Though climate change is a systemic issue and one where there are powerful economic and governmental forces at play, we believe that anything made by humans can be undone by them.
We believe in a theory of change where art and artists, as part of the larger field of cultural creators, have the power and agency to shift the Overton window—the boundaries of what is possible to imagine, and therefore what is able to exist in the world.
We believe that the problem of climate change has emerged from the same underlying systemic inequalities that gave rise to human supremacy, patriarchy, white supremacy and extractive capitalism—and therefore that these issues are deeply interlinked.
It is with these understandings that we ask you to engage with the Environmental Responsibility Rider as a document and a process. Because the conditions which allow for the unchecked extraction of nature for profit—including the use of our common air as a garbage dump—are systemic and embedded in almost every aspect of daily life, we created this document as a guide. It is intended to assist you in beginning to untangle and move away from some of the most destructive practices within our mutual specialisation as artists and arts workers. It will be up to you to discover the ways in which you can take your commitment further, and share back with our growing community.
The Environmental Responsibility Rider is a set of guidelines that should be seen as a living document created to exist within, and as a framework, for your practice. Though we work towards our highest principles and take a firm stand against greenwashing, the rider is not a rigid checklist. We work together to shift the systems that underlie climate change and aim not to blame, cancel and shame, but rather to inform and empower by holding each other accountable to higher standards of transparency, fairness, justice and environmental responsibility to the more-than-human world.
— Jenny Kendler, Artists Commit Co-Founder and GCC Member
An Environmental Responsibility Rider is a document that can be used to communicate sustainability expectations between two parties. It aims to clarify environmental concerns and targets prior to beginning a working relationship. Your rider should be seen as a framework for a conversation, rather than a contract or agreement.
An Environmental Responsibility rider should be shared at the beginning of a project and supplement any contracts/agreement documentation. For example, it could be used by an artist/collective who would share it with a gallery during the planning stages of a solo show.