Sustainability

Introduction and significance of the theme

The climate crisis presents the world with a colossal task. Due to the increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, the earth is heating up, and the consequences are becoming increasingly apparent. Sea level rise by the year 2100 is expected to threaten the habitat of 410 million people, and several islands and countries are likely to become uninhabitable as early as the next few decades (Storer 2021, Ainge Roy 2019). Extreme weather events and climate disasters are becoming more frequent and severe, resulting in floods, droughts and food shortages. A record number of natural disasters due to climate change was counted in 2023 (AON 2024). More than a million plant and animal species are at risk of extinction - and scenarios are conceivable in which humans are one of them (Carrington 2022).

In order to limit the consequences of climate change as much as possible, in 2015 almost 200 countries agreed in the Paris Climate Agreement to try to limit the global temperature increase compared to the start of the Industrial Revolution to a maximum of 2, but ideally 1,5 degrees Celsius (Rijksoverheid nj). To achieve this, global greenhouse gas emissions must decrease as quickly and as strongly as possible. Scientists warn that the reduction is going far too slowly and that we must prepare ourselves for the lasting consequences of climate change (Rothenberg 2023). Concerns have increased now that under President Trump the United States has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement again in January 2025. Under his administration, the focus is on stimulating fossil fuels. Federal funding for climate research has been stopped.

In the Netherlands, the Senate approved the Climate Act in 2023, which sets a 2050 percent reduction in greenhouse gases by 95 compared to 1990. On the way to achieving this, the aim is to achieve a 2030 percent reduction by 49. The law also includes fully CO2-neutral electricity production by 2050. However, much still needs to be done for this: in 2021, CO2 emissions were 15 percent lower than in 1990 (CBS nj).

Achieving such a large CO2 reduction is a challenge concerning everyone. In the coming years for the cultural sector too, it will become increasingly important to make buildings, programmes and productions more sustainable. Not only the climate crisis itself demands this, but also (possible) future laws and regulations and changing expectations of audiences and society. Equally important is the substantive role the cultural sector can play. Art and culture can play a major role in raising awareness and mobilisation around the climate transition. Additionally, they can also activate and contribute to the creative ideas and solutions needed to tackle the climate crisis.

Research in 2019 showed that a large part of the cultural sector is working to become more sustainable to some extent, although for most organizations – with the exception of several inspiring frontrunners – this was more incidental than structural (Schrijen 2019). Since 2019, attention for the theme has increased in the cultural sector. The increased energy prices have led to a call for accelerated sustainability and the Raad voor Cultuur came up with the advice 'Culture naturally, how sustainability and culture reinforce each other' in June 2023 (Raad voor Cultuur 2023). In this document, the Council states that there is still a lack of attention from the government for sustainability and culture. The Council advocates substantive and financial support from the government for the sector and makes proposals for the establishment of transition workshops and knowledge sharing. In December 2024, the policy response from Minister Bruins (OCW) was published. The minister has chosen to mainly seek connections with generic measures for the cultural sector. Within the Culture and Media directorate of the ministry, the Sustainable team is working. In the context of the Cultural Basic Infrastructure 2025-2028 scheme, all applicants completed a questionnaire to gain an idea of ​​the efforts they are making in the field of sustainability. The answers were analyzed by Significant APE (Barneveld 2024) on behalf of the ministry. Almost all respondents pay attention to the subject, but the subject is often not structurally embedded in the organization. A minority (27%) has calculated a CO2 footprint or is in the process of doing so. The analysis confirms the picture from research by the Boekmanstichting: the theme is considered important, but many institutions experience a lack of money, time and knowledge in sustainability.  

Given the extreme urgency of the climate crisis, its increasing importance for the cultural sector and the growing policy commitment to it, sustainability is one of the themes monitored in the Culture Monitor. To this end, this page successively examines three topics: the extent to which and how the cultural sector itself is becoming sustainable (‘Climate Impact’), the role the climate crisis plays in the work of creators (‘Climate Shadow’) and the impact of climate change on the cultural sector (‘Climate Adaptation’). The main sources here are the studies on sustainability in the cultural sector conducted by the Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080 since 2019 (Schrijen 2019, Schrijen 2020, Schrijen et al. 2022, Schrijen et al. 2023). Reference is also made to research examining general public expectations of sustainability in the cultural sector (Holm et al. 2024).

