Environmental Policy

CCA is Glasgow’s cultural hub for creative activity, programming exhibitions, film, music, literature, spoken word, festivals and more. Working with our Cultural Tenants we apply our strengths and focus to the environmental sustainability of the organisation as a whole.

For many years, we have implemented recycling facilities throughout the building to reduce landfill waste, using the ‘switch it off’ campaign for staff, locally sourcing materials and products to cut down on carbon emissions, and changing our lighting to LED lamps.

Working closely with Creative Carbon Scotland and the Green Arts Initiative, we created a new and ambitious Environmental Policy, aims to:

• Work to achieving high industry standards for sustainability.
• Monitor and analyse our carbon emissions with IG tools throughout all aspects of the organisation, and feedback our progress to audiences and partners.
• Use local charity Changeworks Recycling for our waste management system to ensure high quality recycled products can be made from our waste, as well as reducing our contribution to landfills by more than 25%.
• Work towards using only sustainably-sourced products.
• Conserving energy, water, paper, packaging, timber and other resources.
• Actively engage with staff, tenants and audiences to encourage environmental awareness.
• Reduce the consumption of water and energy throughout the building by installing new boilers, a Building Management System and energy efficient hand-dryers.
• Build on our relationship with community groups producing locally grown foods and scrap recycling.
• Positively promote sustainable changes to the surrounding area and businesses to increase personal relationships with the local environment and see how individual contributions can make a difference.
• Meeting all relevant current statutory regulations and official codes of practice and instructing contractors to do the same when working on CCA premises.
• Educating, training and motivating staff and contractors to work in an environmentally responsible manner and to play a full part in developing new ideas and initiatives.

Policies already in place in CCA include:

• CCA is part of Green Arts Initiative from Creative Carbon Scotland.
• Logging consumption of CO2, energy and water using meter readings, bills and journey breakdowns.
• Staff are encouraged to use the current recycling facilities located throughout the building.
• Where possible e-billing is used and paper remittance is kept at a minimum.
• Staff are encouraged to use public transport or cycle/ walk to work.
• The ‘switch it off’ campaign has been used throughout the building for some time.
• When ordering from suppliers, orders are grouped into as few deliveries as possible as well as all purchases being accompanied by details of the distance and mode of travel of the goods.
• Double sided printing and reusing of paper must be adhered to unless absolutely necessary.
• Locally sourced products should be considered in the first instance and a balance must be found between price, quality, and sustainability.
• Staff and Cultural Tenants are asked to switch off all equipment when not in use.
• Replacement of lighting to energy-saving alternatives.
• Travel for all staff and artists is considered from an environmental perspective and air travel is only considered for flights out with the UK.

New actions being taken include:

• New recycling and food waste stations for staff, Cultural Tenants and the public using local charity Changeworks Recycling.
• Staff training and incentive schemes for sustainability.
• Cultural Tenants will be expected to adhere to CCA standards for waste and energy reduction and we will assist Tenants with this.
• A new bike rack plus ‘cycle to work’ promotions.
• Marketing of Green ambitions to engage with the public.
• Introduction of timer plugs and motion sensor adaptors to reduce electricity waste.
• Closer monitoring of staff, artist and public travel.
• Increased liaison with tenants, venues and suppliers to build up our support network for a sustainable future, including an internal Sustainable CCA blog.

Engagement with Green activities will be reviewed by senior staff and the board of directors. Our full environmental policy is circulated around staff, clients and cultural tenants and is available on request – please email us on gen@cca-glasgow.com