Since the Summer 2023 environmental update, we have seen more shocking, record-breaking statistics on global warming, which resulted in a plethora of natural disasters, deadly to humans, animals, flora & fauna, costing countries multi billions. COP28 also took place, with many people having fairly low expectations regarding firm pledges and commitments, alongside bewilderment at the elected host country for such a summit.

This report gives a snapshot of the current state of affairs on the international and national stage, then focuses in on what is happening with the arts & cultural sector in respect to existing and new initiatives for environmental and sustainable practice.

The dog days of summer are not just barking, they are biting. Climate breakdown has begun.

António Guterres, UN Secretary-General

In the United States, China, Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East, temperatures set records, with lethal consequences for some of those unable to escape the heat. June through August marked the world’s hottest three-month period in recorded history, and the average global temperature in July was more than 2°F (1.1°C) hotter than last century’s average, according to the United States’ National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
In its worst-ever season, Canada doubled its previous record for carbon emissions from wildfire, according to the European Union’s Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
In Europe, Greece recorded its most intense burst of wildfire emissions ever.
In the Pacific, a blaze in Maui, Hawaii, became the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than a century.
Sea temperatures also broke records this summer, with NOAA estimating that more than 40% of the world’s oceans are experiencing a so-called marine heat wave. The average global ocean surface temperature reached an all-time high.
The deadliest-ever Mediterranean cyclone dropped record rainfall in Libya, overwhelming dams and causing catastrophic flooding
In India, monsoon rains killed more than one hundred people
in the United States, heavy rainfall caused Vermont’s worst floods in a century, while parts of Kentucky recorded their highest-ever totals for twenty-four-hour rainfall, according to NOAA.
Countries such as Chile and those in the Horn of Africa are facing their worst droughts in decades.

INTERNATIONAL ACTIONS

Climate Ambition Summit, 20 September 2023, United Nations

Against the backdrop of the worsening climate crisis, the UN Secretary-General’s Climate Ambition Summit aimed to showcase “first mover and doer” leaders from government, business, finance, local authorities, and civil society who came with credible actions, policies and plans – and not just pledges – to accelerate the decarbonization of the global economy and deliver climate justice in line with his Acceleration Agenda.

“If these first-doers and first-movers can do it, everybody can do it,” the Secretary-General said in his closing remarks, calling it a “Summit of Hope.”

Amina Mohammed gave a talk at St Martins in the Fields in November 2023 in her role as Deputy Secretary-General of the UN and these were some of what I considered the main take aways:

People are living longer, so we must consider our own life cycle and the role that each of us plays in society, including the added value that we can bring as we fertilise the foundations of our society
3 degrees is the increase now being advocated by many, but it absolutely has to be 1.5 degrees, so the licenses for oil and gas drilling need to be put back in the freezer
Energy security cannot be off the back of humanity
73% of the global population will be living in cities by 2050 so food security is required. The food system must change. Systems to produce, package and distribute food generate a third of greenhouse gas emissions and cause up to 80 per cent of biodiversity loss. Without intervention, food system emissions will likely increase by up to 40 per cent by 2050.
We must ask ourselves tough questions about how we live and is it justifiable that some people should bear the brunt of our chosen lifestyle – 6 pairs of jeans in our wardrobe vs drinking water for villages or societies

COP28

Unite. Act. Deliver

Decisions today are tomorrow’s legacy

Below are the main takeaways from the first week of Cop28.

President of COP28, Sultan Al Jaber, who is also head of UAE national oil company ADNOC, claimed that there is “no science” indicating that a phase-out of fossil fuels is needed to restrict global heating to 1.5 degrees. He then had to backtrack and said that “we’re here because we very much believe and respect the science.”

HRH King Charles

The world has embarked on a “vast, frightening experiment” on the natural world, which risks triggering “feedback loops” in the climate system that will cause irreversible disaster.

Noting that 2023 was the hottest year on record, the king said “records are now being broken so often that we are perhaps becoming immune to what they are really telling us. We need to pause to process what this actually means: we are taking the natural world outside balanced norms and limits, and into dangerous, uncharted territory.”

In an opening speech calling on leaders to make Cop28 “a critical turning point”, he warned: “We are carrying out a vast, frightening experiment of changing every ecological condition, all at once, at a pace that far outstrips nature’s ability to cope … Our choice is now a starker, and darker, one: how dangerous are we actually prepared to make our world?”

Antonio Gutteres, Head of UN

“We are living through climate collapse in real time,”

“This year has seen communities around the world pounded by fires, floods, and searing temperature – and the impact is devastating. Record global heating should send shivers down the spines of world leaders. And it should trigger them to act.”

