective climate action by sharing resources, learning and tools amongst the network. We understand the importance of strengthening communities and collaborating to deliver effective climate action, and that as cultural organisations we have a unique power to support this. We endeavour to work with our local communities, cultural community and those outside the cultural sector to deliver climate action and resilience.


To advocate for climate action and influence for change.

We recognise the power of the arts and culture to influence and advocate for action on climate change. We embed this in our workplans and recognise our ability to influence and support climate action within the cultural community and outside the sector.


To embed climate justice in our organisation and any climate action we do.

The term climate justice expresses how climate change is a social and political issue as much as a technical or environmental one and therefore speaks to the importance of the cultural sector’s role in a climate-ready future. We pledge to view all our climate action through a justice lens, asking how what we do, who we work with and the way we work impacts people locally and globally.

Framework of actions

We have developed a framework of actions to guide organisations around the charter pledges. Organisations in the Green Arts Initiative will be asked to commit to at least one action per goal across a year or let us know what action/actions they are doing towards the four pledges. For each goal, action 1 is a good place to start being the easiest to achieve while action 4 requires the most capacity and is hardest to achieve.

The framework is to guide and support organisations towards a shared goal, but we understand that organisations in the Green Arts Initiative may have different approaches and welcome learning and sharing opportunities to how we meet the pledges within the charter.


Each of the four pledges has a number of goals, which are supported by suggested actions, an array of resources and anticipated outcomes.

Reduce our emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change

Goal: Organisation reduces emissions in line with Creative Scotland’s 2045 net-zero goal.

Action 1

Read our carbon management resources and guides on energy, waste, travel, digital and identify your largest emission points.

Action 2

Gather organisational data and establish a carbon management plan to reduce your carbon.

Action 3

Set clear sustainability policies and guidelines to support emissions reduction that can be shared across your organisation.

Action 4

Use a carbon budgeting tool to guide your planning and programming and reduce your carbon in line with 2045 net-zero goals.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Organisations in the Green Arts Initiative are contributing to Creative Scotland’s 2045 target and Scotland’s overall transition to net zero by 2045.

Goal: Organisation’s staff feel knowledgeable and equipped to commit to mitigation.

Action 1

Assign a green champion and set time within their workplan to deliver sustainability goals.

Action 2

Gather data to establish levels of staff understanding around mitigation and share resources and policies across the organisation to build understanding of climate change.

Action 3

Hold internal training and meetings to work on and understand green issues.

Action 4

Establish a green team that has representation across the organisation, from staff to board, and embed green goals in workplans.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Within Green Arts Initiative member organisations, team capacity is increased and everyone has the knowledge to apply green actions.

Goal: Organisation plays a part in achieving local net zero goals and participates in mitigation initiatives.

Action 1

Assign green champion time to learn about local net-zero goals.

Action 2

Identify key local stakeholders working towards net zero, eg local climate hubs, local transport, local business, local authorities and councils.

Action 3

Establish organisation’s role and capacity to participate in local climate networks.

Action 4

Explore local funds to deliver climate action. Join local working groups and networks to join mitigation goals, eg SPRINGBOARD local assemblies, community climate action hubs.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Green Arts Initiative member organisations contribute meaningfully to local net-zero goals.

Goal: Organisation works to adapt to the impacts and manage the risks of a changing environment.

Action 1

Read our guide to adapting to climate change to build understanding.

Action 2

Assign time to green team or green champion to our Cultural Adaptations toolkit to identify risks for the organisation.

Action 3

Green team builds an adaptation plan to manage ongoing risk and works with the rest of the organisation to implement it.

Action 4

Adaptation plan is shared across the Green Arts Initiative network, with audiences and across staff to build understanding across sector and beyond.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

In Green Arts Initiative member organisations, climate adaptation is built into risk management of programming from the start of work.

Goal: Organisation does ongoing work to be part of local climate adaptation initiatives and has influence in society’s adaptation.

Action 1

Read our guide to adapting to climate change and visit websites such as Adaptation Scotland to build understanding of place-based climate resilience.

Action 2

Green team or green champion uses our Adapting our Culture toolkit to identify place
within community adaptation.

Action 3

Set up meetings with key adaptation stakeholders. Join local networks to gather information to understand how you can be part of local adaptation plans.

Action 4

Apply for specific climate funding to reach further place-based adaptation goals.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Organisations in the Green Arts Initiative are key players in community and society climate adaptation goals.

Inspire our communities and collaborate with others to deliver climate action

Goal: Organisation feels connected to the Green Arts community in Scotland and understands the collective goal to net zero.

Action 1

Sign up to the Green Arts Initiative’s Mighty Network* and share what you are doing.

Action 2

Spend some time researching the green goals and actions of others in the network.

 Action 3

Join Green Arts Initiative training and peer-to-peer learning sessions. Set up meetings with those on the network facing similar challenges to talk through actions and ways through.

Action 4

Collaborate with others in the Green Arts Initiative for climate projects and funding applications. Establish a working group to work on a particular issue.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

The Green Arts Initiative is a vibrant, dynamic connected network that is regularly communicating with each other.