Climate impact – How is the cultural sector working towards sustainability?

From the electricity needed to light a stage to the water used to flush museum toilets, and from the metals in a game console to the pages of a new novel, the cultural sector uses energy and raw materials in many different ways. Increasing digitalization also contributes to the ecological footprint. In this way, the sector has impact on the climate. However, it is difficult (at the moment) to estimate exactly how big that impact is. CBS does publish figures on the composite sectors ‘Culture, sports and recreation’ and ‘Culture, recreation and other services’, but firstly these figures only partly with the cultural sector, and only concern the direct energy consumption of organisations in the sector itself (CBS 2024a, CBS 2024b). However, a large part of the climate impact of the cultural sector arises indirectly: for example through productions, catering or travel movements of makers and audiences (Bokhorst 2022).

Although the climate impact of the cultural sector is relatively small compared to the total Dutch climate impact, this will also ultimately have to be reduced to contribute to the Dutch climate ambitions, to comply with (future) legislation and regulations and to continue to meet the changing expectations of partners, the public and subsidy providers.

De Jong et al (2024) indicate that frontrunners in the cultural sector monitor their impact, but that this is done in different ways. Many organizations are waiting for more 'methodological support'. It is recommended to visualize relevant indicators per subsector. 

Moreover, a sector-wide inventory of how cultural organisations are working on sustainability offers survey research conducted by the Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080 in 2019 and 2022 among about 200 cultural organisations (Schrijen 2019, Schrijen et al. 2022). Although the results of this survey cannot be assumed to be representative , they are based on a sample that reflects the diversity of organisations in the cultural sector, both in terms of type of cultural organisation, size and housing situation .

Firstly, the results show that the motivation to become more sustainable is high. In 2022, the importance of becoming more sustainable is rated by respondents - for both their own organisation and the cultural sector as a whole - with an 8,8 on a scale of 1 (‘very unimportant’) to 10 (‘very important’). This high motivation stems mainly from intrinsic reasons (‘because we think this is important as an organisation’, ‘because we see this as our responsibility’, ‘because we want to convey the importance of sustainability to our visitors’), followed by reasons to do with the importance of one's own organisation (‘to be prepared for future developments or regulations’, ‘because it is good for our image’, ‘because of high energy prices’).

Almost all respondents are already working on sustainability in practice, with the extent to which this is happening on average estimated at 6,2 on a scale from 0 ('not at all active') to 10 ('very active'). This is somewhat similar to the situation in 2019, when most respondents classified themselves as 'somewhat active' or 'fairly active'. The ways in which organisations work on sustainability vary greatly, but the three activities respondents most often mentioned concern separating (at least three types of) waste, paying attention to the climate in programming and encouraging employees to travel to work by public transport.

The above comparison between 2019 and 2022 already shows that the motivation to become more sustainable and the extent to which this is done has remained almost the same during this period. So has the extent to which sustainability is a structural part of the operations of the organisations surveyed. In 2019, 27,4 per cent of the organisations surveyed had defined sustainability efforts in planning, 39,4 per cent had assigned people to carry out these efforts, and 14,9 per cent monitored (numerically) the progress made. In 2022, although these percentages are slightly higher (at 36,1, 42,6 and 17,7 per cent respectively), they still concern a minority of organisations.  

For many organisations, structurally embedding sustainability within business operations can still be an important step towards further sustainability – something that more than 80 percent of organisations indicate they want to do in the coming years. However, a large proportion of respondents experience bottlenecks, with a lack of financial resources, dependence on other parties and a higher priority for other topics being the most frequently mentioned. The needs that exist logically follow from these bottlenecks: money, guidance and support, information and inspiration, cooperation from other parties (such as a landlord) and policy (for example for clear guidelines, financial support or an obligation as a stick behind the door). These needs are confirmed in the aforementioned research by Significant APE (Barneveld 2024). The analysis among the applicants also showed that 96% of the respondents say they pay attention to sustainability. At the same time, half of them say that this is not structural. Larger organisations and organisations with their own accommodation pay the most structural attention in proportion.

