Appropriate communication and promotion may significantly contribute to reducing the carbon footprint of your organisation. This area covers a range of possible actions: from reducing the number of printed materials, through digital solutions and advertising ethics, to using plain language and promoting eco-strategies. Since the medium is the message, choose materials and channels which are consistent with your environmental message.
STEP 1
At this stage, revise your existing promotional activities. Consider how to reduce the number of printed materials, how to make better use of existing materials and resources, how to choose promotional tools more consciously, and how to communicate pro-environmental activities responsibly.
Minimise prints
Design your communication in the spirit of ‘less is more’ – instead of a large number of promotional materials, focus on the quality and precise targeting. Consider which promotional materials must be printed – perhaps it is worth giving up printed invitations? As shown by various analyses carried out by cultural institutions, collective programme leaflets are usually not very popular among the audience, so it is worth replacing them with one poster detailing the programme displayed in front of the institution or inside the building. Programmes should be made available in pdf on your website. Use QR codes for redirecting to up-to-date content, e.g. the event’s programme. Make sure that your promotional activities are tailored not only to the nature of individual activities, but also to the needs of the target groups – elderly visitors or the local community tend to resort to printed information, while those fluent in the digital environment will be happy with electronic forms of promotion.
> When promoting the ‘Race and Forest’ exhibition (2019) Biennale Warszawa decided to limit promotional materials to just one poster and one leaflet. The poster was temporarily displayed in various places, while the leaflet was passed from hand to hand. Both materials were also available online for downloading. Read more: Biennale Warszawa shows care for the environment in the communication for the exhibition ‘Race and Forest’.
If you can’t avoid printing, make it eco-friendly.
In recent years, the printing industry has made progress in reducing the carbon footprint of prints, both with regard to energy efficiency and production technology. A lot of companies offer ecological paper and environmentally-friendly printing ink. Make sure the ink is zero VOC, i.e. it has a low content of volatile organic compounds which pollute the environment by being emitted into the atmosphere. Avoid UV varnishing, foiling, laminating or glitter, because these materials reduce recyclability and increase carbon footprint. Remember that the delivery is also part of your order – pay attention to eco-friendly packaging of prints (paper, cardboard, followed by polyolefin film) and order locally. Look for printing companies with environmental certifications (e.g. ISO 14001 or EMAS) and ask about CO₂ emissions compensation if the print run is large.
Design ecology: prints
When designing, consider a smaller print format and/or print volume to reduce not only costs but also environmental impact. Minimise ink coverage, e.g. by using thinner typefaces or fonts and limiting backgrounds covered entirely in colour (large solid areas are more difficult to recycle). Design with longer material life in mind – create universal templates to which information can be added manually or digitally (e.g. a poster with replaceable space for the title and dates). Avoid elements that are difficult to separate, such as metal staples, glued spines or mixed materials (paper + plastic). If they must be used, design them so that they can be easily separated.
> Using thinner fonts and a simple shape of letters, such as Ryman Eco, Ecofont, Garamond, Century Gothic, Calibri Light or Times New Roman, makes it possible to save up to 30 percent of ink. Read more: Print for the Planet: The Best Eco Fonts, source: Leap.
Print and digital media
The choice between print and digital is more complex than the simple principle: give up paper, go online. Everything depends on the scale, product’s life cycle and the resources used. Digital promotion comes with hidden, often underestimated, environmental costs associated with energy consumption, infrastructure and e-waste. Sending one email or publishing a single post leaves a small footprint, but sending mass newsletters or streaming generates significant environmental costs. The most balanced approach is one that combines analogue and digital tools, tailors them to the specific audience, and is based on conscious resource management. For short-term mass communication, digital media (website, social media) are a better choice, while for content that will be used for many years (catalogue, book), a good solution is eco-friendly printing in small quantities, and for the promotion of a one-off event with a rich programme, a hybrid version may be most effective, e.g. a printed poster with a QR code linking to a more detailed version of the programme.
