How-to Guide on Calculating
Billy Childish, venus jupiter, 2023. Photo by Rikard Österlund. Courtesy of the artist and Carl Freedman Gallery.
The Armory Show 2024's Shipping Partner Convelio, is proud to provide an emissions calculator. This guide, tailored to art professionals, will walk you through measuring and managing your emissions.
Calculating CO2 emissions is essential and now urgent for galleries, artists, collectors, and shippers to be aware of their environmental impact. A carbon report, measured in CO2 equivalent (CO2e), helps quantify the greenhouse gases produced by an art business’s various activities, providing a clear picture of its carbon footprint. By understanding these emissions, companies can identify key areas to reduce their environmental impact, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and actively contributing to global efforts to combat climate change.
BUILDING YOUR EMISSIONS REPORT
To create a tailored emissions report, follow these steps:
1. Select a Reporting Methodology
The Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Protocol is the most globally recognised protocol, and is used across all industries. This will ensure that all data can be confidently used within communications to employees, customers and shareholders. The GLEC Framework is more specific to logistics, and its methodology can be particularly useful for galleries and artists who frequently ship works worldwide.
2. Map the Boundaries
Determine which aspects of your operations—such as shipping, travel, energy use, and material sourcing—will be included in your report. Categorize them into the appropriate scopes.
Billy Childish, salish canoe and rock, 2023. Photo by Rikard Österlund. Courtesy of the artist and Carl Freedman Gallery.
Barrow Parke, American Songbirds, 2024. Photo by Cary Whittier. Courtesy of the artist and JDJ.
As defined by the GHG Protocol, emissions are categorized into three scopes:
Scope 1: Direct emissions from activities you control. For example, if your gallery owns vehicles for transporting artwork or relies on on-site gas-powered heating, these fall under Scope 1.
Scope 2: Indirect emissions from the electricity your gallery or studio consumes. This includes the energy used to power lighting for exhibitions, climate control systems to preserve artwork, and office operations. Although these emissions occur during energy production, they are attributed to your organization.
Scope 3: This broad category covers all other indirect emissions and often represents the largest share of an art business’ carbon footprint. For the art world, this includes emissions travel to international art fairs, production of art materials, waste generated from exhibitions, employee commuting, emissions from purchased goods and services, and shipping with third party logistics suppliers.
COLLECT THE DATA
To accurately assess your carbon footprint, begin by estimating your activity data. Consider relevant activities such as transportation, shipping, energy use, and material consumption.
Ensure that your data collection is thorough by running surveys across your organization—engage staff, artists, curators, and logistics teams to capture a comprehensive picture of operations.
Where precise data is not available, extrapolate your activity data by using specialised software or financial reports to estimate emissions over periods such as monthly, quarterly, or yearly intervals. Financial data can help fill gaps in your activity data, although it may provide a broader, less detailed view.
Finally, calculate your CO2e by applying relevant emission factors from trusted databases like ADEME or DEFRA. Ensure that your chosen emission factors are aligned with the geographical regions where the activities and emissions are being calculated to maintain accuracy.
Justin Lim, Orchids at the Peninsula, 2024. Courtesy of the artist and Richard Koh Fine Art.
Kanishka Raja, I and I (RCGMBYK), 2014. Courtesy of the Estate of Kanishka Raja, Juli Raja & Experimenter.
Once this is done, set meaningful targets for carbon emission reductions, not just in terms of specific numerical goals but also by developing a concrete action plan to achieve them. Establishing clear objectives will allow you to monitor progress and adjust strategies as needed, ensuring that your efforts lead to tangible results.
By following these steps, you’ll create a comprehensive carbon report that can help you take meaningful steps to reduce your environmental impact, making the art world a more sustainable space.