Economic research by Statistics Netherlands (CBS) shows that nine in ten organisations within the Arts industry indicates that they have taken measures to become more sustainable in 2023 (92 percent). A year earlier, this share was considerably lower: 79 percent in 2022. It is likely that this increase is related to the increased energy prices. This is evident from the type of measures that organizations are focusing on: 37 percent of organizations mainly took measures in the field of energy in 2023, compared to 23 percent a year earlier. In February 2024, the number of companies that indicated that they would become more sustainable that year within the Art sector had fallen again, just like energy prices. Almost 69 percent indicated that they were working on sustainability, with 48 percent of organizations now looking at ways to save energy. This decline continued in 2025: in February 2025, only 59 percent indicated that they would focus on sustainability that year and almost 40 percent were still working on energy savings.

In the meantime, the cultural sector is becoming increasingly aware that greater efforts are needed. At the same time as the publication of the aforementioned council advice, Kunsten '92, the Federation of Creative Industries and the Taskforce Cultural and Creative Sector launched a knowledge platform:Action as Culture, intended to accelerate the process of sustainability. In addition, the NAPK is working with VTP and VSCD on a Dutch edition of the Theatre Green Book. A first version of this has been available since October 2023¹¹. Knowledge Institute DEN provides advice on how organizations can reduce their digital ecological footprint¹²In December 2024, the Sustainability & Museums working group of the Museum Association published an overview of toolkits, roadmaps and step-by-step plans for museums that want to become more sustainable.¹³.

The company Silbersee has set itself the goal of becoming a climate-positive production house by 2027. Silbersee has also organised a series of debates on art and climate with partners such as Oerol and the Dutch National Opera. Fossil-free Sponsorship Statement a number of cultural organisations are speaking out against sponsorship of cultural activities by companies that do not operate in line with the Paris climate objectives¹⁴. From 8 to 12 October 2025, the Dutch Sustainable Fashion Week will take place in ten different Dutch countries, in which sustainable fashion developments will be in the spotlight. In 2023, the initiators introduced a 'green washing tool' to be able to report on misleading sustainability claims within the clothing sector.¹⁵ 

The sector is also working on a plan to arrive at a Cultural Council Climate and Culture, initiated by Maurice Seleky and Chris Juliën and supported by a wide range of industry associations and national support institutions, including the Boekmanstichting. The aim of this citizens' council is to arrive at a joint climate approach for the cultural sector. 

Climate Shadow – What role does the climate crisis play in the work of creators?

While it is important for the cultural sector to become more sustainable, the role art and culture can play in the climate crisis extends beyond its own climate impact. Indeed, whereas climate reports and news reports communicate mainly with the mind, art can also reach people's feelings. Art can be activist and mobilise people. It can challenge and help reveal and break ingrained thinking patterns that have contributed to the climate crisis. Art can offer future scenarios and perspectives for action, showing what will be lost if no action is taken (Schrijen et al. 2022; see also, for example, Boeckel 2022, Jans 2022). An interesting way to distinguish this more substantive role in the climate crisis from the sector's climate impact is through the concept of 'climate shadow' .

In practice, there are many – and apparently more and more – artists and cultural organizations that fulfill this role with (part of) their work. Exhibitions, theater performances, songs, poetry collections, novels, films, visual works of art, games: within each discipline there are examples of 'climate art' are numerous. Inspiration can also be found in the expressions of solar punk, a movement that focuses on renewable energy sources with art expressions in all kinds of disciplines. In addition, there is an increasing call to involve artists and creative makers more directly in shaping and devising solutions for the climate crisis. For example, former State Secretary Uslu wrote in her Multi-year letter for the period 2023-2025 that 'we need artists, designers and other creative professionals to tackle complex transitions', because they 'have the tools to deal with the changes and (...) new [be able to] explore and imagine futures' (Uslu 2022a). Especially in the domains Architecture en Design many makers are already actively working on this. In doing so, architects and designers actively contribute to the broader climate adaptation of the Netherlands with their designs.