* Your organisation must be a member of the Green Arts Initiative to gain access to the Mighty Network.

Goal: Organisation shares their climate resources, tools and learnings.

Action 1

Share the climate action you are taking with Culture for Climate Scotland to create case studies.

 Action 2

Share what you are doing through the Mighty Network platform and your own newsletters.

 Action 3

Spend time researching programmes such as Arts Resource Management Scotland and Circular Arts Network to share physical resources with those within the cultural sector.

Action 4

Join a Culture for Climate Scotland learning set to encourage peer-to-peer learning amongst the network.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

The Green Arts Initiative is a collaborative, sharing space working towards collective climate action goals.

* Your organisation must be a member of the Green Arts Initiative to gain access to the Mighty Network.

Goal: Organisation is a part of creative climate action in their local communities.

Action 1

Spend some time mapping and identifying climate action that is happening in your local area.

 Action 2

If you have a building, or space, offer it to climate or community organising groups.

 Action 3

Establish partnerships with those outside the cultural sector and ways you could share resources with the community.

 Action 4

Set up a collaborative project across culture, community, and climate to deliver transformational change.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Green Arts Initiative members are embedded within community transformational change towards a climate-ready future.

To advocate for climate action and influence for change

Goal: Organisation regularly uses their platform to influence and advocate for climate action.

Action 1

Share relevant cultural resources for climate action across social media, website and newsletters.

Action 2

Define policies around influence such as audience travel, food and drink and communication

Action 3

Programme art that highlights climate issues and opportunities for a better future. Alternatively set clear parameters and boundaries with the artists that you commission and work with to align with your climate goals.

 Action 4

Join or form a working group such as the Scottish Classical Sustainability Group to work on specific collective issues and advocate for change.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

The Green Arts Initiative is a network of cultural organisations who understand and use their influence to advocate for climate action.

Goal: Organisation has green values embedded across the organisation.

Action 1

Spend some time identifying what green values mean to your organisation. Internally establish which supplier relationships and sponsorships do not align with these values.

Action 2

Define circular economy and waste policies to reduce the need for new materials and purchases.

Action 3

Look into alternatives to unethical procurement and sponsorships, meet with others in the Green Arts Initiative to explore this.

Action 4

Consider wider environmental impacts and local biodiversity plans.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Organisations across the Green Arts Initiative prioritise ethical sponsorship and are moving away from growth that relies on non-renewable resources and towards community and collaboration.

To embed climate justice in our organisation and any climate action we do

Goal: All climate action is considered through a climate justice lens.

Action 1

Read our guide to climate justice for cultural organisations to build understanding on what it is and how it relates to culture.

Action 2

Share sustainability polices and action plans across the organisation and identify any potential climate justice concerns.

Action 3

Make sustainability policies public, accessible and understandable for audiences.

Action 4

Programme work that considers climate justice, or ask the artists that you commission to consider climate justice in their operations.

Resources from us

Resources from others

Outcome

Climate justice is embedded into the Green Arts Initiative and our collective sustainability goals.

When new organisations commit to the Green Arts Charter, we update this list.

Signatories

  • AdesignStorie
  • Active Enquiry
  • Art in Healthcare
  • Art27 Scotland
  • Balgarvie Weaving
  • Bothy Project
  • CanalPath Creative Ltd
  • Ceòl is Craic
  • Choirs for Climate
  • CILIP Scotland
  • Circular Arts Network
  • Culture for Climate Scotland
  • Cryptic
  • Culture, Heritage & Arts Assembly, Argyll & Isles (CHARTS)
  • Cutting Edge Theatre
  • Dance Base Scotland
  • Dance Horizons
  • Deveron Projects
  • Dundee Rep and Scottish Dance Theatre Limited
  • Eco Drama
  • Edinburgh International Festival
  • Edinburgh Festival of Cycling Ltd
  • Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival
  • EMBASSY Gallery
  • Feisean nan Gaidheal
  • Floating World Productions
  • Grampian Hospitals Art Trust
  • Grid Iron
  • Glasgow Film Theatre
  • Glasgow Moving Image Studios
  • Glasgow Zine Library
  • Hebrides Ensemble
  • Imaginate (Edinburgh International Children’s Festival)
  • LUX Scotland
  • Macrobert Arts Centre
  • Monument Dance Centre
  • Music Mark
  • Nordic Viola
  • Open Book
  • OH!CON
  • Panel
  • PACE Theatre Company
  • Scottish Music Centre
  • Sarah Rose Graber
  • Làn Thìde
  • Screen Education Edinburgh
  • Sculpture Placement Group
  • Sound Festival
  • Slanjayvah Danza
  • Starcatchers Productions
  • Street Level Photoworks
  • Surge
  • Strange Town
  • Theatre Gu Leòr
  • Traverse Theatre
  • Tortoise in a Nutshell
  • The Scottish Brass Band Association
  • The Spit it Out Project
  • Stills Centre for Photography
  • The Barn
  • The Pier Arts Centre
  • The Touring Network
  • The Work Room
  • Youth Theatre Arts Scotland

For more information about the Green Arts Charter and the Green Arts Initiative, please contact sarah.o’[email protected].