Onassis Stegi reached 18% lower energy consumption

The Onassis Stegi Cultural Centre in Athens is a place where contemporary culture meets aesthetics and science. Hosting theatrical and musical productions, film screenings, art and digital shows, Onassis Stegi is a leading cultural institution in Greece.  

The centre partnered with the Julie’s Bicycle Creative Green team to create a cross-organisation environmental strategy and draw up a prioritised list of actions to help them meet their environmental objectives. Following a scoping exercise to understand their environmental impacts, we advised Onassis Stegi on how to establish a sustainability team with defined staff roles and responsibilities and provided training and engagement for all staff. 

The centre achieved an 18% reduction in energy consumption in 2019, compared with the previous year. This was due, in part, to the adoption of solar renewable energy, taking advantage of Athens’ 2,771 hours of sunshine each year. Further initiatives have included the organisation of a “Recycled Lab” to encourage the reuse of structural materials in productions and exhibitions, support for a plastic-free campaign, and a review of suppliers’ environmental credentials in areas such as catering. 

Onassis Stegi was shortlisted for the Creative Green Highest Achievement for Commitment Award 2020 for demonstrating exceptional commitment to sustainability.  

“Addressing the climate emergency has become an integral part of Onassis Stegi’s mission, at the level of its own operational practices to start with, but also through producing, presenting, and promoting powerful new art that is a medium of engagement with this critical issue for our audiences, as well as by stimulating an energetic discussion in society at large. Doing these things are core priorities for cultural organisations today.”

-Christos Carras, Executive Director, Onassis Stegi

Image: Copyright Onassis Stegi Cultural Centre