EMC's Environmental Policy
The EMC is committed to minimise its ecological footprint, implementing sustainable practices, and behaving as an example of good environmental practice for our members and other cultural networks.
The EMC has an Environmental Policy which defines how the EMC will operate in an environamentally sustainable way. The policy was developed over several months in 2023 by the EMC Green Team and was approved by the EMC board in November 2023. It is based on previous processes and policies within the EMC such as a Sustainabiity Policy from 2022 and the SHIFT eco-guidelines for networks.
SHIFT eco-certification
In February 2024, the EMC received its first SHIFT eco-certificate among 14 other European cultural networks issued by Creative Carbon Scotland (CCS) and the Green Leisure Group (GLG). The EMC and the other networks have implemented the SHIFT eco-guidelines for networks that were developed during the original SHIFT project, participated in a peer audit and attended a combined development workshop in Brussels. Finally, GLG has used the guidelines to audit the EMC and the other networks, which assured the credibility and integrity of the certification process.
The eco-certificate pilot phase will continue for another year and is a collaborative journey and joint learning experience for all. Together with CCS and GLG, we learned that while many participating organisations are stretched to capacity, the eco-guidelines provide a clear framework for effective climate action that each organisation can build on.
SHIFT eco-certificate
The EMC, together with 15 other international cultural networks, launched the SHIFT eco-certification pilot phase in January 2023. The aim of this process is to co-develop a bespoke eco-certification for cultural networks, taking into account their specific needs and working methods. Such a certification, established in partnership with Creative Carbon Scotland and Green Leisure Group, environmental sustainability specialists from Scotland and the Netherlands, will provide a scheme to improve, measure, monitor and evaluate efforts towards sustainability. The participating networks aim to get eco-certified by the end of 2023.
If you would like to receive more information on the EMC's approach to sustainability, please contact the EMC Green Team, Katharina Weinert, at weinert[at]emc-imc[dot]org.
and Andrea Murzi at murzi[at]emc-imc[dot]org. We would love to exchange with you about it.