> Read more: Comparing the Environmental Impact of Electronic Communications and Print Media, source: LinkedIn.
> Redefining Sustainable Print Marketing, source: DMA.
> Print or Digital: It All Has Environmental Impact, source: Omega Institute for Holistic Studies.
Sustainable design: digital environment
Eco-friendly design in the digital environment is not just about aesthetics – it is also about responsibility for energy consumption and emissions from data centres, as well as the impact on digital fatigue among users.
Although a single e-mail may seem harmless, sending thousands of messages with elaborate graphic footers every day can have a real impact on the environment – one message generates an average of 4 g of CO₂, and with graphics, up to 50 g. Avoid logos, banners and image captions in your email footer. If graphics are necessary, make sure they are optimised (e.g. low resolution, WebP format) and replace long legal clauses with a link.
A quarter of an hour spent browsing the internet causes CO₂ emissions similar to those generated by driving one kilometre by car. That is why it is important for your organisation’s website to be lightweight, functional and intuitive. An important element is optimising file sizes. Large photos and videos put a heavy load on the website, so limit their number and size and use compression formats (WebP for photos, H.265 for videos). Avoid automatically playing videos and animations. Fonts matter too – use those that are already on devices (so-called system fonts) or lighter formats (e.g. Web Open Font Format 2). It is worth considering simplifying the website code – the less code, the less data to transfer. Also, limit the number of scripts (e.g. advertising or tracking scripts), use solutions that speed up the website and reduce its ‘weight’, such as cache, lightweight versions of pages (AMP), offline applications (PWA) or static pages.
The website should be responsive, i.e. designed to load efficiently on mobile phones and tablets as well, which saves energy. Instead of seasonal pages, use modular content which can be easily edited. Good SEO (improving your website’s visibility to search engines) and well thought out UX (clear content and easy navigation) will not only improve user experience, but also reduce energy consumption. Also, remember to choose servers powered by green energy (green hosting).
> Check your website’s carbon footprint and receive recommendations for eco-friendly improvements: Website Carbon Calculator, Ecograder.
> Check whether your website has green hosting, if so, download a badge to publish on your website: Green Web Foundation.
> Learn more about the carbon footprint of the internet, including social media and VOD platforms: What is the digital carbon footprint?, source: Plan Be Eco, How Does Your Social Media Use Impact the Planet?, source: Global Citizen.
> Apply sustainable web design principles. Principles in a nutshell: 20 Ways to Make Your Website Energy Efficient, Detailed principles: Sustainable Web Design.
Outdoor advertising
Avoid overproduction – limit the number of banners, billboards and posters to the bare minimum, and if they are necessary, make them from recycled or easily recyclable materials. Avoid traditional PVC banners, as they are difficult to recycle and often contain toxic substances. Textile banners (e.g. made from recycled PET) or mesh banners are a better choice – they are lighter, more durable and reusable. When printing posters, choose natural, less processed materials such as kraft paper or paper with hemp admixture – they are biodegradable and are produced with less water and lower energy consumption. Eco-posters with dry-erase surfaces, blackboard foils or replaceable inserts are also a good solution – they allow you to update the content without reprinting.
Instead of solvent print opt for more environmentally-friendly technologies, such as latex, UV or eco-solvent print. As far as digital advertising displays are concerned, pay attention to energy efficient technologies, such as LEDs, photovoltaics and the option to automatically switch off screens at night. Cooperate with providers who use eco-friendly materials and are committed to reducing energy consumption and CO₂ emissions.
An alternative to traditional media could be anti-smog murals, graffiti made of moss or sand, or the ‘clean graffiti’ technique (creating an image by removing dirt from the surface of a pavement or wall), as well as advertisements that disappear when exposed to rain or snow – they are effective and less harmful to the environment.
> A mural eco-path covering five buildings was created at Toruń’s ‘Na Skarpie’ housing estate as part of a participatory budget project. Read more: Ecology straight from a wall, source: Toronto
> Read about anti-smog murals: How murals and concrete devour smog, source: Magazyn Ciepła Systemowego.
