Strengthening and broadening the cultural sector’s environmental leadership.
The global cultural sector has a significant role to play in responding to the climate crisis, but many are often overwhelmed with information and ambiguity, and see no clear path forward. Environment & Culture Partners (ECP) provides that path forward. Our mission is to strengthen environmental leadership in the cultural sector by providing clarity of work and connection of resources to deliver impact at scale. We empower museums, zoos, gardens, aquariums and historic sites with the knowledge and skills needed to influence change, the partnership needed to do the work, and the voice to advocate for culture in every climate conversation.
- We focus on collective action. With over 35,000 cultural institutions in the United States and over 100,000 worldwide, our potential for impact is greater.
- While there is great work underway at individual cultural institutions, the speed of change needed to effectively address the climate challenge requires a systemic, sector-wide approach.
- By linking resources, aligning efforts, and facilitating collaboration, ECP focuses on cooperative action to scale this critical work.
- We bring people together, using our vibrant cultural institutions as gathering places for people to learn, share and connect.
We can inspire people across the world to become climate educators and advocates, empowering them with the reason, research and resources to take small and large actions in their communities.
Show support. Commit to action. Commit to a vision of the global cultural sector leading evidence-based climate action for a healthy and resilient future. Sign up for our newsletter and send us an email at hello@ecprs.org to get started.
Our work
Capacity Building
We are committed to building the cultural sector’s capacity to engage communities in climate learning and undertake climate action. We do this through research, knowledge-sharing and skills development to empower the sector to make informed, climate-smart decisions. Examples of our work include: Culture Over Carbon, Caretakers of Wonder, and STiCH. Learn more about our Capacity Building efforts.
Engagement
Through our sector-wide, scalable engagement projects, we embed with our sector partners to do the work of addressing climate change. We demystify what climate action means for the cultural sector and shift climate work from an overwhelming and ambiguous challenge to a clear, actionable plan. We work with partners to define a research-backed starting point, a practical roadmap and a realistic end goal. Examples of our work include: Climate Resilience Resources for Cultural Heritage and Frankenthaler Climate Initiative. Learn more about our Engagement efforts.
Representation
We advocate for the cultural sector’s voice to be heard in environmental discussions and efforts at the community, regional, federal, and global levels. We aim to connect cultural organizations with decision-makers and funders, ensuring the sector’s concerns and aspirations are part of the larger environmental narrative. Examples of our work include the Climate Collaboration by U.S. Cultural Associations, America Is All In. Learn more about our Representation efforts.
Spotlight
U.S. Cultural Associations Agree to Climate Collaboration
ECP is pursuing a collective agreement for climate collaboration of U.S. culture associations. Our goal is collective impact, so we are creating a mutual starting point from which the collective can begin designing that impact. The strength and creativity of the sector are the individual actions already underway; the power of the sector is aligning those efforts through institutional intentions. Learn more.
Culture Over Carbon: Understanding Museums’ Energy Use
The Culture Over Carbon research study created the cultural sector’s first in-depth energy use analysis and the first estimate of the sector’s energy impacts on climate. Cultural institutions can use its data to support strategic planning, and implement structural, mechanical, and behavioral changes. Collectively these actions by the cultural sector will benefit the climate system for the long-term health and safety of living beings, communities, and cultures. Learn more.
Frankenthaler Climate Initiative
The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative is an energy and climate granting program launched by Helen Frankenthaler Foundation in partnership with RMI and ECP. It is the first program of its kind in the U.S. for the visual arts and is the largest private national grant-making program to address climate change through cultural institutions. Learn more.