“We have the roadmap to limit the rise in global temperature to 1.5C and avoid the worst of climate chaos. But we need leaders to fire the starting gun at Cop28 on a race to keep the 1.5C limit alive, by committing to triple renewables and double energy efficiency, and committing to phase out fossil fuels, with a clear timeframe aligned to the 1.5C limit.”

Key pledges and declarations made:

The loss and damage fund designed to support climate-vulnerable developing countries was brought to life on the first day of the COP
Countries have pledged hundreds of millions of dollars so far for the fund
A pledge to shore up global health care systems to withstand the worsening impacts of climate change
A pledge to curb cooling-related emissions was joined by nearly 60 countries

Most discussed topics:

Phasing out or reducing the use of fossil fuels
Building resilience to climate impacts
Financial support for vulnerable countries coping with a climate catastrophe

Major reports launched:

Among the major reports launched in the first half of COP28, two sobering science-based surveys from the UN weather agency, WMO, opened and closed the week.

The first WMO report warned that the world is heating up at pace that could signal “planetary collapse” if drastic and immediate action isn’t taken to curb greenhouse gas emissions
The second WMO report, launched on Tuesday confirmed 2011-2030 was the warmest decade ever recorded with greenhouse gas emissions “turbo charging” climate change and imperiling our Polar ice caps and mountainous regions

What’s coming up:

Now all eyes are on countries’ ability to use the conclusions of the global stocktake – an in-depth look at how far the world has come since adopting the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement and what’s to be done next – as a springboard towards more ambitious climate action plans.

Climate Heritage Network

The Climate Heritage Network (CHN) is a voluntary, mutual support network of government agencies, NGOs, universities, businesses, and other organizations committed to tackling climate change and achieving the ambitions of the Paris Agreement.

Mobilized in 2018 during the Global Climate Action Summit and launched in 2019, the Climate Heritage Network works to re-orient climate policy, planning, and action at all levels to account for dimensions of culture – from arts to heritage.

COP28

Artists and cultural voices from across the world are uniting to call for climate negotiators at COP UN Climate Conference to put cultural heritage, arts and creative industries at the heart of climate action.

We are asking for a ground-breaking ‘Joint Work Decision on Culture and Climate Action’, a UN process which would trigger policies and frameworks to enable culture to contribute fully to climate solutions.

Culture is a powerful force that shapes all of our lives, wherever we are in the world. Yet in spite of its potential, culture has not been integrated into climate policy and planning. Culture-led solutions that are inclusive, local as well as global, and focused on people and nature are already abundant.

Cultural heritage, including traditional knowledge, strengthens resilience, helps communities to adapt to climate impacts, protects places, and offers green, circular and regenerative solutions. The arts speak to hearts and minds, inspiring action and helping us to understand climate change through storytelling and shared experiences. The creative industries – design, music, fashion and film – shape our lifestyles, tastes and consumption patterns.

To strengthen global climate action, we must urgently harness the extraordinary potential of cultural heritage, arts and creative sectors to help people imagine and realise low-carbon, just, climate resilient futures.

Julie’s Bicycle at COP28

Julie’s Bicycle at COP 28 – Julie’s Bicycle (juliesbicycle.com)

Co-curating the Resilience Hub’s Arts, Culture, Antiquities and Heritage events.

The Resilience Hub is an inclusive virtual and physical space designed to mobilise action on resilience and adaptation at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, COP28, and beyond. The Hub brings together people from every region across civil society, the private sector, academia and government to accelerate the action and investment needed to build resilience everywhere, and make our communities safer, healthier and more just.

The events from the Resilience Hub will be taking place at COP for those that are there, but also available to stream online. Register with the Resilience Hub in order to access the live stream.

UK ENVIRONMENTAL STANCE

Most commentators say that under Sunak’s Conservative government, the UK is backing out of many previously secured commitments and that the UK has effectively removed itself from the table in respect to pushing for action on climate change.

Zac Goldsmith, Minister for international environment, who resigned in June 2023

“The UK has visibly stepped off the world stage and withdrawn our leadership on climate and nature. Too often we are simply absent from key international fora. Worse still, we have effectively abandoned one of the most widely reported and solemn promises we have made on this issue: our pledge to spend £11.6bn of our aid on climate and environment.

The problem is not that the government is hostile to the environment, it is that you, our prime minister, are simply uninterested. That signal, or lack of it, has trickled down through Whitehall and caused a kind of paralysis.”

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak sets out his new approach to Net Zero – September 2023

In a shock announcement, UK prime minister Rishi Sunak revealed earlier this week plans to abandon or delay core parts of his government’s climate strategy.

Under Sunak’s “new approach”, a 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel cars has been delayed by five years, the 2035 phaseout of gas boiler sales has been loosened and landlords will not be obliged to insulate their rental properties to higher standards.