> Also read about: Environmental trends in outdoor advertising. Impact of ESG on the OOH market, source: Społecznie Odpowiedzialni Info.
Gadgets
Reduce the number of promotional gadgets to a minimum – procure them only when they are really necessary or they emphasise the institution’s brand and express values such as caring for the environment, supporting local artists or giving objects a second lease on life. Choose quality over quantity, avoid disposable products and opt for practical items, e.g. plants, reusable bottles or bags, notebooks from recycled materials or local produce. If packaging is required – make sure it is made of eco-materials and reduce it to a minimum. Use old posters, banners or stage fabrics to create new products, adding information about their origin – e.g. ‘This bag was made from banners from the “X” exhibition’. Such a signature gives them emotional and educational value. Instead of material things, offer an experience, e.g. access to unique materials, the opportunity to visit an exhibition, etc.
> Read about a sustainable approach to museum gift shop items: Can Museum Shops Go Plastic-Free? Inside Manchester Museum’s Eco Revolution, source: Museum Next.
> Creating new things out of old promotional materials is a well-known trend: Eco-friendly poster-bags. Art and recycling go hand in hand source: Kujawsko-Pomorskie. Travel
> Establish cooperation with organisations which specialise in creative upcycling and recycling: Fundacja GraTy: New life of old banners, source: NGO.pl.
Notice the potential of local resources
Use local media (e.g. a local radio station, newspapers, internet portals) to promote your events. A lot of communication and promotional channels are really at your fingertips – institutions, schools, cafes, housing cooperatives. It is worth displaying your printed posters there (hanging posters in residential buildings only with the building administrators’ agreement). Find out about online community groups – some of them are very active. Seek support from local ambassadors. Invite neighbours to co-create events. In exchange, share information about their initiatives on your channels.
Plain language
Avoid content overload – opt for clear, understandable communication. Plain language is more inclusive, it increases accessibility of your message and makes it easier to find your way around a website. Try to write in a concise manner and to the point, avoid complicated terminology and passive voice. Sometimes, however, using plain language is not so easy to achieve. Several free online tools that help to verify the simplicity of texts come to the rescue. The criteria used by these platforms include sentence length, number of words and level of expertise.
> Jasnopis – after pasting the text in the app window and clicking ‘analyse’, the system will notify how difficult your text is on a scale from one to seven. The app suggests a simplified version of your text. The website also features a guide: Simple language – standardised rules,
> Logios – uses an original plain language index PLI. It shows, in percentage, to what extent the text complies with plain language principles. It evaluates 10 style features which can be easily improved.
> One of the tools for evaluating readability of a text is the FOG index (1-22+), which measures the so-called text ‘fogginess’. Texts written in plain language receive a score of 9-10 FOG. They are easy to understand by those with secondary school education, which is a standard recommended for public communication.
Communicate your pro-environmental activities
It is worth talking about pro-environmental changes as soon as you start making them. Green initiatives that no one knows about have no chance to ‘bud’. Communicating even small steps is important. Consider starting a micro-campaign in social media: create short posts and stories with photos reporting on the changes you have implemented, e.g. a new bike rack, giving up plastic bottles, introducing double sided print. Get other employees involved in the campaign. Include information ‘Printed on recycled paper’, ‘This website uses green hosting’, etc. You can add icons to posters that show that the event is, for example, plastic-free, accessible by bicycle, or offers vegan catering. Instead of just informing, engage: ‘You can bring your own cup,’ ‘Tell us what we can improve.’ Also take care of internal communication – green changes concern the entire team and they require common effort.
> Nowy Teatr in Warsaw places the message ‘Do you know how much an e-mail weighs…?’ in the graphic footer of the e-mail, informing the recipient that it deliberately does not use graphic attachments due to their impact on the environment.
