Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC)

I recently wrote an op-ed for artnet, reflecting on the past four years since the launch of Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC). In the article, I explore why the art sector’s leadership in climate action is more urgent than ever and how GCC is working to support meaningful change. 🌍 As an industry with the power to influence public perception and drive action, we have a responsibility to align our operations with the realities of the climate crisis. The progress we’ve made so far is inspiring, but there’s so much more to be done. You can read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dsgXeyn6

It's an honour to be recognised on Observer’s Business of Art Power List, ranking the top leaders and innovators in art who are redefining influence, expanding access and setting the course for art’s global future. "There aren’t many organizations willing to hold galleries and art fairs, let alone collectors, environmentally accountable, but the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) has become a formidable force in an art world that typically treats climate concerns as an afterthought." Thank you to the Observer for acknowledging our work and we look forward to continuing to inspire change in the art sector. https://lnkd.in/eYeq4Nhg

As global temperatures rise and climate debates intensify, the COP29 Conference starting this week, offers an opportunity to reflect on how the creative industries can work together to tackle climate change. DACS spoke to the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) who share about the urgent need for climate action within the arts sector. Since 2020, GCC has been leading efforts to reduce the visual arts sector’s carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. By providing resources and best practices, GCC empowers arts organisations and artists to adopt sustainable operations and champion systemic change.  DACS joined GCC as a member in 2022 and is part of the Active Membership initiative, focusing on near-term tangible action. Read more about their insights: https://lnkd.in/dNwusm43 📸 GCC Artist Toolkit Case Study: Nnenna Okore, Atmospheric Nature (2021) Bioplastic and cheesecloth. #DACS #DacsForArtists #ClimateAction #COP29 #Sustainability #VisualArts #ArtistsForClimate #GCC

"Alex Klein, head curator and director of curatorial affairs at The Contemporary Austin, said her museum tested the [GCC] calculator, along with other museums, and found it useful. 'It helped us to start to think through what does it mean to track carbon' she said. 'Our ambitions in the future would be to have a carbon budget for our shows.' " Alina Tugend writes for The New York Times about how museums, galleries and other art institutions are looking for measures to reduce their environmental footprints, including how some organisations like The Contemporary Austin have found GGC's new Carbon Calculator to be helpful in inspiring and actioning change. https://lnkd.in/dKvcGegJ

In honour of GCC’s 4th anniversary and reaching 1,500 members, it’s time to introduce the small but mighty team driving our mission forward! Based in London, this dedicated group manages international operations, programming, and membership for a network spanning 50+ countries, all working towards an environmentally responsible art world. 🌍💪 Meet the team (from left to right): Lula Rappoport – Community Coordinator Nicola Ferrao – Operations Manager Heath Lowndes – Managing Director Aoife Fannin – Project Manager What began as a local effort to support London’s galleries in making environmentally informed choices has grown into a global coalition, thanks to the passion of our members, partners, and this dedicated team. Here’s to many more years of climate action in the Visual Arts! 💚

Celebrating GCC’s 4th Birthday with 1,500 Members! 🎉 We are proud to announce that on our 4th anniversary, GCC has reached a significant milestone - 1,500 members strong, spanning over 50 countries worldwide. This growing, global network reflects our collective commitment to advancing climate action across the arts sector. Thank you to all our members for making this achievement possible. As we look ahead, we encourage all members to pursue Active Membership and contribute to meaningful, impactful change. Interested in learning more or applying for Active Member status? Get in touch!

