Environmental Policy and Action Plans: An Overview

The ongoing climate and nature crisis is the defining issue of our time, the devastating impacts of which we have already witnessed around the world.

Our political and economic reliance on the exploitation and extraction of natural and human resources for capital growth has driven ecosystem destruction and the exploitation of people and resources. The climate and nature crisis and social injustices are deeply connected: the social and political structures that created the climate and nature crisis are the same structures and systems that create and uphold inequality, marginalisation and unequal opportunity for people, across scales from global to local level.

Parts of the world that have over consumed resources and energy, such as the UK, parts of Europe and North America, need to address injustices. To achieve this, we can: divest from fossil fuels, adopt systems, solutions and practices that value both people and nature, and build strategies to adapt to the changing climate, now and in the future. To transform our society and our culture, we need to contextualise the problems and solutions locally, to bring together different perspectives and experiences and explore opportunities for change together.

Cultural organisations are touch points for society, often at the heart of their communities, providing spaces for connecting, collaborating, refuge, education, care and much more. They can also demonstrate commitments to climate justice and protecting the environment. Each neighbourhood or local area will be impacted in different ways by climate change and every organisation is uniquely placed, with different opportunities to make change, influence others, and shape our environment with and for the community.

This guide will take you through the process of producing a policy and action plan for your cultural organisation with how-to guides, tips, templates, examples & useful resources:

Read the full policy and action plan

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