Thirteen major art fair organizations, including Frieze, Art Basel, and TEFAF, have joined the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) in a landmark initiative to combat climate change. The new alliance, which represents over 40 art fairs, aims to reduce the art world’s environmental impact. Its focuses include areas such as transportation, energy consumption, and waste.
The initiative includes a joint commitment statement and an “Art Fair Toolkit for Environmental Responsibility.” These frameworks will guide signatory fairs in reducing their carbon footprint, setting a target to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 50% by 2030. The toolkit outlines practical steps for fairs to address key sources of emissions, such as air freight and single-use materials, which account for a significant portion of the industry’s carbon output. According to the GCC, up to one-third of a typical gallery’s annual emissions are tied to art fair activities, with air freight representing about 70% of that figure.
It is rare to see some of the biggest names in the commercial art world come together to make such a statement. “Frieze is proud to be an active member of the Gallery Climate Coalition,” said Jon Ashman, chief financial and operations officer at Frieze. “The establishment of this toolkit marks a significant step forward, offering invaluable guidance to reduce the environmental impact of the art world.”
Andrew Strachan, General Manager of Fairs and Exhibition Platforms at Art Basel, echoed this sentiment, calling the collaboration “an important milestone” in driving sustainability. “By engaging in shared learning and mutual support, we are shaping a transformative dialogue aimed at leading the global art community toward a more sustainable future,” he said.
Will Korner, Head of Fairs at TEFAF, noted that the organization has reduced energy consumption at its Maastricht fair by 43% since 2019. “With our position in the art community comes a huge responsibility. Structural change requires immediate collective action,” he said.
Other art fairs who have signed up include Madrid and Lisbon fair ARCO, Copenhagen fair CHART, Liste Art Fair Basel, Ramsay Fairs (which runs the Affordable Art Fair), and New York’s The Art Show.
Gallery Climate Coalition is an international coalition of more than 1,500 arts organizations. Together, they hope to reduce the visual art sector’s impact on the environment, promoting zero waste practices and CO2 usage reduction. Heath Lowndes, Director of the Gallery Climate Coalition, praised the unprecedented collaboration: “Leading art fairs have recognized that there is no more business as usual. By working together, they have set an example for others in the sector to follow.”
