Action plan written: January 2025
Approved by the Trustees.  
Due to be reviewed: January 2027 

Introduction 

Bethlem Gallery holds a vision of an equitable society where art and mental health are part of our everyday, and works with artists to support positive societal change. We recognise that we are in a global climate emergency impacting populations, economies and ecosystems, and disproportionately affecting the global south. These pervasive changes impact our mental health in many ways. 

We recognise the significant role that art, artists and arts institutions can play in engaging, educating, and motivating audiences, participants and collaborators to confront the climate emergency. 

Bethlem Gallery is committed to being an environmentally responsible organisation. We have a responsibility to minimise the environmental impact of our work and advocate for change within society.  

This action plan outlines our values, principles and commitment to positive environmental change. It focuses on our approach to integrating environmental principles into our operations, programming and partnerships. 

 

Definitions 

Environmental sustainability is a broad term but, as defined by the UKRI (UK Research and Innovation), may include consideration of such broad areas as: 

• reducing carbon emissions 

• protecting and enhancing the natural environment and biodiversity 

• waste or pollution elimination 

• resource efficiency and a circular economy 

 

Culture Declares Emergency, which we have signed up to, advocates for our role in Truth-telling, Care-taking and Change-making.  

  

Overall aims 

We commit to: 

• Use our partnerships, platform, resources and remit to advocate for positive actions to address the climate emergency. 

• Consider the environmental impact of our work as a key factor in all our decision-making, institutionally and as individuals. 

• Reduce our carbon footprint. 
  
  

Programme 

Bethlem Gallery is situated in extensive grounds, giving us the opportunity to draw links in our programme between nature and health, and encouraging understanding about the importance of the natural world. We: 

• Work with artists on projects that use the grounds, in commissions, exhibitions, events and research. 

• Lead monthly public walks in the grounds.  

• Aim to programme content that explores the climate emergency and encourages a positive relationship to nature and enhances understanding of the impact of climate change.

Organisation 

Money 

• We have an ethical fundraising policy and don’t accept funding derived from fossil fuel based companies. 

• We will aim to move our pensions to explicitly sustainable funds. 

• Our policy is not always to opt for the cheapest option, but to consider ethical and environmental impacts of what we procure and how we work. 

 

Operations 

We will consider the embodied and operational carbon in our building and resources, and the ways in which we work. 

Procurement and how we work 

When acquiring general items (fixtures and fittings, technology, stationery, marketing materials) and artist materials, we: 

• acquire only what is necessary 

• consider the embodied carbon – the lifespan of the item and the material it is made from 

• plan for disposal responsibly, recycling where possible 

and where possible 

• reuse and repurpose existing items  

• reduce consumption of new materials 

• source items locally to reduce transportation 

• avoid single-use items 

• avoid plastic and prioritise items made from sustainable materials. 

When buying necessary services, we: 

• commit to working with organisations that share our goal of becoming more environmentally sustainable 

• work with local companies where possible. 

In exhibitions we consider transport, reuse of materials, buying locally.  

Our office spaces and gallery space are relatively small and as a team we tend to use public transport. 

We will train our staff. Most gallery staff have attended Carbon Literacy training and we aim to extend this to all staff and the board, with a focus on equity . 

 

Carbon Footprint 

The Gallery is based within Bethlem Royal Hospital, part of South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, from whom we rent our building. We do not have control over the external fabric of the building or the utilities providers. 

We will aim to: 

• measure and monitor (with the aim of reducing) our carbon footprint where possible 

• minimize energy use  

• aim to replace lighting with low-energy alternatives as they reach end-of-life 

• work to reduce our digital data usage through considering what digital files are stored, optimizing our website and reducing email chains. Look at green website hosting.