Policies regarding sustainability in the cultural and creative sectors focus primarily on ecological sustainability and reducing the carbon footprint of organisations and their broader impact on the environment. Additionally, there is attention for the climate handprint of cultural organisations: the impact of artistic expression on awareness about climate change and harnessing the creative power of the cultural sector to advance the climate transition in general.
Following the Paris Agreement in 2015 the Dutch government reached an agreement on the national level in 2019 aiming for a carbon reduction of -55% in 2030 (compared to 1990) and climate neutrality in 2050. These goals have been formalized in a Climate Act (Klimaatwet).
In June 2023 the Council for Culture presented an advisory report Cultuur Natuurlijk about strategies towards a sustainable cultural sector and a prominent role for culture in the climate transition. The advice provides recommendations for both governmental bodies as well as cultural organisations pertaining to baseline measurements, an open and widely shared knowledge base, collective learning through workshops, a roadmap for municipal cultural real estate, modified regulations and subsidy obligations, additional funding and cooperation between government departments. The response of the government in December 2024 referred to existing sustainability schemes for small and medium enterprises, in addition to support of initiatives from within the sector to create shared knowledge platforms, no additional culture specific regulations or funds were put in place.
Several initiatives in the cultural sector are aimed at making the sector more sustainable. The Dutch association for the performing arts (NAPK) is currently working on a Dutch translation of the Theatre Green Book, a collective initiative by theaters for making the performing arts more sustainable. In 2024, the Museum Association published a roadmap for museums that want to become more sustainable. Moreover, theatre company Silbersee has committed themselves to a climate-positive production house by 2027 and has organized a series of debates on art and climate in collaboration with partners such as Oerol and The Dutch National Opera. The Dutch institute for digital heritage (DEN) deals with sustainability regarding digital information, ensuring the long-term usability of digital files.
In an effort to bind together the plethora of initiatives in the cultural sector Kunsten’92 (the advocacy organisation for the cultural and creative sector) launched the Platform sustainable Cultural Sector (“Platform duurzame cultuursector”), facilitating knowledge exchange with partners across cultural disciplines. Together with the national, regional and local governments, they initiated the development of the Roadmap for Sustainable Culture (“Routekaart Verduurzaming Cultuur”), an initiative that aims to create a structure for monitoring, exchanging knowledge, standardized data collection and a central information base. This should bridge the knowledge gap, especially for smaller organizations with a limited capacity or know-how on the topic.
Simultaneously, the ministry of Culture and Education has asked the organization Green Events to develop the “Duurzaamheidsladder Cultuur”, inspired by the European Green Deal Circular Festivals, to aid cultural organizations in their transition to sustainable practices. Similar to the GDCF Model, the “Duurzaamheidsladder Cultuur” is a hierarchical guide providing organizations with tools and information for different stages and ambition levels in the transition to sustainable operations.
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