Though it is difficult to determine the exact extent to which creators and cultural organisations engage with the climate crisis in their work (and whether this increases or decreases over the years), research by the Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080 does offer an indication. Part of a survey conducted within the cultural sector in 2022 was a question on the share that climate-related work occupies within its entire production or programming. Although this questionnaire has several limitations , the results show that 59 per cent of the organisations surveyed have produced work in which the climate crisis played an important role in the past five years, and 53 per cent of the organisations are already sure they will do so in the next two years as well (Schrijen et al. 2022). Previous research additionally showed that in 2017, climate-related activities were mentioned in 24 per cent of the annual reports of institutions in the basic cultural infrastructure (BIS). This share increased to 30 per cent in 2018 and 55 per cent in 2019 (Schrijen 2020).

Climate adaptation – What are the consequences of the climate crisis for the sector?

The previous sections discussed how the cultural sector influences or can influence the climate through its own climate impact and climate shadow. However, the reverse is also true: climate change can/will also affect the cultural sector.

Cultural organisations and event organisers will have to take into account a climate in which more extreme weather conditions – such as storms, heavy rainfall or heat and drought – will occur more often. Flooding and drought also pose major risks, particularly for heritage (Knowledge Portal Climate Adaptation zja). The risk of flooding is evident and by no means a distant prospect. For example, a large part of the cultural heritage on Bonaire will be threatened by climate change this century (Drayer 2022), and during the floods in 2021, three museums and 65 monuments in Limburg were affected by water damage (Welters 2022). Drought can also contribute to soil subsidence, which can cause damage to (the foundations of) historical buildings or archaeological sites. Following the Limburg floods, Zwegers (2024) makes recommendations to prevent future damage to heritage as much as possible.

In September 2022, a report commissioned by the European Commission emphasised the need to better protect heritage from these hazards and thus make it climate adaptive (Leissner et al. 2022). In the Netherlands, there is no specific adaptation policy for heritage yet (Kennisportaal Klimaatadapatie 2021), although there are examples of projects working on making heritage climate adaptive. There are also several actions that monument owners or heritage institutions can take themselves to timely identify risks and be prepared for them (see, for example, Knowledge Portal Climate Adaptation z.j.a and Welters 2022). From November 2023, cultural heritage will be included in the government's National Climate Adaptation Implementation Programme of the cabinet. This includes actions to preserve heritage in the face of the consequences of climate change, but also focuses on utilising old knowledge. Within the framework of the Heritage Deal, which runs until the end of 2025, projects are supported that link the preservation and use of heritage to spatial challenges such as climate adaptation and energy transition.

(Intangible) heritage contains a lot of historical, local and specific knowledge and skills that can play a role in sustainability or climate adaptation. An example is the use of historical watermills to regulate the water level in times of drought. In addition, heritage can contribute to a sense of connection with - and a desire to care for - each other and the environment (Knowledge Portal Climate Adaptation zjb, Bakels et al. 2021). The use of insights from the past for a sustainable and climate-adaptive future is stimulated by the Heritage Deal²² (Uslu 2022a). In its permanent exhibition in Amsterdam, the Wereldmuseum has set up a pavilion with the question: 'Is the climate changing your culture?'. Using examples of the already visible consequences of sea level rise for the Marshall Islands, visitors are encouraged to think about this question.

Besides the direct impacts of climate change, a more indirect consequence is that it is plausible that climate change and the climate crisis will cause audiences, partners and funders to develop more sustainability-related expectations. Research among UK cultural audiences provides some insight into this, and shows that some expectations are shared by a large part of the public (Raines et al. 2024). Cultural visitors are above average concerned about the climate crisis: 86 percent compared to 76 percent among the British population in general. 72 percent of British cultural visitors believe that cultural organisations have a responsibility to move society towards radical change. The expectations of the public can also influence the choice of partners. Actions are already being taken against cultural organisations that are sponsored by the fossil fuel industry.

In the Netherlands too, there are expectations regarding sustainability in cultural organisations. Research by the University of Groningen shows that almost three quarters of the Dutch believe that cultural organisations should operate in a sustainable manner (Holm et al. 2024)²⁴The fact that people want sustainability does not mean that every initiative is supported to the same extent (see figures below).

