Environmental Responsibility Statement

The world is facing a series of linked environmental crises, and the window for action is rapidly closing. The consequences of climate change are already being felt, with extreme weather events becoming more frequent and intense. Heatwaves, droughts, and floods are just some of the climate-related disasters that are happening more frequently and with greater intensity than ever before. These events can cause immense damage to homes, infrastructure, and livelihoods, and have devastating consequences for biodiversity.

The art industry has an important role to play. Arts organisations – particularly in the Global North – have a disproportionately large impact on the environment, mainly due to a great deal of international travel, arts shipping, and high use of energy and materials. We need to act urgently to reduce these impacts in line with what the science is telling us. As a sector, we also have an opportunity to use our public platform and cultural influence to set a positive example, encouraging and supporting others to take action and help to shift the public debate.

Artclear’s mission is “to increase confidence in the global art market and expand its boundaries”. To ensure the longevity of the art industry, we need to take urgent environmental action, as art and culture across the world are directly threatened by the climate crisis. This Environmental Responsibility Statement sets out our commitments to reduce the environmental impact of Artclear’s activities and the actions we are taking to address it.

As an art-technology business, we recognise that increasing reliance on digital technology has both positive and negative impacts on the environment. While technology can reduce resource consumption and increase efficiency, it also comes with a significant carbon footprint that cannot be ignored. As such, we are committed to implementing measures that address our digital footprint and leverage technology to drive positive change.

At Artclear, we know that our main direct environmental impacts include our use of blockchain and technical infrastructure, business operations, and flights to art fairs and events. We have committed to tackling these impacts by:

The actions we are taking to meet these targets include:

Blockchain activities and technical infrastructure

• Using a “proof-of-stake” blockchain, to minimise the environmental impact of our services.
• Regularly evaluating the environmental impact of our blockchain activities, and keeping informed of developments in relevant technologies so that we can assess the viability of potential future lower or zero-carbon alternatives.
• Ensuring that our scanning devices will be in use for as long as possible, with a strategy in place to manage their care and repair.
• Aiming to use sustainable materials for hardware and reduce device energy consumption where possible.

Operations

• Setting up a formal environmental policy and appointing a Green Ambassador to track progress on these targets and actions.
• Continue to reduce office paper waste by maintaining digital filing systems and communications.
• Ensuring that marketing materials are reusable or household recyclable.
• Maintaining awareness of our suppliers’ and service providers’ environmental impacts, and looking for opportunities to encourage them to take action, or, wherever possible, to switch to alternative suppliers who will.
• Working with other GCC members on projects to help develop more sustainable packaging, transport and energy saving solutions for the whole sector.

Travel and transport

• Continue to review our staff travel policies and practices, and planning our attendance at international events to reduce the need for air travel.
• Travelling by train or sea where possible for international events.
• Using low or zero emissions vehicles for local scanner transportation by 2025.
• Wherever permits, locating future premises in areas with good public transport and cycling links, to help reduce the carbon footprints of our staff and visitors.

As an organisation, we aim to take action in line with the principles of climate justice, recognising the connections between the climate crisis and other global injustices. At Artclear, we want our environmental actions to support - rather than undermine or ignore - the needs of people on the frontlines of marginalisation and injustice.

We have set these targets and are taking actions in the knowledge that we aren’t yet doing everything right. We still have a great deal to do and much to learn. We welcome feedback from our stakeholders on this environmental statement, our targets, and on our plans for action.