What Gallery Climate Coalition does

Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) is a UK-registered charity founded in 2020 that provides tools, guidance, and collective advocacy for the global visual arts sector to measure and reduce its environmental impact. Headquartered in Toddington, Bedfordshire, with an operational team of 1-10, GCC serves 2,000+ member organisations across 60+ countries, spanning commercial galleries, museums, art fairs, auction houses, art logistics providers, artists, and individual supporters. Its stated mission is to facilitate a minimum 50% reduction in the sector's CO2e emissions by 2030 alongside promoting zero waste, aligned with the Paris Agreement. Governance is provided by a Board of Trustees chaired by Frances Morris CBE (Director Emeritus of Tate Modern) with members including Cliodhna Murphy (Hauser & Wirth), Michel Driessen (Bayes Business School), and Co-Founder/Director Heath Lowndes leading day-to-day operations.

GCC's core product is the GCC Carbon Calculator, a free online greenhouse gas emissions estimation tool that uses art-world-specific metrics covering air travel, shipping (road, ocean, air freight), building energy, materials, accommodation, digital emissions, and shared emissions (staff commuting and visitor travel). The calculator follows GHG Protocol standards and draws emissions factors from UK DESNZ, EcoInvent, and IDEMAT databases; outputs are compatible with Julie's Bicycle tools and SECR (UK), CSRD (EU), and ASRS (Australia) reporting frameworks. A 2024 update expanded coverage to include refrigerant use, offsite storage, detailed surface travel, and digital emissions. The product suite is complemented by Best Practice Guidelines, an Artist Toolkit, an Art Fair Toolkit, Strategic Climate Funds guidance, a Climate Conscious Travel Policy, an annual Stocktake Report, commissioned research, and a video library. Active Membership status is earned by completing an annual carbon report.

GCC operates on a non-profit, donation-funded model. As a registered charity in England and Wales (Charity No. 1193687, Company No. 12907951), all tools and resources are provided free of charge, and operations are funded by voluntary donations including via the '10% Of' initiative at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2025, where 26+ leading galleries pledge 10% of selected artwork sale prices. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, anchored by a Supporter Circle, regional International Volunteer Chapters (GCC Berlin, GCC Italia, GCC Spain, GCC New York), and flagship convenings such as London Art+Climate Week and the Art Fair Alliance.

Name

Gallery Climate Coalition

Legal name

Gallery Climate Coalition

Website

https://galleryclimatecoalition.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Gallery Climate Coalition is a UK-registered charity that provides free carbon-measurement tools, best-practice guidelines, and collective advocacy to help 2,000+ visual-arts organisations across 60+ countries reduce emissions and waste toward a 50% CO2e cut by 2030.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts sector sustainability software

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG/Sustainability Reporting & Disclosure Platforms (EUABAEAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Supply Chain (Scope 3) Emissions & Supplier Engagement Platforms (EUABAEAE), Emissions Factors, LCA & Product Carbon Footprint (PCF) Platforms (EUABAEAD), Carbon Neutrality/Claims Strategy & Communications (claims substantiation, greenwashing risk) (EUABAKAK)

Keywords

• Carbon emissions calculator
• Arts sustainability resources
• Environmental best practices
• Climate action coalition
• Decarbonisation toolkits

Headquarters

HQ city

Toddington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered charity in England and Wales (Registered Charity No. 1193687), GCC does not operate for profit. All tools and resources are provided free of charge. The organisation relies entirely on voluntary donations from members, supporters, and the public to maintain operations. Donations are accepted via the website and through specific fundraising initiatives such as '10% Of' (where participating galleries at Frieze London and Frieze Masters donate 10% of selected artwork sale prices to GCC).
2. 10% Of Fundraising Initiative: A pioneering fundraising initiative debuting at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2025. Participating galleries nominate artworks and pledge 10% of the sale price to support GCC's climate action work. The initiative channels a portion of art market transactions into sector-wide climate programmes without GCC taking a transaction fee.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Gallery Climate Coalition provides free online tools, best-practice guidelines, and membership programmes that enable visual-arts organisations to measure and reduce their carbon emissions and waste. Its core deliverable is the GCC Carbon Calculator — a GHG Protocol-aligned web tool using art-world-specific metrics (air travel, shipping, building energy, materials, digital emissions, shared emissions) — complemented by sector guidelines, the Artist Toolkit, Art Fair Toolkit, Strategic Climate Funds, and an annual Stocktake Report.