> When communicating their plans for the environment, an art organisation TEAM writes: ‘It’s a huge undertaking. We’re not perfect. But we’re trying. […] If you think you can help us be more environmentally responsible, we’d love to hear from you.’ See more: Environmental Sustainability, source: TEAM
STEP 2
This stage is about creating a cohesive message around the pro-environmental changes made by your institution. Consider how you would like to shape the discussion about the climate crisis. Find out what language to use to get your message across to your audience.
Message
Consider what pro-environmental communication you wish to shape and who you direct it to. How is this topic addressed in your institution? Do you wish to emphasise particular elements? Perhaps you are primarily concerned with building engagement and shaping a message which strengthens community and agency (“together we can do more”), which is based on positive emotions and an invitation to act. Or is it a call to action, emphasising urgency (“there is no planet B”), calling to take specific action. Perhaps you want to focus on promoting the culture of moderation (“enough is enough”) and encouraging reduction of consumption and reusing existing resources. Perhaps you wish to emphasise the need to build a sustainable relationship with nature (“interspecies community”). Or perhaps you are mostly concerned with building your institution’s brand (“as an institution, we want to be an environmentally friendly place”). Although these approaches may overlap, it is worth deciding which message best reflects the nature and objectives of your institution. It is important that it is a permanent and consistent element of your communication strategy, present in all your activities.
> Read more: Storytelling – pro-environmental communication, source: LinkedIn.
Ethics of communication
Greenwashing (green sheen) is the deceptive practice of creating the appearance of conducting pro-environmental activities for marketing purposes, without any real changes. This mainly applies to companies which want to increase sales by using key words such as ‘eco’ or ‘bio’, even though their products do not meet the standards. Drawing on these experiences, as a cultural institution avoid exaggerated, unsubstantiated claims in your communications. The key is honesty, being specific, and the relevance to the scale of change. Messages such as “This is just the beginning” and “We are learning together with you” build trust and demonstrate authenticity. Instead of vague statements such as “we are eco-friendly”, use specific examples: “we reduce plastic”, “we collect rainwater”, “we recycle materials from previous exhibitions”, “we run an environmental education programme for children”, etc. Show the journey, not just the end result – instead of “We print ecologically,” write “This year, we reduced the number of leaflets by 30%.”
> Read more: The Do’s and Don’ts for Green Marketing Strategies, source: Regreener.
Ethics of advertising
When selecting advertising partners, pay attention to the consistency their values have with yours, especially in the context of ideas that guide individual platforms and media. It is worth cooperating with media which are credible, ethical and consistent with the principles of sustainable development. Avoid cooperating with entities which engage in greenwashing or promote excessive consumption. Support local and independent media. Working with partners who are open to audits and regular verification of their activities will help you build an authentic and responsible image.
How to talk about climate?
Language shapes awareness and influences the character of public debate. In recent years, reference to the climate crisis has been increasingly postulated in stronger and more precise terms – instead of ‘climate change’ it is better to use terms such as ‘climate crisis’ and ‘climate catastrophe’. Such language emphasises the urgency of the situation and the need to act – this shift was initiated by The Guardian in 2019.
However, caution is needed – overly alarmist messages about the climate, combined with the experiences of the pandemic, war and ongoing social crises, can be discouraging. As recent studies show, faced with a growing number of challenges, many people feel overwhelmed and helpless, which weakens their commitment and can lead to withdrawal. That is why it is important to combine messages about the threat with a narrative of hope and agency. Effective climate communication not only warns, but also gives a sense of influence and shows possible solutions.
Here are some key communication tips:
1. Avoid exaggeration.
Excessively dramatic language may be discouraging. Stick to the facts and address the issue with sensitivity, taking into account the current context of multiple crises.
2. Speak with hope.
Demonstrate that change is possible. People want to see the point in doing something.
3. Use simple language.
Avoid jargon. Give examples from everyday life, tell stories.
4. Rely on science.
Focus on what is currently known and what can be done about it.
5. Build community, not divisions. Talk, but don’t judge. Try to understand those who are sceptical.
6. Make the topic personal and local.
Refer to how the climate crisis affects life ‘here and now’.
