We are thrilled to announce the launch of a groundbreaking initiative: GCC has convened an alliance of leading art fairs, including ARCO, Art Basel, CHART, Easyfairs, ESTE, Frieze, Liste Art Fair, Market Art Fair, Ramsay Fairs, STAGE Bregenz, TEFAF, The Art Show, and Untitled Art, to collectively address their environmental impacts. This project, over a year in development, sets a new standard for climate action within the art world and marks a pivotal moment for environmental responsibility in the industry.

At the heart of this initiative is the Art Fair Toolkit for Environmental Responsibility, developed collaboratively with environmental experts and participating art fairs. The toolkit provides an actionable roadmap to help fairs significantly reduce their environmental footprint by the end of the decade, focusing on key areas such as travel, shipping, energy consumption, production, materials, and waste. To reinforce this commitment, all participating fairs have co-signed a statement pledging to implement the toolkit’s strategies and work together to meet ambitious sustainability targets. This collective pledge aims to halve carbon emissions and transition to near-zero waste by 2030.

The timing of this initiative couldn’t be more critical. The climate crisis demands urgent action, and the art world must confront its environmental challenges head-on. Art fairs have a unique influence across the industry, with their operations and networks spanning multiple sectors. By committing to meaningful change and demonstrating best practices in sustainability, these fairs can inspire broader shifts across the sector and its supply chain. We hope this initiative will not only reduce the fairs’ environmental impact but also drive systemic change within the industry. The launch is just the beginning of the important work ahead, and we invite others in the art community to join us in this vital journey towards a sustainable future.

We would like to celebrate and thank the participating organisations for their work on this initiative and also extend an open invitation to any further art fairs willing to collaborate and commit to these same environmental standards. There is no competition when it comes to climate action. As TEFAF’s Will Korner stated, “Structural change requires immediate collective action.” By working together, we can drive the systemic changes needed to address the climate crisis and ensure a more sustainable future for the art world.

For any art fairs interested in joining this alliance or learning more about the initiative, please contact GCC at info@galleryclimatecoalition.org.

The Art Fair Co-Commitment Statement and the Art Fair Toolkit for Environmental Responsibility are now available for public viewing and use. We look forward to seeing how this initiative sparks further change across the industry.