Take your time

When possible, avoid rushing. If you're collaborating with a presenting partner, discuss your time needs upfront to minimise waste and last-minute orders. An Environmental Responsibility Rider can help structure these conversations.

Plan wisely

Careful planning can minimise material waste. Artists often do this already for financial reasons, but it's worth recognising the environmental benefits too!

Consider climate justice

Recognise that climate action intersects with social, ethical, and political issues. Embed considerations of climate justice throughout your project, such as analysing access requirements and reflecting with collaborators on intersectional adjustments.

Collaborate

If you can, working with a network of specialists can streamline your process, save time, reduce waste, and build community.

Prototype efficiently

Consider smaller-scale models or digital renderings to reduce material usage.

Choose materials wisely

Material choices have social, political, and environmental implications. Research and question your choices to align with your values. See Materials for more advice. 

Minimise digital impacts

Share low-resolution images and PDFs to reduce your digital footprint during project planning. See GCC Digital Guidelines for more advice.  

Optimise shipping

Design artworks for easy dismantling and compact shipping to reduce carbon emissions. 

Consider sea freight deadlines

Determine deadlines that take into account additional time for sea freight if required. This can lower shipping emissions by up to 90%.

Plan for aftercare

Consider the future and aftercare of your work from the start. How will it be stored? How will it travel to future exhibitions? What happens once it’s sold? See Acquisitions, Sales and Aftercare for more advice. 

Be mindful of ‘health and safety’ guidelines

These are often well-intentioned but may require revision to align with environmental responsibility. Discuss potential updates with the designated person or team responsible for this aspect of the project. It might be necessary to change certain internal practices and/or question traditional methods (such as requiring the use of specific materials that may be environmentally damaging) based on outdated beliefs rather than current research.

Explore alternatives ​

Where possible, collaborate with experts to explore alternative health and safety measures. For instance, instead of automatically using concrete to support and balance a sculpture in the ground, consider materials like recycled metal, wood, or bamboo. These alternatives can offer structural balance, are less environmentally impactful, and can be easily removed and recycled when needed.

Ethical funding

Assess the environmental impact of corporate sponsors and seek partnerships with organisations aligned with positive environmental values. See GCC Finance Guidelines for more advice.

Communicate

If working with a presenting partner on a project or exhibition, communicate your commitment to environmental responsibility and expectations for support. You can use the Environmental Responsibility Rider to help formulate and communicate your expectations. 

Seek support

Consider asking for extra time as part of your artist fees to assess the environmental and social concerns of your artwork as part of the project budget. 

If it’s part of your remit, pay artists!

And be transparent about your pay structure. Artists are often severely underpaid for their work and cannot expect to work sustainably if they are not remunerated properly. If you’re a presenting partner, follow the suggestions set out by Industria in their 2023 Structurally F-cked Report.

Consider legal agreements

Include green considerations and clauses if your project involves legal agreements. See Commissioning for more advice.

I ask that all organisations I work with are committed to environmental responsibility. Consider becoming a member of GCC to demonstrate a shared commitment to these aims. GCC provides sustainability guidance and support for organisations and professionals of all kinds.

Create a Carbon Report for this project using GCC's free carbon calculator.

Complete a Climate Impact Report via Artists Commit for this project to track and measure the environmental impacts.

Artist, X Breidenbach, purposefully designed Meditation on Entropy, 2023 to be folded to fit into an A4 envelope for compact shipping to reduce emissions. It is important to note that the artist is aware of and embraces potential wear to the artwork using a folding technique in transport.