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Sustainability Statement

The climate emergency looms threateningly over everything we do. In November of 2023, the UN warned that the window for action to keep global heating below the notional 1.5 degrees rise is closing rapidly. Even while changes can still be made, severe weather events and global heating have already cost lives across the world, as witnessed by the reports of droughts, fires, tornadoes and storms that are increasingly impacting people around the planet. Other problematic effects to be reckoned with include collapsing biodiversity, dangerous levels of air pollution, toxicity and plastic contamination in rivers and oceans, etc. Without widespread action, these serious and growing threats will increasingly escalate, compounding together to threaten the annihilation of life on earth.
 
The art world bears significant responsibility not just in fuelling these crises, but in its glacially slow response to them. In general, arts organisations – particularly in the Global North – have a disproportionately large impact on the environment because of their dependence on international travel and shipping, their immoderate use of materials (some inherently toxic) and spendthrift approach to energy. We believe in the urgent need to reduce such impacts in accordance with the guidelines now being put forward in countless peer-reviewed scientific papers.
 
As an arts organisation, October Gallery will use its platform of cultural influence to set a positive example that encourages and supports action, as well as public discourse relating to the situation. One of October Gallery’s central missions is to promote the Transvangarde (the trans-cultural avant-garde) and to enable interactive and equable exchange between artists from all cultures around the world. As of now, we have decided to take urgent steps towards mitigating the threats to the global environment and to align with and support those lands and cultures already witnessing the devastating effects of climate breakdown. Cultures and marginalised communities from the Global South have to bear the brunt of the present polycrisis in their daily lives. We believe it is important not only to demonstrate our awareness of the scale of the problems but actively to diminish the many roles we play in exacerbating the acceleration of the crises that threaten us all.
 
As an arts organisation, we know that our direct environmental impacts can include international flights, air freight of artworks, and careless energy use both at our premises and in our daily lives.

We have committed to tackling these impacts by:

●	Joining the Gallery Climate Coalition and pledging, at least, to halve our carbon emissions by 2030, from its current baseline as established in 2023.
●	Regularly, (annually, at least) calculating the carbon footprint of our operations to monitor our progress towards this target.
●	Setting other specific targets for the major elements of our Carbon footprint, including:

	○	Investigating sustainable travel alternatives to flight travel -- such as by train -- wherever possible, and planning action, events and ticketing, sufficiently in advance to ensure financial feasibility
	○	Persuading our buyers and collaborating institutions to carry out international shipping by sea, rail, or road rather than air, with at least 50% of transport to buyers being sustainable by 2030. As such, we will encourage shipment planning sufficiently in advance for timely delivery of items.
	○	Persuading collaborative institutions, to use sea rather than air transportation, in order to lower the Carbon footprint across the whole sector.
	○	Working towards making our packing and other disposable materials reusable or curb-side recyclable by 2027, as a step toward zero-waste operations by 2030.
	○	Using only low or zero emissions vehicles for local deliveries by 2026.

	○	Obtain both air and sea freight quotes in advance so climate-friendly shipping decisions can be considered and made.
	○	Reducing our building energy use by 10% by 2030 by training staff and emphasising awareness of sustainability issues.
	○	Carry out an energy audit of our building and pursuing a feasibility study to consider further energy-reducing methods (i.e. installing solar panels, heat pump, etc) and to find further opportunities for energy reduction and renewable generation by 2028.
	○	When train travel is not possible for international art fairs, we may consider climate-friendly alternatives, such as hiring local people to reduce our need for air travel.
	○	Speak to our suppliers and service providers about their Carbon footprint and while learning from any sustainability steps they have taken, also encourage them to act.
	○	Maintaining a Green Team that meets at least once each month to track progress develop further initiatives and actions.

We intend to act in line with the principles of climate justice, recognising the intersections between the climate crisis and other global injustices. We want our environmental actions to support - rather than undermine or ignore - the needs of those on the frontlines of climate emergency, loss of habitat, marginalisation and injustice.

These present targets are a first approximation to record our growing awareness of the situation. We recognise the need to improve overall awareness, and that in the process of learning about climate-friendly practices, we will adjust and/or add further goals if and when appropriate.