Culture and Sustainability | Towards the Culture Compass: A Sector Blueprint

This briefing on Culture and Sustainability (Chapter 6) was edited and coordinated by IETM and ENCC and forms part of 10 policy briefings in the discussion paper ‘Towards the Culture Compass: A Sector Blueprint‘ published by Culture Action Europe. Read the Sector Blueprint to discover other briefings on:

• Artistic Freedom
• Working Conditions
• Artistic Research, Culture and Innovation
• International Cultural Relations
• Culture and Health and Well-Being
• Cultural Participation
• Access to Cultural and Arts Education
• Culture and Security
• Culture and Digital

download the sector blueprint

Context

The climate crisis, long recognised as a major threat to planetary sustainability, has only intensified over the past year. Natural disasters are unfolding worldwide and 2024 was the warmest year on record, the first to exceed 1.5°C above the pre-industrial average over a twelve-month period. Other environmental threats weigh heavily on Europeans’ health: air pollution causes thousands of premature deaths in cities each year, and microplastics are increasingly present in our waters and our bodies.

At the same time, the green priority is losing political momentum. Unlike 2021–2027, the new EU priorities no longer feature the Green Deal as a standalone strategic direction. Instead, the Commission proposes a Clean Industrial Deal, criticised as light on social and climate safeguards. Environmental organisations warn that the 2028–2034 budget proposal reduces green allocations, risking the downgrading of environmental policy to a mere ‘PR exercise. ’

As Europe increases defence spending, we must also safeguard climate and social commitments and avoid crowding-out effects. According to the New Economics Foundation, combined defence outlays could reach €613 billion annually and add significant emissions; regardless of the exact figures, the policy task is to protect green and social envelopes, set decarbonisation targets for defence, and pursue synergies (energy-efficient bases, green procurement, resilient infrastructure).

The European Central Bank said in its recently updated policy statement: ‘Climate change has profound implications for price stability through its impact on the structure and cyclical dynamics of the economy and the financial system. Addressing climate change is a global challenge and a policy priority for the European Union.’

Culture’s role in the green transition remains under-recognised. Despite strong global advocacy and some rhetorical gains, culture has not been included in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals 2030 and is absent as a distinct pillar of sustainable development in the UN Pact for the Future.

At the EU level, while the Creative Europe programme requires applicants to contribute to the EU’s Green Deal, the Green Deal makes no mention of culture and has overlooked its potential as an ally in reaching climate goals and driving social and economic transformation. Creative Europe is expected to contribute to the EU’s goal of dedicating 30% of its budget to climate action, and it acknowledges this as a priority for the cultural and creative sectors. However, since climate mitigation and environmental protection are not listed as explicit objectives of the programme, there are no indicators to track progress.

The recent AgoraEU proposal does not make explicit connections between culture and environmental sustainability. The climate crisis is mentioned only in a general section on 23 ‘preparedness’ , alongside health emergencies, security threats, and technological accidents. Beneficiaries are merely expected to ‘navigate’ the green transition.

Cultural policy still lacks a deeper understanding of how art and sustainability intersect. Research shows that national policymakers in Europe tend to focus on reducing the carbon footprint impact of cultural and creative sectors, helping them prepare for natural hazards, and promoting the use of alternative materials and resources. While these measures are essential, there is a striking twofold gap to address:

1. limited recognition of the transformative power of the arts to prototype solutions, pilot innovations, inspire behaviour change and guide communities; and
2. funding frameworks that do not yet align cultural support with social justice and climate adaptation needs.

The green priority has gained traction at the city level. Recent research highlights wide variation across European cities and regions in both their progress towards the green transition and in how they engage the arts in this process. Yet, it remains rare to allocate specific budgets that enable grant beneficiaries to implement green criteria or recommendations meaningfully at the municipality level. The same goes for cultural cross-border mobility support: about 14% of mobility funding programmes in 2024 focused on environmental sustainability but only a handful of programmes adapt their funding by means of transport, duration of mobility, etc.

Proposals

• Treat the climate crisis as a cultural crisis that cannot be neglected when priorities shift or policy discourses drift away from sustainability. Elevate culture as a distinct pillar of sustainable development in post–2030 frameworks and secure the EU’s and Member States’ commitment to advocate for culture’s recognition as a standalone goal of sustainable development.
• Embed culture in the European Green Deal. Create practical channels for artists and cultural professionals to pilot solutions and share existing know-how; establish lab formats that bring artistic perspectives into EU greening efforts. Support existing grassroots projects and cross-sectoral initiatives through the New European Bauhaus as a clear and transparent cultural wing of the EU sustainability efforts. Ensure the cultural sector is explicitly included in the national reform programmes/Operational Programmes of the current and future European Regional Development Fund so it can contribute to renovation, modernisation and local transition plans.
• The new culture programme, AgoraEU, must include a clear green priority. Define realistic common standards building on resources such as the SHIFT eco-certification for networks and the Theatre Green Book for the Performing Arts. There is a pressing need for constructive, practical dialogue on what green practice means in the cultural sectors, as well as for robust data on the actual environmental impact of the cultural and creative sector, including its digital impact. Embedding green priorities into the culture programme must be supported by adequate, dedicated budgets.
• Support climate adaptation of cultural organisations. The EU’s cultural policies should recognise exposure to climate risks and finance risk assessment, contingency planning, and long-term adaptation strategies. This includes funding context-specific training sessions and dedicated schemes to help adapt work practices.
• Future EU cultural programmes must recognise that greening the cultural and creative sectors is about more than just procedures, certifications, or compliance. Funding for the green transition should avoid encouraging overproduction or focusing solely on scale and speed. Instead, it should support a shift from constant project delivery to reflection and sustained practice. For real change to happen, art needs time and space to connect with society, experiment, and learn from failure. Creative practices must remain flexible and responsive to social dynamics, with a focus on processes rather than outputs. The value of cultural organisations should be measured by the quality of their work and the communities they nurture.

Annex: Resources

1. Climate Justice: Through the Creative Lens of the Performing Arts (Baltà Portolés, J. & Van de Gejuchte, I.), IETM — International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts, 2023.
2. Cultural Mobility Yearbook 2023, On the Move, 2023.
3. Cultural Mobility Yearbook 2025, On the Move, 2025.
4. Environmental Sustainability: Eco-Guidelines for Networks, SHIFT, 2022.
5. European Parliament Culture Compass Briefing, European Parliament, 2025.
6. Green Mobility is a Shared and Collective Responsibility (interview with Marie Le Sourd), On the Move, 2025.
7. Lille Call to Action for low carbon and more inclusive culture, Eurocities, 2023.
8. Living Spaces: Towards a Shared Culture of High-Quality Architecture in Cities and Regions, European Commission, Eurocities, 2025.
9. Lost in Transition — Report from the IETM Focus Luxembourg Meeting 2023, IETM — International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts, 2023.
10. No One-Size-Fits-All Solution (Le Sourd, M.), LIVING / Cultural Policy Pathways, 2025. 11.
11. TEH: Building a Cultural Regeneration Project for Europe, Trans Europe Halles, 2024. 12.
12. The Good Enough Transformation Manifesto, GET Collective, 2025.
13. The Good Enough Transformation Toolkit, GET Collective, 2025.
14. The Green Mobility Guide for the Performing Arts Sector, On the Move, Julie’s Bicycle, 2011.
15. The New International — Against All Odds, IETM — International Network for Contemporary Performing Arts, 2025.]

Culture Compass for Europe

A brief summary of how the proposals of the policy briefing relates to the Culture Compass for Europe released by the European Commission in November 2025 will be provided soon.