Environmental Responsibility Statement
The world is facing a series of interconnected environmental crises. In October 2022, the UN warned that global governments are not yet on track to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees Celsius, and the window for meaningful action is rapidly closing. We are already witnessing the impacts of existing warming through devastating droughts, storms, and floods across the world. Additional crises include collapsing biodiversity, dangerous levels of air pollution, and plastic contamination in our rivers and oceans. Without urgent action from all sectors of society, these problems will escalate quickly.
The art world has a crucial role to play in addressing these issues. Arts organizations, particularly in the Global North, have a disproportionate environmental impact, primarily due to extensive international travel, art shipping, and high energy and material consumption. It is essential that we act urgently to reduce these impacts in line with the science. As arts organizations, we also have an opportunity to use our public platforms and cultural influence to set a positive example, inspire others to take action, and contribute to shifting the public discourse.
Kunsthall 3,14 is a non-commercial art institution located in the center of Bergen. Our program is characterized by international contemporary art with a political focus. Since our founding in 1986, we have emphasized art from the Global South.
To maintain this program profile, we recognize that urgent environmental action is needed, as art and culture worldwide are directly threatened by the climate crisis—especially communities and cultures in the Global South, who are most at risk.
As an organization, we acknowledge that our main direct environmental impacts include flights to seminars and exhibitions, air freight of artworks, and energy use in our buildings. We have committed to addressing these impacts by:
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Joining the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) and pledging to reduce our carbon emissions by at least 50% by 2030, based on a 2019 baseline.
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Regularly calculating the carbon footprint of our operations to track progress towards this target.
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Setting specific targets for the major components of our footprint, including:
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Reducing staff flights to 25% of pre-COVID levels by 2030.
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Ensuring the majority of our international shipping is carried out by sea, rail, or road rather than air by 2028.
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Ensuring that all of our packing materials are reusable or curbside recyclable by 2027, with a goal of achieving zero-waste operations by 2030.
The actions we are taking to meet these targets include:
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Engaging with our shippers to explore alternatives to air freight and planning exhibitions and events carefully to minimize the need for air transport.
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Reviewing our staff travel policies and practices, and planning our attendance at international events to reduce the need for air travel.
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Collaborating with other GCC members on projects to develop more sustainable packaging, transport, and energy-saving solutions for the sector.
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Engaging with our suppliers and service providers to discuss their carbon footprints and exploring opportunities to encourage them to take action, or to switch to alternative suppliers who share our commitment to sustainability.
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Tracking progress on all these targets and actions at least four times per year.
In addition, we are allocating [insert annual total] into a Strategic Climate Fund (SCF), rather than purchasing carbon offsets. Following the guidance of the Gallery Climate Coalition, these funds will be used to accelerate our emissions reductions and support frontline climate solutions around the world that are already making a difference. We will report on how this money is spent at the end of each financial year.
We aim to take action in line with the principles of climate justice, recognizing the connections between the climate crisis and other global injustices. We want our environmental actions to support—rather than undermine or ignore—the needs of people on the frontlines of marginalization and injustice.
We have set these targets and are taking actions with the understanding that we are not yet doing everything perfectly. There is still much to learn and accomplish. We welcome feedback from our artists and audiences on this environmental statement, our targets, and our plans for action.