Culture and the green agenda

In 2006, the Stern Review1 on the economics of climate change provided a substantiated overview of the consequences of relentless economic growth minus environmental and social concern. It set out the (financial) cost of not taking action now to prevent further environmental damage and made it clear that climate change won’t simply effect the ‘other’; climate change will happen on our doorsteps, with dire and far-reaching economic results. Sustainability is thus no longer an issue that’s being treated as separate from education, the economy, business, travel, leisure and our communities. Getting the balance right is vital to secure a stable future. 

But are we changing fast enough? There may be an unprecedented level of awareness around environmental issues, but it hasn’t yet translated into the kind of action the Stern Review advocated. A massive cultural shift is still required – in every community, in every school, every workplace and every home. It’s no longer enough to talk the talk. So, is this where the cultural sector can step in – does it have the tools and skill sets to help Britain change the way we work, rest and play?  

Winning hearts and minds  

Getting people to change isn’t easy. It means adopting a multitude of different approaches and applying them at different times, in highly targeted ways. This is a huge challenge to policymakers used to working within governmental boundaries. It’s joining the dots on a massive scale. And it’s not enough to perform the task once. Effecting social change requires constant communication – what DEFRA2 called ‘a model of ceaseless innovation.’ And at the same time, the message has to be consistent. Conflicting messages – about climate change itself, or what practical measures we can take to resolve it – mean that the public are confused.  

But is consistent, targeted communication enough? Some would argue that the British public is all too aware of what it should be doing, and yet very few are actually making changes. How many of us, for example, are willing to give up holidays abroad? People seem to have quite a lot of information and awareness already. Four out of the five adults questioned in a recent study3 knew what they needed to do to be environmentally responsible. They just didn’t do it. Why is that? Well, one reason could be cultural. For those raised during the austerity of post-war Britain, for example, the concept of reuse, repair, doing-it-yourself and saving up before spending is common sense. For those raised during Britain’s headlong rush into consumer culture, these are alien ideas. Why repair when you can buy a newer, shinier one? Why hang on to your mobile phone when there’s an upgrade in the offing? For this generation, new is not only desirable, it’s a status symbol. The latest, newest, best is part of who you are. ‘Today’s young people,’ says environmental consultant Brook Lyndhurst, ‘are completely steeped in the contemporary capitalist culture of consumerism.’3  

Policymakers are as aware as the public of what needs to be done and yet leadership remains patchy. Much has been made of ‘consumer power’, but, in reality, real change needs to come from communities and government. The emergence of eco-products on supermarket shelves has given consumers the choice of buying a ‘green’ washing powder, for example, but at many levels there just isn’t such a choice. This is where policymakers are essential. They can tackle the supply chain further up and take more drastic steps (such as public transport investment or introducing ‘eco taxes’) that are out of the consumer’s reach.  

So where does the Culture Sector fit in?  

•  Effective communication  
Changing behaviour requires constant, consistent messages. It relies on highly targeted communication. It needs to tackle the consumer at every stage of their daily life. And cultural organisations are perhaps in a unique position to help achieve precisely this. How is that? Well, artists and cultural organisations are used to communicating to diverse audiences – it’s a core part of their business. They have ready-made audience development strategies; they’ve developed two-way communication between public and organisation, and they have the skills and the physical spaces to communicate with. These so-called ‘soft skills’ are essential in creating cultural change and in making the environmental message an integral part of life.  

• Networks work  
Social networks are becoming increasingly important. As traditional mass media crumble, social networking technologies and personal networks will become the most effective way of reinforcing the environmental message. ‘People are willing to change, but they need to see others acting around them to feel their efforts are worthwhile,’ said a recent report by the National Consumer Council.4 Many cultural organisations, particularly community-based ones, already work with networks such as community groups, religious organisations, schools and parents’ groups. They can also share their understanding of the motivations of groups from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds – because what encourages one person to go green may not work for another.  

• Show, not tell  

But perhaps most important of all, cultural organisations, particularly those working within the visual and performing arts, can show rather than tell. They are in a position to demonstrate to both the public and policymakers the values and ease of sustainable living. They are in a position to help ‘people to understand a problem in their own way, decide for themselves to do something about it, make a real difference that’s noticeable to them, and receive recognition for having done the right thing.’5  

•  Walk first, then run  
The time is right, and the opportunities for the cultural sector to support environmental change greater than ever. As a first step, cultural organisations and their funders must make environmental responsibility a priority. Funders and policymakers must also ensure that cultural organisations know their role in creating a sustainable, viable society and are able to make informed, proactive choices.  

• Some recommendations  
The challenge is to engage the cultural sector fully in their role and responsibilities in creating environmental change, and to provide them with clear messages and practical steps that make it easy to become involved in new cultural-environmental projects. To this end, funders, policymakers, agencies, key influencers and larger cultural organisations could:

• Work with cultural organisations to raise awareness of their role in creating the kind of behavioural change necessary to bring about environmental change.
• Provide cultural organisations with practical first steps – or a simple checklist – to ensure that they comply with current legislation and thinking on issues such as recycling and energy conservation. In addition to this, ensure that sustainability is a key criterion for funding applications, thereby ensuring that sustainability and environmental protection will remain at the top of the agenda.
• Supply cultural organisations with a list of environmental companies, agencies, training, latest news and report summaries to help them become informed and involved in the environmental debate.
• Pull together examples of projects combining culture and the environment that can be accessed by those working across the cultural, public sector and sustainable sectors, e.g. touring exhibitions or plays that could be performed in schools or businesses; photographic/visual resources that could be used to inform the public; downloadable staff training packs; and so on.
• Create a flagship project that combines culture and the green agenda and can be used as an inspiring example of just what can be achieved if these two sectors begin to work together.  

The cultural sector undoubtedly has the skills necessary to generate behavioural change – but, if we’re to believe the Stern Review, those skills are needed now. Delay is not an option.