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Environmental Policy

We’re committed to protecting the environment from the significant internal and external impacts of its operations and will achieve this through the continual improvement of the environmental management system to enhance environmental performance.

  • Maintain an Environmental Management System to ISO14001:2015 Certification Standard
  • Assess and manage the environmental impacts of our operations, considering a lifecycle perspective
  • Comply with all relevant environmental legislation and other requirements to which the organisation subscribes
  • Setting environmental and quality objectives and targets and review them to ensure continual improvement
  • Encourage sustainable consumption associated with our activities to minimise unnecessary waste of electricity, fuel and materials
    Consider the environmental credentials of our contractors and source locally where practical
  • Ensure all employees are aware of their responsibilities and are fully competent to control the activities for which they are responsible

Our current projects

Julie's Bicycle Spotlight Programme

Arts Council England’s Environmental Programme 2018-2022, delivered by Julie’s Bicycle, is putting a spotlight on reducing the environmental impacts of National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs).

The Spotlight Programme is working closely with 30 large grant recipients in Art Council England's National Portfolio to achieve measurable reductions through development of good energy management practice in buildings and sharing best practice.

Amongst the 30 organisations involved with the Spotlight programme are Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, National Theatre, Serpentine Galleries, Sage Gateshead, Whitechapel Gallery, HOME Manchester – all building based NPOs of various size, age and complexity.

Environmental Impact Reduction Objectives (EIROs)

The Spotlight Programme follows the Science-Based Target Initiative approach for reducing greenhouse gas emissions so that the global temperature rise does not exceed 1.5o Celsius, in accordance with the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Special Report October 2018.

In addition to setting a carbon reduction target, participants are each setting an energy intensity target for improving energy efficiency.

In 2018/19 Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art’s carbon footprint from building energy use was 994.5 tonnes CO2e or 99.5 kg CO2e per m2. This is based on 4,158,055 kWh electricity and gas (or 416 kWh per m2), and their respective carbon intensities.

As a participant of the Spotlight Programme, Baltic is setting the following Environmental Impact Reduction Objectives for its building electricity and gas consumption:

By 2021/22:

• Carbon reduction target: 5.2% relative reduction (92 kg CO2e per m2)
• Energy intensity target: 5.9% relative reduction (392 kWh per m2)

This is compared to a baseline of 2018/19 and relative to our floor area.

In achieving the target, Baltic’s carbon footprint will be 923 tonnes CO2e in 2021/22, 71.5 tonnes CO2e lower compared to 2018/19.

This will put Baltic on a pathway to play its part in a de-carbonisation of the UK economy necessary to prevent 1.5 °C being exceeded.