The survey distinguishes between sustainability measures on three levels: operational measures, audience measures and measures involving artistic production. Particularly for operational measures that visitors do not directly experience, the researchers see relatively strong support (see figures below): for instance, four in five think that waste materials should be reduced or reused (78 per cent) and three quarters are in favour of using local suppliers (75 per cent). A majority also think cultural organisations should ensure they use renewable energy (62 per cent) or are funded ethically (56 per cent).

Implementing audience measures that directly affect the visitor experience is also widely supported among the Dutch. For instance, three in five people think that cultural organisations should only offer sustainable products to visitors (62 per cent). A similar proportion believes that cultural organisations should encourage sustainable behaviour among visitors (60 per cent) or inform visitors about the impact of human activity on the climate (58 per cent).

When it comes to measures affecting the artistic production of cultural institutions, people appear divided. Although more than three in five Dutch people support the use of sustainable materials in productions (63 per cent), there is less support for favouring creators who work with sustainable materials (46 per cent). Support for specific programming around the climate crisis is also limited (45 per cent).

Conclusion

Sustainability is an important social theme that will remain high on the cultural sector's agenda in the coming years. The need to make ourselves more sustainable is urgent. Various bottlenecks will have to be addressed in order to accelerate the sustainability of the cultural sector - although there are also various ways in which cultural organisations can structurally embed sustainability within their business operations. However, the role of the cultural sector in the climate crisis can and will probably be greater. The creativity of artists can make an important contribution to awareness, change, new solutions and climate adaptation - and artists are increasingly being explicitly involved in this.

Within the Culture Monitor, we follow these developments. A particular focus here will be on trying to get a better picture of the cultural sector's climate impact than is currently possible. This would enable better tracking of the sector's progress - and for policymakers to adjust where necessary.

Want to know more about the theme of Sustainability?

All publications that the Boekman Foundation itself produces on this theme can be found via the online file Sustainability. In addition, the Knowledge center actively collected articles and (research) publications on sustainability and climate change in the cultural sector. At the time of writing, 868 titles are available. 

Sources

Ainge Roy, E. (2019) '“One day we'll disappear”: Tuvalu's sinking islands'. On: www.theguardian.com, May 16.

Arts Council England (2020) Sustaining great art and culture: environmental report 2018/19. Manchester: Arts Council England.

Bakels, J. and S. Elpers (2021) 'Working towards an ecologically and climate-robust future: intangible heritage as leverage'. On: www.immaterialerfgoed.nl.

Barneveld, E et al (2024) Sustainability in the cultural sector. What is the status in 2024?. Significant APE= 5 December 2024. 

Blaazer, E. (2023) 'The new collective Dutch Sustainable Fashion Circle has launched a greenwashing reporting tool'. On: www.fashionunited.nl, November 30.

Boeckel, J. van (2022) 'How can art contribute to understanding sustainability?'. On: www.climatehelpdesk.org, May 18.

Boekman Foundation (2020) Inspiring by informing: Boekman Foundation activity plan 2021-2024. Amsterdam: Boekman Foundation.

Bokhorst, JW van (2022) 'The climate impact of the cultural sector: the task is clear, time is running out, the route is still foggy'. In: Boekman, jrg. 34, no. 133, 37-41.

Bruins, E. (2024) Policy response to the advice Culture Naturally from the Raad voor Cultuur. The Hague: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. 

Carrington, D. (2022) 'Climate endgame: risk of human extinction “dangerously underexplored”'. On: www.theguardian.com, 1 August.

CBS (zj) 'How much are our greenhouse gas emissions?'. On: www.cbs.nl.

CBS (2024a) 'Supply of natural gas, electricity via public grid; companies, SBI2008, region'. On: opendata.cbs.nl, October 16, 2024.  

CBS (2022)'8 in 10 companies are working on becoming more sustainable'. On: www.cbs.nl, October 13. 

CBS (2024b)'Emissions to air by the Dutch economy; national accounts'. On: opendata.cbs.nl, December 16, 2024. 

Compendium for the Living Environment (2020) 'Temperature in the Netherlands and globally, 1907-2019'. On: www.clo.nl, 21th of April.

Dessing, M. (2022a) 'Sustainability at publishing houses: “It does not always make sense to set strict requirements”'. On: www.boekblad.nl, 29th of June.

