Our Sustainability Goals

The world is facing a series of linked environmental crises. 

 

In October 2022, the UN warned that the world’s governments are not yet on track to keep global heating below 1.5 degrees, and the window for action is rapidly closing. We are already seeing the impacts of existing warming with devastating droughts, storms and floods across the world. Related crises include collapsing biodiversity, dangerous levels of air pollution, and plastic contamination in our rivers and oceans. Without urgent action from across society, these problems will rapidly escalate. 

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The art world has an important role to play. Arts organisations – particularly in the Global North – have a disproportionately large impact on the environment, mainly due to a great deal of international travel, arts shipping, and high use of energy and materials. We need to act urgently to reduce these impacts in line with what the science is telling us. As arts organisations, we also have an opportunity to use our public platform and cultural influence to set a positive example, encouraging and supporting others to take action and helping shift the public debate. 

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At Magma Art Space our values and mission are to promote contemporary art in Iceland and in Tuscany, and inspire audiences to engage in a dialogue and exchange of ideas regarding the two areas with our pop-up exhibitions. To be true to these values and fulfil this mission, we need to take urgent environmental action, because we believe that the model of the standard Art Gallery is not as sustainable anymore. 

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We know that our main direct environmental impacts are already to a minimum, however it still includes transportations via car or flight, packaging and some energy use in our pop-up locations. 

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We have committed to tackling these impacts by: 

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•  Joining the Gallery Climate Coalition, and pledging to keep our emission to a minimum
   

• Regularly calculating the carbon footprint of our operations, to track progress towards this target, and always be on the lookout for more effective solutions.
   

• Ensuring the majority of our international shipping is carried out by sea, rail or road rather than air.
   

• Ensuring all of our packing materials are reusable or curbside recyclable by 2026, as a step towards zero-waste operations by 2030.
   

• Using only low or zero emissions vehicles for local deliveries by 2025.

The actions we are taking to meet these targets include:

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• Planning our exhibitions and events with care to minimise the need for air freight.
   

• Reviewing our travel policies and practices, and planning our attendance at international events to reduce the need for air travel.
   

• Working with other GCC members on projects to help develop more sustainable packaging, transport and energy saving solutions for the whole sector.
   

• Speaking to our suppliers and service providers about their carbon footprint, and looking for opportunities to encourage them to take action, or to switch to alternative suppliers who will.
   

• Maintaining a Green Team with representatives from different parts of the organisation, that meets to track progress on all of these targets and actions at least once a month.

We are also setting aside 2% of our annual profit into a Strategic Climate Fund, rather than purchasing carbon offsets. We also plan to review the percentage every year.

Following guidance from the Gallery Climate Coalition, this money will be spent on measures to accelerate our emissions reductions, and support frontline climate solutions around the world that are making a difference right now. We will report on how we spent this money at the end of each financial year. 

 

 

We aim to take action in line with the principles of climate justice, recognising 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 marginalisation and injustice. 

 

We have set these targets and are taking actions in the knowledge that we aren’t yet doing everything right. We still have a great deal to do and much to learn. We welcome feedback from our artists and audiences on this environmental statement, our targets, and on our plans for action.