Spotlight: Transitioning to Net Zero

The climate crisis poses one of, if not the, greatest challenge humanity has ever faced. The world has warmed by 1.1°C since the preindustrial era as a result of human activity causing too many greenhouse gases (GHGs) to build up in our atmosphere. In order to secure a liveable future – limiting warming to 1.5°C – we must halve total emissions by 2030 and reach what is known as ‘Net Zero’ by 2050.

The Spotlight programme is a key industry response from the cultural sector focused on achieving Net Zero. It consists of 30 national portfolio organisations across 80 sites and forms part of the Arts Council England 2018-2023 sustainability strategy. The programme follows guidance from the Science Based Targets initiative to set targets to achieve Net Zero, in-line with what climate science tells us is needed to limit warming to 1.5°C.

This guide provides an overview of Net Zero and what it means, why we need to achieve this, and how. The guide provides an overview of how Net Zero is different to carbon neutral, the different sources and ‘scopes’ of emissions, and identifies the key sources of emissions for the cultural sector. It identified practical strategies for achieving Net Zero, with examples from cultural organisations that are leading the way in their energy reduction journeys. Annexes provide an overview of the technical solutions to reducing energy use and transitioning to zero carbon options for buildings.