Eco-strategy
A document in which you write down goals, define working methods, divide the work into specific stages corresponding to the resources and capabilities of the team and budget and set a time horizon is, first and foremost, practical and useful. You don’t have to call it ‘eco-strategy’ if the name seems overwhelming to you. What matters most is its usefulness: such a document allows you to embed all practice, knowledge and plans for the present and future. Make sure to gather knowledge and practice from all areas of the institution’s work. Let this material be shared and discussed widely. Look at your own experiences cross-sectionally, find out what was possible to implement and where you encountered obstacles. Define priority areas of work appropriate to the specificity of your team and institution. Point out both easy and difficult tasks. Take care of a sense of agency, do not set only the demanding, difficult to achieve goals. Seek balance and satisfaction. Schedule time for checking, summing up and possible revisions in action plans. Be understanding with each other. We need radical changes which concern not only goals, but also radical changes in working methods. When defining an eco-strategy, take into account the team’s capabilities and external conditions. Share the goals and working methods set out in your eco-strategy with other organisations, as this knowledge comes under the commons protocol and will grow as it is disseminated.
> The European Solidarity Centre refers to two documents that set the direction for the green path. These are the ‘ECS Environmental Declaration’ and the ‘ECS Green Paper’. In these documents, the ECS refers to the idea of solidarity in the context of contemporary challenges such as climate change. It emphasises the importance of both legislative and educational measures.
> The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra (NOSPR) publishes its environmental policy on its website.
> The website of the Zagłębie Theatre in Sosnowiec provides a description of how ecology is understood at the organisational and programme level.
> Pro-environmental policy of “Dorożkarnia” Community Centre refers to the Warsaw city development strategy.
> The Baltic Sea Cultural Centre provides systematic training in green transition for its employees and offers opportunities for knowledge exchange with other institutions.
Ecological ethics included in the institution’s mission
Creating a set of universally advocated values is as important as defining an eco-strategy action plan. Greenness of an institution obliges it to focus on community, common resources, intersectional wellbeing, lowering carbon and employee footprints as core considerations (for an explanation of the concept of employee footprint, see: EMPLOYEES). This is about showing respect to all employees, regardless of employment form. This is about applying moderation in programming and production. Supporting and promoting entities of the social and solidarity economy. Taking responsibility for non-human neighbours, through supportive care over ecosystems, ensuring good living conditions for the natural, animate and inanimate world. Going beyond the usual pattern of promotion and contact with the public focusing on energy-intensive and ethically or politically questionable social networks. Create new forms of relationships and cooperation with recipients of your activities and with local communities.
> An interesting and strong example comes from the National Theatre of Wales, which invites residents of Cardiff to join its programme council and adheres to the principle that all of Wales is the stage of the national theatre.
> Environmental policy of the Zagłębie Theatre in Sosnowiec.
> The environmental declaration of the Mazovian Institute of Culture (MIK) emphasises the interdependence of culture and the environment.
> Environmental declaration of the Emigration Museum in Gdynia.
> Environmental declaration of the Municipal Cultural Centre in Józefów.
Allied lobbying in the cultural sector
Eco-ethics permeates the whole body of an institution: its educational and core work, administrative, production and communication aspects, as well as its external impact. Therefore, you should share systemic solutions with other institutions and support each other in frank and kind discussion. Create coalitions and lobby for change, bearing in mind that the perceptions and practices organising the work and function of culture must radically change. We are in this together! Signing the Declaration and joining the Culture for Climate initiative may be the first step to creating a network of people and entities involved in joint advocacy for changes in the realm of culture.
> One example of such an initiative is the Green Institutions of the Tri-City and Pomerania network. Established in 2023, the network members aim to support each other in acquiring knowledge and introducing systemic change.
Movement for climate
Arts and cultural institutions enjoy social authority and have a wide range of influence, so it is important for them to join the climate movement. It is good to look for partnerships with local ecological activist groups and support the national and global ones. Publicly expressing support for specific movements will give them a symbolic reinforcement and will have tangible effects in publicising the cause and demanding a political response. You can also offer cooperation, find out what needs groups have, what they need support for, find ways to join in with a specific issue. The climate crisis requires everyone to set ambitious goals. The cultural community can organise itself to participate in the creation of climate policy at local, national and global levels and work together with environmental organisations and the activist community.
> This is particularly important around 2025, when climate communication researchers agree that climate change is becoming less of an issue in Poland. The ‘Humans Attack!’ 2024 report warned that wars, inflation and economic crises had become more important issues to address. The Russian invasion of Ukraine caused growing tension in Europe and shifted interest from climate issues to security and militarism.
> Research conducted by More in Common, ‘The Climate Through the Eyes of Poles’ (2024), shows frustration with European climate policies and a reluctance to make individual sacrifices. Almost every social group indicated that radical changes, and therefore also the costs, should be introduced by someone else. The middle class believed that this was a problem for the lower class, while the lower class believed that it was a problem for the rich. This thread interestingly shows how useful the perspective introduced by climate justice can be here. One of the most important demands in this area is to combine the fight against economic and social inequalities with climate action. According to many experts, without such an alliance, many groups may begin to question climate change and environmental action because they are facing fundamental survival issues and will also have to take environmental regulations into account.
> The attitude of young Poles to climate change was researched by Dominika Blachnicka-Ciacek, PhD, a sociologist from the SWPS University. Climate change is a problem for them, but what is holding them back is a lack of agency.