Joe Ware shares in his latest feature for The Art Newspaper, 'Four things galleries can do to reduce their climate impact, according to Heath Lowndes, managing director of the Gallery Climate Coalition' 1. Start a green team Taking individual action on climate issues can be hard, but a “green team” offers an empowering way to make a difference. Having a dedicated internal group working towards targets will make the process more efficient. A green team is a group of employees engaged in advancing sustainability within an organisation. In the case of smaller organisations, a single green ambassador can take on the role. This will increase employee engagement with environmental challenges and create a strong culture of sustainability in the workplace. Successes might not always happen straight away, but by carving out a specialist team, organisations will be building a culture of climate impact awareness. 2. Complete a carbon report Annual carbon reporting is essential for understanding and reducing an organisation’s environmental impact. An annual report takes a holistic view of operations over a year, meaning organisations can capture the entirety of their emissions, and nothing falls between the gaps. The Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) offers a carbon calculator on its website (https://lnkd.in/djmnnqu8) to calculate emissions data for the past 12 months to establish a carbon footprint baseline, from which a reduction target for 2030 can be set. Collecting the necessary data for a carbon report might seem daunting at first, but much of it should already be available through finance records. 3. Publish an environmental responsibility statement This is a way for a gallery to take public responsibility for its environmental impact. The statement should acknowledge the seriousness of the environmental crisis, clearly state a position on the issue and summarise the actions the organisation is taking to address it. This will show staff, audiences and other stakeholders that the gallery takes the issue seriously, help motivate it internally and encourage supporters to hold it accountable. The statement is not a claim that it is doing things perfectly or has all the answers, but that it is trying to do its best to assess, report and reduce impact, setting targets in line with science, taking any actions it can, and working towards solutions. 4. Become a GCC member The GCC membership currently stands at more than 1,500, from more than 50 countries, and includes artists, nonprofits, institutions, art-sector businesses, commercial galleries and individual professionals. It is free to join and members agree to supporting GCC’s sector-wide targets and coalition commitments (listed on the website). GCC’s core goal is to facilitate a minimum of 50% of CO2 emissions reduction across the sector by 2030, as well as shifting members towards near-zero waste operations by 2030.

"Organisers of more than 40 art fairs, including Art Basel, Frieze and Tefaf, have pledged to halve their greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 in a new alliance formed by Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC)." - Melanie Gerlis, FT   Today we are thrilled to announce the launch of a groundbreaking initiative: GCC has convened an alliance of leading art fairs to address their environmental impacts collectively: Feria ARCO, Art Basel , CHART, Easyfairs, ESTE ARTE, Frieze, Liste Art Fair Basel, Market Art Fair, Ramsay Fairs, STAGE Bregenz, TEFAF , The Art Show, and Untitled Art. This project, over a year in development, sets an important precedent for collaborative climate action within the art world. We hope this will mark a pivotal moment for environmental responsibility in the industry. Central to this initiative is the Art Fair Toolkit for Environmental Responsibility, developed in partnership with environmental experts and the alliance of art fairs. The toolkit provides a clear, actionable roadmap to help art fairs significantly reduce their environmental footprint by the end of this decade. To reinforce their commitment, all participating fairs have co-signed a statement pledging to implement the toolkit's strategies and collaborate in meeting ambitious sustainability targets. https://lnkd.in/eREeC6aa

✨The newly redesigned Carbon Calculator is LIVE! After a year of development, this enhanced tool is now live and ready to make carbon reporting easier and more impactful for all our members. What’s new?  ✅ Sleek, intuitive interface  ✅ Multiple user collaboration ✅ Options for annual and project reports  ✅ Quick Calculator for fast estimates on travel & freight  ✅ Bulk upload for streamlined data entry Register today and be part of the movement towards an environmentally responsible art world. 👉 https://lnkd.in/e--gYD5n Want to learn more? We’re hosting a webinar on Sept 23rd to walk you through the new features - secure your spot below! 👉  Sign up for the webinar: https://lnkd.in/e38JA5Tq This redevelopment has been made possible with support from the Getty Foundation.

We are so proud of our co-founder, Victoria Siddall, who has been appointed as the first female Director of the National Portrait Gallery. We can't wait to see what she brings to the role. Huge congratulations, Victoria! 💚 https://lnkd.in/eTjXnUDg