Since the beginning of 2022, staff from each department have been meeting to discuss Contemporary Art Society’s position in relation to sustainability, the environment and working towards a carbon-neutral position. This is a work in progress, and we are all learning both from one another on an internal basis and from other arts and culture organisations more widely.
Contemporary Art Society recognises that there are measures the organisation can take in the short term that can meaningfully reduce its environmental impact:
The organisation has joined the Gallery Climate Coalition to further support the missions and goals of the broader cultural landscape.
Our six-month period of research concludes this Autumn, culminating with a policy that will span the different activities of our organisation and acknowledge Contemporary Art Society’s position as an influential advocate for our Museum and Curatorial members and Consultancy clients. This policy will provide the spine for our Climate Protection & Sustainability actions and will be reviewed on a quarterly basis.
To keep up to date with our work on Climate Protection & Sustainability, sign up here.
In the longer term, the Team recommends a period of research lasting six months (August 2022-January 2023) that can further inform Contemporary Art Society’s commitment to supporting a sustainable environment. Findings and actions from this research will be reviewed on a quarterly basis, with the Team reporting back to the wider organisation.
What we can do now
From regularly clearing emails to ensuring all office products carry Green credentials, there are many ways in the coming months CAS can reduce its environmental impact. The Team will offer staff tutorials and update on a regular basis.
Creating a Framework
The Team has identified the need for a regularly reviewed Framework that clearly outlines ambitions and targets. This Framework will be informed by a report documenting the six-month research period. At this point, the Team has identified three strands for the framework, which will span the whole organisation:
PEOPLE
- Internal we need to take the organisation on this journey, sharing findings and encouraging all staff in independent research – there is tremendous scope for streamlining internal communications; creating QI Database management solutions, etc
- External as CAS, we have a wide sphere of influence – we can share our work with colleagues in the museum and gallery context; fundraising and hospitality sectors, IT and office management and construction and strategic work
PRODUCTION
- We can share our research findings with others, devising a Sustainable Practices Toolkit that can be shared with museum members
- We can develop a set of commissioning principles for delivering more sustainable artworks
PROGRAMMING
- We can devise and deliver workshops and forums across departments to be delivered online and made freely available for viewing
- We can provide Green messaging to our networks, from environmentally-friendly ways for Patrons to travel to events to advocating for locally-produced, seasonal catering
The Green Team is committed to creating a meaningful Framework for sustainability that can be actioned and evaluated on a regular basis.
The CAS Green Team:
Chairs: Jordan Kaplan, Katharina Worf
Members: Sophia Bardsley, Toju Iluyomade, Tosin Adegoke, Efea Rutlin, Clemmie Langley, Ally Bennett, Ksenya Blokhina, Dida Tait
The Contemporary Art Society is a member of the Gallery Climate Coalition.