Environmental savings could cut arts costs

£11m in savings could be unlocked for England’s arts sector, if all organisations could replicate the success that some have already had in reducing their energy consumption. The latest Sustaining Great Art report from Julie’s Bicycle reveals that two-thirds of Arts Council England (ACE) funded organisations have reduced their carbon footprint over the last two years. This has resulted in an overall reduction in emissions of 6.3% and savings of £1.25m, which if replicated across the sector would lead to reductions of 62,300 tonnes of CO2e – the equivalent of 12,500 households – and savings of £11m.

What’s more, the research finds that the benefits of being environmentally minded are not just financial. Of the three-quarters of organisations saying they are engaged with environmental sustainability, more than half have seen a boost to their reputation and almost three-quarters report benefits to staff morale.

In 2012 ACE made reporting on energy and water consumption a requirement of funding for its national portfolio organisations, major partner museums and bridge organisations, and this new report presents the results from the second year of this initiative. Despite not being asked to reduce emissions, many have done so, and the report concludes: “While there is not yet an evidence base to support the proposition that managing energy and water consumption can prompt behaviour change it is likely that this is the case.” It recommends more work be done in this area to further understanding.

The quality and quantity of the responses to ACE’s survey illustrates “a cultural community that is confident and engaged”, the report states. 98% of organisations are now engaged with the programme, up from 89% in 2012, and 85% have an environmental policy and action plan in place. The report reveals that the organisations doing the most to reduce emissions – galleries and theatres – consider themselves to be doing the least, and vice versa, “revealing an evolving maturity about the scale and complexity of the issues”.

Among the measures arts organisations are taking to reduce their carbon emissions are introducing ground-source heat pumps and solar panels, and replacing lightbulbs and taps with more efficient versions. Some are trialling more imaginative schemes, such as the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Arts which recycles its old external banners into bags and pencil cases which it then sells in its shop, and the Philharmonia Orchestra, which is breaking with industry tradition by paying a flat mileage rate to musicians for UK touring that is not reduced when lifts are shared.

This year, just 16 building-based organisations were responsible for 50% of the arts sector’s total carbon footprint. The visual arts contribute by far the most carbon emissions of any art form, although individual concert halls produce the most on average. Libraries and small music venues produce the least. Julie’s Bicycle is keen to see those organisations contributing the most to the sector’s carbon emissions becoming leaders in sustainability, and for this leadership to come from the very top of organisations – from board members and executives. Despite what the report describes as some “examples of outstanding senior leadership”, it found that those leading on environmental issues are mainly from middle management.

Given the potential for the process of monitoring energy usage to encourage sustainable behaviour, more still needs to be done to help smaller and touring organisations to collect data on their environmental impact – an issue that was identified in the year 1 report. 23% are still unable to meet reporting requirements, typically because they don’t own or rent a building and are unable to access energy and water invoices, or they have impacts which are too sporadic or small to measure meaningfully.