Watershed Climate Action
At Watershed, we are dedicated to tackling the climate emergency. We are committed to minimising the environmental impact of our activities, ensuring sustainability is a strategic priority so we can work towards a brighter, fairer future.
In 2019, we declared a climate emergency, committing to net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030.
Beyond reducing our emissions, we recognise arts and culture have a significant role to play in addressing climate change – and we want to be part of that change.
We welcome all feedback, ideas and challenges.
For more information please contact us.
Our aims
Watershed's Environment Group, drawn from staff from across the organisation, leads Watershed's carbon reduction action and seeks to:
- Achieve net-zero Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 2030, building on the ambitions of Bristol City Council and the Culture Declares Emergency movement.
- Consider all aspects of sustainability throughout our business, beyond just emission reductions; to waste, biodiversity, and climate justice.
- Ensure our net-zero ambitions and consequent actions align with and support our commitment to inclusion.
- Share knowledge to enable everyone across our organisation to act.
- Engage our audiences in conversations around the environment and climate justice.
- Be transparent, accountable and honest along the way.
Watershed Commitments
Climate Action Plan
Outlining our 2023 priorities to reduce our emissions, but also to foster an inclusive ethos around sustainability and to support responsible decision making.
Environmental Policy
The areas of focus where we believe we can make an impact on environmental sustainability.
Workplace emissions
In 2022, we worked with a carbon accounting consultant to get a more in depth understanding of Watershed's workplace emissions, using internationally recognised carbon accounting standards.
This has given a more evolved accounting methodology of our own, with which to focus our priorities and to give consistent year on year results.
Carbon Literacy Training
How can we as individuals and as an organisation make a difference in our work?
We knew a key aspect of this must be training, and training for all members of staff. The Carbon Literacy Project provided an excellent training framework which we used to create our own training course.
Since November 2021, Watershed's Environmental Group has been delivering our own Carbon Literacy Training Course and rolled it out across approximately 70% of Watershed staff.
Here are our Reflections & Resources for Creative Organisations from our Carbon Literacy Training so far, as part of our journey to becoming carbon literate.
Pervasive Media Studio
Human activities are causing critical planet degradation – climate-related disasters, rising sea levels, extreme weather, soaring pollution, spread of diseases, loss of biodiversity, challenges in food production and much, much more.
The Studio loudly acknowledges that environmental emergencies are pervasive and believes creativity can change the way we think about growth, wealth, consumerism and progress. We are actively exploring ideas and approaches that inform and expand thinking, to change the course of our future for the better.
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Film Hub South West
Watershed managed Film Hub South West have produced a guide that considers how to minimise the environmental impact of your activity, no matter the size of your organisation.
We believe that through sharing resources and learnings, reducing what we can, and supporting exhibitors with space for discussion and support as a part of our funding; we can make an impact.
Ideas for Implementing Sustainable Practice in Film Exhibition
Across Watershed
Grounding Technologies was a pilot project exploring how creative technology can be used to support climate action.
Gathering Moss is a digital landscape populated with artistic ideas made in response to the climate emergency - it presents ideas online, to provoke net-zero acts within the real world.
In March, the Let’s Debate conference brought together representatives and keynote speakers from across the nation's arts and culture sector to interrogate the Arts Council...
A Watershed programme of work propelling community and climate activism by offering support and development to freelance creatives.
This policy ensures environmental sustainability is embedded throughout Watershed’s business.
Introducing the Creative Climate Action Toolkit designed specifically to support smaller businesses, organisations, collectives and freelancers to act on climate.
This month Mark Cosgrove, Watershed Cinema curator, and Zoe Rasbash, Watershed's Environmental Emergencies Action Researcher look forward to Green Screen, coming to Watershed at the end of March.
Following an open call for our Spring Residencies programme, two Bristol-based artists developed ideas exploring environmental emergencies, technology and possible futures.