The Art Charter for Climate Action (ACCA) is a visual arts sector-led alliance convened with UN Climate Change. The founding alliance and steering committee is comprised of ART 2030, the Gallery Climate Coalition, the International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM), and Julie’s Bicycle, who have a combined representation of over 1000 members in over 70 countries.
ART 2030 is a non-profit organization working with a mission to connect art and the United Nations 17 Global Goals for Sustainable Development. Centred in the belief that art can open people’s hearts, minds and imaginations to inspire action for our planet, ART 2030 facilitates large scale art installations, events and experiences, alongside public programming, digital campaigns and political advocacy.
The International Committee for Museums and Collections of Modern Art (CIMAM) is the only global network of modern and contemporary art museum experts in the field. CIMAM members are directors and curators working in modern and contemporary art museums, collections, and archives. CIMAM’s aim is to foster a global network of museums and museum professionals in the field of modern and contemporary art to raise awareness and respond to the evolving needs of modern and contemporary art museums, and to take a leadership role on issues of concern.
Julie’s Bicycle is a non-profit, mobilising the art and culture to take action on the climate, nature and justice crisis. Combining cultural and environmental expertise, Julie’s Bicycle focuses on high-impact programmes and policy change to meet the climate crisis head on. Founded by the music industry in 2007 and now working across the arts and culture, JB has partnered with over 2000 organisations in the UK and internationally.
The Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) is an international charity and membership organisation providing environmental sustainability guidelines for the global visual art sector. GCC develops and shares best practice, provides leadership on sector specific environmental issues, and works to leverage the collective power of our membership to achieve systemic changes. The coalition’s primary target is to facilitate a reduction of the visual art sector’s greenhouse gas emissions by a minimum of 50% by 2030 (in line with the Paris Agreement’s goal of keeping global warming to below 1.5°C) as well as promoting zero-waste practices. GCC was founded in London in February 2020. As of February 2024, GCC has over 1150 members in 40 countries around the world, including artists, museums, non-profits, art sector businesses and commercial galleries.
UN Climate Change is committed to facilitate and support, within its resources and mandates, the work undertaken by community members and signatories under the Charter. UN Climate Change will, in its engagement with the Charter, be guided by UN principles, always dedicated to integrity and accountability, and to provide reporting via the best available established practices.
ACCA Community Membership
ACCA community membership is open to all interested stakeholders from throughout the visual arts sector. Members gain access to knowledge, tools, and networking opportunities on their path to creating a low-carbon, energy efficient, and climate resilient future.
Members will be offered the opportunity to sign up as Signatories, committing to work and report on their climate action commitments. Signatories gain the opportunity to join the ACCA steering committee and to contribute in guiding ACCA’s areas of collaborative work. ACCA will be opened to interested Signatories in the near future.
Together, community members and Signatories form a broad network of people, organizations, companies, and institutions across the visual arts sector as well as geographic regions, to bring a global diversity of experience and perspective to a shared mission.
UN Climate Change, under its mandate to promote global climate action, offers to the Charter Signatories an independent and inclusive platform, together with a framework within which the visual arts sector can collaborate on climate action. Work is delivered by Signatories and supporting community members with the guidance of the Steering Committee.