We are proud to be part of this community dedicated to making a real environmental impact. Below is a joint statement from ELIA and the 15 other participating cultural networks and photo of our certificate:

 

For the second year, participating networks have worked together with Culture for Climate Scotland (CCS) to implement the SHIFT Culture eco-guidelines for cultural networks that were developed during the original SHIFT project and are structured around five chapters: Management & Policy, Communication and Awareness Raising, Travel, Events, Office and Home Office.

 

Each network has implemented the mandatory norms along with some optional norms from the framework in their organisation, participated in peer audits with their fellow participants and attended a combined development workshop online. Finally, Vector42 has audited each network, which assures the credibility and integrity of the certification process.

 

The guidelines are designed specifically for and by network organisations which tend to be small in size but large in terms of influence and with most of their environmental impact stemming from travel. The buddy and peer audit system connects networks with each other around climate action. A significant feature of our workshop together in autumn 2024 was around sharing best practices that participants had developed and implemented through being part of the SHIFT Culture community. 

 

In the second year of the SHIFT eco-certificate pilot phase, together with CCS and Vector42, we learned that while many participating organisations are stretched to capacity, the eco-guidelines provide a clear framework for effective climate action that each organisation can build on. Our strength as cultural networks is our ability to connect people and organisations across borders and sectors. Building on this strength, a few of the participating networks are working closely on issues of climate justice, which is a challenge we continue to tackle together.

 

As we enter the third and final year of the pilot phase, we’re excited for 3 additional networks to join 2025.

 

A limited number of new places exist for more European network organisations wishing to join the scheme. Please contact Caro Overy – caro.overy@cultureforclimate.scot – for more information.

Below is the list of the SHIFT eco-certified cultural network organisations for 2024: