Sustainability and Social Commitment
Antoni Tàpies often talked about the commitment artists and the world of culture must have towards society, politics and the environment: ‘Today, cultural concerns, aesthetic ones in particular, are not exclusive to artists, nor can they be seen in isolation from issues as important as human rights, public health, ethnic oppression, preservation of nature and so on,’ he wrote in La Vanguardia on 11 March 1986.
The climate emergency situation we are experiencing calls for urgent action by the whole of society. The art world has an important part to play in this. Artistic organisations — especially in the Global North — have a significant, disproportionate impact on the environment, primarily through the large numbers of international trips, shipping works of art and high use of energy and certain materials. Urgent action is needed to reduce these impacts. Moreover, as a museum we also are obligated to use our public platform and our cultural influence to set a positive example and encourage awareness in relation to climate justice.
For this reason, the staff of the Museu Tàpies strive every day to add to measures aimed at minimising the environmental impact of our work and ensure care for nature. Thus, we are working to be an increasingly sustainable museum, from running the building to putting on exhibitions, as well as educational programmes and community projects. This means not just caring for the environment, but also helping to improve society and contributing to economic development around us.
We undertake to work on our impact through the following certificates and measures, among others:
– We have the Biosphere Sustainability Commitment certificate, recognition by the Barcelona City Council that assures a commitment to responsible tourism, in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. This certification reinforces our desire to preserve cultural heritage sustainably and contribute to a tourist model that respects the environment, society and the local economy.
– We are an active member of the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), having proved that our organisation has implemented environmental sustainability practices in accordance with the GCC guidelines, and is committed to cutting our carbon emissions by at least half before 2030, taking 2023 as a baseline. Though it is not a certification scheme, the GCC assists us with assessment, information and reducing our impact.
– We regularly calculate the carbon footprint of our operations in order to monitor our progress towards this goal.
– We encourage the use of public transport in order to combat climate change.
– We contribute to energy saving by using equipment of maximum energy efficiency.
– We use sustainable formats for our communication, both physical and online.
– We are cutting water consumption on our premises.
– We handle sorting, storage and disposal of our waste properly.
– We keep consumption of single-use plastic to a minimum.
– We broaden our commitment to society through accessible education projects, with particular attention to health.
– We adhere to environmental criteria in everything to do with the organisation of public and private events, prioritising local, sustainable producers and services.
– Our programme includes content to promote reflection and good practices in relation to the climate crisis.
– We maintain a sustainability committee (green team), with representatives of staff in different areas. This meets at least once a month to monitor the progress of all these measures and set targets for improvement.
We ask you to help us to achieve our sustainability goals by assuming responsibility for these measures. We are also grateful for your comments on this environmental statement, our goals and our action plans.