Drayer, D. (2022) '“Bonaire is the first Dutch municipality to notice the consequences of climate change”'. On: www.nos.nl, October 25.

Ecotree (zj) 'How much CO₂ does a tree absorb?' On: www.ecotree.green.

Geelen, J. (2020) 'Trees are supposed to help the climate, but how many are there actually in the Netherlands?'. On: www.volkskrant.nl, 12th of June.

Haustein, K. et al. (n.d.) 'Global Warming Index'. On: www.globalwarmingindex.org.

Jans, L. (2022) 'Blog | exploration of art and climate'. On: www.kunstlocbrabant.nl, November 30.

Jong, S. de (2024) Exploration of the ecological footprint of the cultural sector. Report Het Pon/Telos, April 2024 

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Portal (zja) 'Threats to cultural heritage from climate change'. On: www.climateadaptatienederland.nl.

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Portal (zjb) 'Opportunities of cultural heritage for climate adaptation'. On: www.climateadaptatienederland.nl.

Climate Adaptation Knowledge Portal (2021) '“If you lose heritage, it is gone forever”'. On: www.climateadaptatienederland.nl, October 4.

Klein Lankforst, M. (2019) 'From forest to bookcase: this is how we make De Correspondent's books sustainable'. On: www.decorrespondent.nl, May 20.

Arts '92 (2022) 'Taskforce: measures are now needed to keep the cultural sector open'. On: www.kunsten92.nl, September 14nd.

Leissner, J. et al. (2022) Strengthening cultural heritage resilience for climate change: where the European Green Deal meets cultural heritage. Brussels: European Union.

Dutch Film Fund (2022) 'Action plan to make the film and AV sector more sustainable'. On: www.filmfonds.nl, December 2.

NOS News (2022) 'Hundreds die in Pakistan from diseases after floods'. On: www.nos.nl, September 21nd.

Oude Elferink, E. (2015) 'The Netherlands has 162 million trees'. On: www.bnr.nl, September 3nd.

Pattee, E. (2021) 'Forget your carbon footprint: let's talk about your climate shadow'. On: www.mic.com, December 10.

Raad voor Cultuur (2022) 'Making the cultural sector more sustainable is structurally on the agenda'. On: www.raadvoorcultuur.nl, October 6.

Raines, K. and F. Carr (2022) Act Green: understanding audience attitudes towards the role of cultural organizations in tackling the climate emergency. London: Indigo Ltd.

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Schrijen, B. (2019) Sustainability in the cultural sector: steppingstones for future sustainability policy. Amsterdam: Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080.

Schrijen, B. (2020) Sustainability in the cultural sector: inspiration for future sustainability policy. Amsterdam: Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080.

Schrijen, B. and S. Zwart (2022) Sustainability in the cultural sector: 2022 edition – Quantitative part. Amsterdam: Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080.

Schrijen, B., S. Zwart and M. van den Hove (2023) Sustainability in the cultural sector: edition 2022/2023 – Qualitative part. Amsterdam: Boekman Foundation and Bureau 8080.

Storer, R. (2021) 'Up to 410 million people at risk from sea level rises – study'. On: www.theguardian.com, 29th of June.

Uslu, G. (2022a) The power of creativity: culture at the heart of society. The Hague: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Uslu, G. (2022b) Answer to written questions from members Wuite (D66) and Westerveld (GroenLinks) (Answering parliamentary questions). The Hague: Ministry of Education, Culture and Science.

Vos, C. (2022) 'In the shadow of the Ukraine war, Kenya is starving'. On: www.volkskrant.nl, 24th of June.

VVD, D66, CDA and Christian Union (2021) Looking after each other, looking ahead to the future: coalition agreement 2021-2025. The Hague: VVD, D66, CDA and ChristenUnie.

Welters, S. (2022) 'A lot of water in a short time: what to do?'. In: Museum level, no. 59, 32-34.

Wuite, J. and L. Westerveld (2022) The consequences of rising gas prices for the cultural and creative sector (Parliamentary questions). The Hague: House of Representatives of the States General.

Zwegers, B. (2024) Heritage in rough weather. Limburg heritage in times of climate change.

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Editorial note: An earlier version of this page was written by Bjorn Schrijen.

Graphics and design: Don Kaveen via (Unsplash).