7. Balance the emotions.
Do not cause panic – focus on care, resilience and joint action.
8. Take care of people’s wellbeing.
Pay attention to the needs of employees and the public – this is part of ecological thinking.
9. Harness the power of art and culture.
These are effective tools not only for education, but also for expanding the imagination and inspiring action.
> Read about the power of personalising your narrative: Adam Levy: Making Climate Change Personal, source: Biennale Warszawa
> Read the analyses on ‘climate fatigue’, why communication about the climate crisis often fails to translate into action, and how to change this: How do people talk about climate change (not just on Reddit)?, source: Nauka o klimacie.
From denialism to fatalism: how emotional resignation perpetuates the climate crisis, source: Manifest Klimatyczny – blog.
Communicating the Climate Crisis, source: ClimateXChange.
Effective Climate Communication Frames for Nonprofits & Examples that Inspire Action, source: Constructive.
> Climate science is full of specialist terms. Use climate glossaries that explain difficult terms in a simple way.
The Climate Dictionary. Speak Climate Fluently, source: UNDP.
Climate and environmental dictionary. 400 terms from various scientific disciplines, source: Jasikowska, K., Pałasz, M. (ed.) (2022), Five minutes to midnight: the end of the world. The climate and ecological crisis according to various scientific disciplines
> Fun and audience engagement are great tools in promotional activities. Find out about the high-profile Piano Stairs campaign, which encouraged passengers to use traditional stairs instead of escalators: Piano Stairs. From Movement to Mozart, source: Design of the World. Read about the campaign by the fanSHEN theatre (currently Fast Familiar), which promoted its performance by inviting the audience to exercise on machines which converted movement into energy. The charged batteries powered the performance, and those who exercised received discounts on tickets, depending on the amount of energy generated: Powering Theatre, Conceptualising Energy, source: Pedalling Power.
Ecology tab
Create a separate tab on your organisation’s website dedicated to pro-ecological activities. It can take various forms – from information about the green team, an overview of selected initiatives, to a presentation of the organisation’s pro-environmental manifesto. The tab should be updated as activities develop. This will signal to people involved in culture – especially the blue-green audience (i.e. those interested in climate issues) – that environmental issues are an important and permanent part of your activities.
Check examples of eco-friendly tabs on the websites of cultural institutions and organisations:
> Zamek dla Klimatu (ZAMEK for climate), Centrum Kultury Zamek/ Poznań.
> Służewski Dom Kultury jako ekologiczne gospodarstwo (Służew Cultural Centre as an eco-friendly farm), SDK/ Warszawa.
> Teatr w służbie ekologii (Theatre in the service of ecology), Teatr Chorea/ Łódź.
STEP 3
In the final step, communicate your long-term environmental strategy (what you have managed to achieve and what your goals for the future are). It is worth ensuring that the pro-environmental narrative becomes a visible element of the institution’s overall strategy.
Communication of eco-strategy
An eco-strategy is a slightly more complex document that refers to the progress of ecological projects, indicating the steps taken and the path for the future. It covers both programme and operational initiatives. It can be published on a website or distributed in a publicly available file. It is worth mentioning specific actions, figures and projects in such a summary. It is also worth choosing one of the projects as a case study and describing what was achieved and how, but also where difficulties arose. The practical knowledge you have gained is valuable – it can serve as inspiration for other cultural organisations and show your audience that ecology is an important part of your institution’s thinking and identity. As part of promoting your eco-strategy, organise an exchange of experiences with other organisations. (see: GREEN TEAM)
See how others do it:
> Ekokompas (Ecocompass), Centrum Kultury Zamek/ Poznań.
> Deklaracja ekologiczna (Ecological declaration) , Mazowiecki Instytut Kultury, Warsaw.
> Tackling the Climate Emergency, TATE, London.
> Sustainability, Narodni Divadlo, Prague.
> Climate action. An Eco-centric Approach to Making Art, FastFamiliar, United Kingdom.
> Climate and Ecology Manifesto – two years on, Horniman Museum & Gardens, London.
