PACT Press Relase
July 7, 2021
NEWLY FORMED GLOBAL VISUAL ARTS PACT ACTIVATES SECTOR TO MEET AT LEAST 50% EMISSIONS REDUCTION GOALS BY 2030:
PACT CALLS FOR SYSTEM-WIDE CHANGE, THE VISUAL ARTS AIM TO BE CATALYST FOR ACCELERATED GLOBAL CLIMATE ACTION
July 7, 2021 - Partners for Arts Climate Targets (PACT) - a newly formed international coalition of organizations within the visual arts - announces its collaborative efforts to accelerate the sector’s broad adoption of collective climate action.
PACT is comprised of arts and environmental sustainability initiatives across the globe —--Art to Acres, Art + Climate Action, Art / Switch, Art to Zero, Gallery Climate Coalition, Galleries Commit, and Ki Culture— and formalizes ongoing dialogues between organizations that have been guided by urgency and a shared commitment toward environmental sustainability within the visual arts.
With collaboration at its core, PACT aims to align with the Paris Agreement and support immediate action in the visual arts sector by providing a central network on establishing key targets and promoting cross sector initiatives and scalable solutions. Rooted in a heightened awareness within the sector, PACT amplifies the need for systemic and behavioral change to decarbonize daily operations and practices— - recognizing museums and institutions, the commercial art market, and supply chain and service providers must all work together to reduce the environmental impact of the visual arts.
PACT defines new and ambitious standards for a more climate sustainable visual arts sector, framed by each initiative aligning on the following four pillars:
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1) Continuous Greenhouse Gas Emission Reduction
Aligning with the Paris Agreement’s aim to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2 °C above pre-industrial levels by advocating for the visual arts sector globally to reduce greenhouse gas emissions 50% by 2030, while looking toward solutions that can best define how the sector can meet a goal of a net zero emissions by 2050.
2) Transitioning to a Zero Waste Sector
Advocating for a target zero waste to landfill for the visual art sector by Refusing, Reducing, Repurposing, Reusing, and Recycling materials internally, while simultaneously promoting material and infrastructure innovation that supports zero waste alternatives.
3) Unifying Visions and Shared Knowledge for Climate Action
Setting unified standards with the outlook on developing joint frameworks, PACT aligns with prioritizing adoption of carbon-free energy and waste reduction, and establishing climate-responsible shipping and travel policies across operations. Furthermore, the PACT centers collaboration by utilizing shared knowledge and resources, in order to empower further collective action both regionally and globally, that is critical to a successful movement.
4) Centering Intersectional Environmentalism
Acknowledging that environmental and social justice are intertwined, PACT advocates for climate policy that addresses this intersectionality and for action that is adopted systematically amongst museums, institutions, the art market, and suppliers, in order to establish a holistic, system-wide transition.
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This systems-wide approach - working together and sharing resources - will meet our environmental goals at the required scale, accelerating the visual arts engagement in the broader climate movement.
By advocating for every individual’s agency, PACT amplifies voices and promotes collaboration for global change. Each organization within PACT brings offerings to the sector, inviting multiple pathways for engaging in meaningful climate action and allowing each initiative to innovate, explore solutions, and build community while supported by and supporting a collective, aligned network.
More about PACT organizations:
Art to Acres (A/A) is an artist-founded non-profit initiative that supports permanent large-scale land conservation on behalf of artists, institutions, exhibitions and collectors. The conservation emphasizes carbon protection and high biodiversity landscapes, with a focus on helping communities, indigenous peoples, and nations conserve 30% of the planet in its natural state by 2030.
Art + Climate Action (ACA) is a California-based collective uniting non-profit arts spaces, commercial endeavors, art workers, patrons, and artist studios to serve environmental justice. We help organizations take account of their carbon output and provide strategic solutions for reducing waste and achieving zero-emissions practices.
Art / Switch is a NYC/Amsterdam-based non-profit started in 2019 in order to mediate and accelerate a climate conscious shift in the arts. We are an international hub and idea foundry bringing together art professionals and academia to share new knowledge and existing experiences, network and publish.
Art to Zero (A>0) is an NYC-based organization dedicated to accelerating the visual art's just transition to a net-zero emissions future. Building capacity, Art to Zero engages with organizations of all sizes and types to develop and implement climate action plans. Building community, Art to Zero facilitates intra-sector collaboration and cross-sector knowledge-sharing, advancing education and innovation through partnerships with local and global climate action + sustainability leaders.
Artists Commit (AC) is an artist-led collective committed to a climate-conscious, resilient, and equitable future. AC focuses on ways artists can catalyze change within the sector, specifically through collaborations with presenting partners exhibiting and circulating their work.
Galleries Commit (GC) is a worker-led collective committed to a climate-conscious, resilient, and equitable future for New York City galleries. With a focus on building community, sharing knowledge, and responding to what gallery workers need, Galleries Commit currently maintains a community platform of workers, artists and allies from a range of galleries, a database for intersectional climate action, and a collective conservation partnership for the visual arts sector.
Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) was founded in 2020 by a group of gallerists and professionals working in the commercial arts sector as an attempt to develop a meaningful and industry-specific response to the growing climate crisis. The goal of GCC is to facilitate a greener, more sustainable art world and to reduce the sector’s carbon footprint by at least 50% by 2030 in line with the Paris Agreement. This will be achieved by providing members with industry specific guidelines and practical tools including a carbon calculator to measure emissions.
Since launching, GCC has become an international organisation with a membership of over 400. It is in the process of establishing several strategic regional groups, the first being in Berlin and London. Conversations about setting up further groups around the globe are in progress.
Ki Culture is a non-profit organization promoting sustainability through culture. We believe in the capacity of the cultural sector to inspire and educate the world on sustainability - but that to do so effectively, the field must also be sustainable itself. Ki Culture empowers individuals and institutions to become leaders for a sustainable future through original programming, resources, tools and an international network.
For any media inquiries on PACT, please contact visualartspact@gmail.com.