Roadmap

Goals

ACCA’s two overarching goals are:   

  • For the global visual art sector to reduce GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2030 (compared to 2019)  

  • To support the global visual art sector’s transition to net zero1 by 2050 to ensure stability and resilience 

Mission

The Art Charter for Climate Action (ACCA) is a collective initiative to accelerate the global visual arts sector transition to net zero GHG emissions no later than 2050 and inspire a paradigm shift beyond the sector.   

In 2022, in a landscape with no global visual arts sector governance in the form of international guidelines, regulations, laws, or governing bodies, UN representatives appealed to the visual art sector to unite and bridge the gap between policy and the communicative power of art. The Art Charter for Climate Action was formed in response to this and works to establish a global framework that steers the visual art sector’s climate actions through sound policy initiatives backed by scientific data while also addressing the need for global governance of the sector. The framework: 

  • Is sector specific 

  • A democratic, inclusive, and independent endeavor 

  • Addresses all elements of the visual arts sector supply chain 

  • Is adaptable to geographic regions, political systems, and economic backgrounds 

  • Is science-based 

Vision

ACCA aspires to be the central point that unites all stakeholders, resources and knowledge of the visual arts sector and facilitates climate action within and beyond the sector.  

This includes for ACCA to:  

  • Address all GHG emissions, direct and indirect, created by the activities of the global visual arts sector 

  • Be a network of networks: uniting a broad spectrum of stakeholders that interact with art sector activity 

  • Provide a roadmap to become a net zero sector by 2050 using concrete objectives, actions, and resources 

  • Use its activities to catalyze a system change across and beyond the global visual art sector 

  • Create an infrastructure that steers policy with sector activity and influence climate action beyond the visual art sector 

  • Form a safe space for knowledge sharing and capacity building that will ensure all those involved will uplift one another 

*Net zero is understood as a milestone on the longer journey to zero emissions of the visual arts sector. Most importantly, ACCA seeks to promote GHG reductions to as close to zero as possible and does not encourage stakeholders to rely on offsetting schemes or carbon capture and storage technologies. See e.g. Becken et al. (2024) for background information on this position and a distinction between net zero at the planetary level and why GHG reductions at the country or company level should be the primary goal.