OUR ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY AND ACTION PLAN

A Living Responsibility

Artica Svalbard’s Environmental Action Plan sets out how we take responsibility for our environmental impact as an arts and culture organisation based in the High Arctic. The plan builds on work begun in 2023 and is informed by our annual carbon reporting, collaboration through the Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA), and guidance from the Gallery Climate Coalition.

We understand environmental responsibility as an ongoing and adaptive process, shaped by learning, reflection, and the realities of working in a rapidly changing Arctic environment. Rather than a fixed endpoint, this plan functions as a framework for decision-making, accountability, and care as we continue to develop more sustainable ways of operating.

OUR ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITY STATEMENT

Artica Svalbard is committed to reducing the environmental footprint of our operations while strengthening our handprint — the positive contributions created through artistic research, knowledge-sharing, and public dialogue in and about the Arctic.

To guide this work, Artica is a member of the Gallery Climate Coalition, committing to reduce our carbon emissions by at least 50% by 2030 from a 2022 baseline (44.4 tCO₂e). We calculate our organisational carbon footprint annually in order to track progress and inform decision-making.

Our approach focuses on a number of key areas:

  • Residency Design and Travel

    Because travel to Svalbard is only possible by air, Artica prioritises longer residencies to ensure that journeys result in meaningful, place-based research. Residents are therefore encouraged to stay for a minimum of six weeks and to engage deeply with the local community and environment.

  • Energy and Infrastructure

    We are working with building owners and local authorities to improve energy efficiency and prepare for Longyearbyen’s transition from coal and diesel power toward renewable energy systems.

  • Materials and Waste

    Artica is working towards ensuring that all packing materials are reusable or recyclable by 2026, as part of a longer-term goal of significantly reducing waste within our studio and residency activities. This includes collaborating with print-based artists to explore more environmentally responsible materials and processes.

  • Travel and Institutional Practice

    Staff and board travel policies are regularly reviewed to reduce unnecessary air travel and prioritise strategic participation in international meetings and events.

  • Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing

    Through networks such as the Nordic Alliance of Artists’ Residencies on Climate Action (NAARCA), we share knowledge with other residency programmes and contribute to wider discussions on sustainable cultural infrastructure in remote environments.

Following guidance from the Gallery Climate Coalition, Artica is also exploring the development of a Strategic Climate Fund, allowing resources to be directed toward measures that accelerate emissions reductions and support effective climate solutions rather than relying on traditional carbon offsetting.

We welcome feedback from our residents, community, audience and network on this environmental statement, our targets, and on our plans for action. Please get in touch info@articasvalbard.no

Images above: Vallåkrabreen glacier in May 2023 and the sea ice and walrus in Isfjorden May 2023