The U-turns have been widely condemned by hundreds of companies, climate leaders and politicians from across the political spectrum.

King’s Speech in November 2023

The government has confirmed its plans to grant new North Sea oil and gas licences every year at the opening of parliament, deepening a political fault line between the Conservatives and Labour, and angering environmental campaigners who argue it undermines efforts to reach net zero.

UK Health Security Agency’s (UKHSA) report released December 2023

The climate crisis will amplify the UK’s existing health inequalities | Climate crisis | The Guardian

ART & CULTURAL SECTOR INITIATIVES

The UK government has unveiled the Creative Industries Sector Vision which includes £77m of new funding. It was created in partnership with the Creative Industries Council (CIC).
Sustainable art for a better future: https://youtu.be/n2fl_CJo50A?feature=shared
Culture for Sustainability: 2022 Global Report, ReShaping Policies for Creativity: https://youtu.be/215UElnrU9U?feature=shared
ACE Transforming Energy participants – The 12 cultural organisations taking part in the Capital Investment Ready strand of Transforming Energy, as part of the Arts Council England’s Environmental Programme – Announcing the Capital Investment Ready cohort – Julie’s Bicycle (juliesbicycle.com)
New research programme to examine how access to events for disabled people can become environmentally sustainable – Julie’s Bicycle (juliesbicycle.com)
Point One – we take a look at why sustainability should be back on theatres’ agenda, what benefits it can bring, and how these sustainability goals can be achieved in partnership with UK-wide initiatives and third-party support – How to make theatres more sustainable | pointOne (pointone-epos.co.uk)
The Greenhouse is the UK’s first zero-waste theatre company. We create top-quality, award-winning art in a radically sustainable way – About – The Greenhouse Theatre
Music Sector – Taking Stock: The Music Sector and the Climate, Nature, Justice Crisis – Julie’s Bicycle (juliesbicycle.com)
Dance – Sustainability in dance performance – “greener ways of working can exclude people of different abilities without thinking of the needs of all the individuals taking part. So as a team we have tried to think about how to work sustainably in an inclusive way.” How can dance performance be sustainable? – dance art journal
Reflections – How Can Cultural Organisations Adapt to Climate Change? – Julie’s Bicycle (juliesbicycle.com)
Off the Shelf: a toolkit for ethical transfer, reuse and disposal – Museums Association

ARTISTS FOCUSING ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Complicite produced a digital performance about the climate catastrophe in 2021 and has been touring it, providing a resource pack so that communities can hold their own screenings to disseminate the message as widely as possible: https://www.complicite.org/work/can-i-live/
10 Artists Tackling Climate Change in Their Work | Artsy The natural world has been a source of inspiration for artists since time immemorial. In recent years, however, as wildfires ignite across the globe, ocean levels rise, and entire ecosystems collapse, artists have been faced with the ever-increasing and inescapable effects of our climate crisis. Reflecting on these ecological perils, many contemporary artists have become climate activists, using their work as a platform to raise awareness and imagine a more sustainable future.
Artists and institutions seem content to merely ‘address’, ‘engage with’ or ‘respond to’ the climate crisis. It’s time for a concerted shift towards action – Eco Exhibitions Won’t Save Us – ArtReview

ARTISTS FOCUSING ON SUSTAINABILITY

Eight leading artists championing sustainability | Christie’s (christies.com)
20 Sustainability Artists On a Mission For a Greener Tomorrow (yoursustainableguide.com) Contemporary art has the power to speak volumes. And artists have always played an important role in reflecting the social and environmental issues of our society through their vision. What’s impressive is, with sustainable practices at the forefront, there has been a surge among sustainability artists. These creators are trying their best to highlight the ecological concerns of our planet through various art design.
Phyllida Barlow talking about how she has changed the way in which she produces her work to align with her views on environmental practices – filmed as she wanders around her local Wickes for materials! https://youtu.be/ZzTAXGQxmQA?feature=shared
From Waste to Works of Art: Our Favorite Sustainable Artists – Impakter
London Design Festival – circular design series – London Design Festival — Circular Design Series. A range of talks on different sustainable design practices, from menswear designer Randa Kherba’s journey through the fashion industry and circularity, and the creation of Algear, a bio alternative to constructing outdoor gear that harnesses the growth of cyanobacteria, to reducing waste in the restaurant sector and the future of packaging.

SNAPSHOT OF OTHER SUSTAINABLE INITIATIVES

FINAL REFLECTION

This comes from AMINA MOHAMED at her St Martin’s Talk in November 2023

So many are engulfed by the globalization of indifference. We must continue standing up and standing on the shoulders of Giants in order to fight against climate injustice.