Product overview

Gallery Climate Coalition offers a suite of free tools and resources focused on climate action for the visual arts sector. The core product is the GCC Carbon Calculator (available as a full comprehensive tool and a Quick Calculator for rapid assessments), which helps art organisations measure and manage their carbon emissions across travel, shipping, energy, materials, and digital categories. This is complemented by Best Practice Guidelines, the Artist Toolkit, Strategic Climate Funds, and the Art Fair Toolkit. GCC also publishes the annual Stocktake Report and maintains a library of videos for education. The organisation runs campaigns including the Art Fairs Initiative, Climate Conscious Travel Policy, and Sustainable Shipping campaign, plus events like London Art+Climate Week and the 10% Of fundraising initiative at Frieze.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GCC Carbon Calculator: Free online tool for estimating greenhouse gas emissions of art organizations and projects using common art world metrics
• Climate Conscious Travel Policy
• 10% Of
• London Art+Climate Week

Products and services

• GCC Carbon Calculator A free online greenhouse gas emissions estimation tool for art organisations and projects, using common art-world metrics to provide a breakdown of emissions with both detailed reporting and a quick assessment tool. The calculator covers travel (air and surface), shipping (road, ocean, air freight), building energy, materials, accommodation, digital emissions, refrigerant use, offsite storage, and shared emissions (staff commuting and visitor travel), aligned with the GHG Protocol.
• Best Practice Guidelines Comprehensive guidelines developed and shared by GCC to help arts organisations reduce environmental impacts, covering emissions reduction and waste management practices across travel, shipping, energy, materials, and exhibition production.
• Artist Toolkit Free tools and resources specifically designed for individual artists to understand and reduce the environmental impact of their art-making practice, materials, and studio operations.
• Strategic Climate Funds A financial model encouraging GCC members to allocate a percentage of revenue to support high-impact climate solutions, reinforcing a stance against traditional carbon offsetting in favour of measurable emissions reductions and high-quality climate finance beyond an organisation's value chain.
• Art Fair Toolkit An actionable roadmap developed collaboratively with environmental experts and participating art fairs to help fairs significantly reduce their environmental footprint, focusing on travel, shipping, energy consumption, production, materials, and waste.
• Stocktake Report 2025 A comprehensive assessment of the visual arts sector's progress on climate action, drawing from six years of GCC Carbon Calculator data, qualitative research, and engagement with organisations across the sector.
• Active Membership A membership status earned by completing an annual carbon report via the GCC Carbon Calculator, demonstrating commitment to environmental responsibility with criteria including adoption of best practices and internal green teams; evidence of travel policy implementation will become a mandatory criterion.
• London Art+Climate Week A five-day event initiative co-created with gowithYamo that brings together London's leading art institutions and contemporary galleries to present exhibitions and events focused on climate action, running in parallel with COP30.
• 10% Of Fundraising Initiative A pioneering fundraising initiative debuting at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2025, where participating galleries nominate artworks and pledge 10% of the sale price to support GCC's climate action work in the visual arts sector.
• Climate Conscious Travel Policy A policy framework developed by GCC to encourage and guide GCC staff, trustees, volunteers, and member organisations to travel responsibly, featuring a Decision Tree that requires travel to meet at least four of seven Climate Conscious Travel criteria, with a 'trains first' approach and a flight-free-by-2031 goal.
• Commissioned Research Research commissioned by GCC to provide data-driven insights on carbon impacts and environmental issues specific to the visual arts sector, including work with The Exhibitions Group (commissioned by Arts Council England) and Northeastern University.

Quantifiable outcome

• 89% of GCC members tracking emissions since 2019 reduced their carbon footprint; ~80% achieved 25%+ reduction, on track for 50% reduction by 2030
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• gowithYamocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 3 November 2025GCC partnered with gowithYamo to co-create London Art+Climate Week, a five-day public event running 12-16 November 2025 in parallel with COP30. gowithYamo's free digital platform hosts the event programme. The initiative saw over 25 participants (Tate, Barbican, Christie’s, Hauser & Wirth, Whitechapel, and others) present 30+ exhibitions and events, drawing ~600 attendees across 11 sold-out events.
• Hauser & WirthcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 October 2025Hauser & Wirth has been part of GCC's Supporter Circle since 2020 and an Active Member since 2022. Global Head of Environmental Sustainability Cliodhna Murphy joined GCC as a Trustee in October 2025. Hauser & Wirth has embedded sustainability across its global operations (carbon accounting, Science Based Targets, renewable energy, regenerative initiatives) and co-authored GCC case studies and guidance. The gallery's sustainability strategy serves as a sector benchmark.
• Frances Morris CBEflagshipOthers · 7 April 2025Frances Morris CBE, Director Emeritus of Tate Modern, was appointed Chair of GCC's Board of Trustees in April 2025. As former Director of Tate Modern (2016-2023), Frances brings institutional leadership, international reach, and a track record of embedding environmental responsibility in major cultural institutions. She was a key figure in Tate's Climate Emergency declaration in 2019.
• Carbon Market WatchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 February 2025GCC signed Carbon Market Watch's 'Common Ground: Credibly Funding Beyond Value Chain Climate Action' statement alongside 44 other organisations. The initiative aligns with GCC's Strategic Climate Funds model and reinforces GCC's stance against traditional carbon offsetting in favour of real, measurable emissions reductions and high-quality climate finance beyond an organisation's value chain.
• Art Fair Alliance for Environmental ResponsibilitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2024GCC convened an alliance of 13 leading international art fairs — ARCO, Art Basel, CHART, Easyfairs, ESTE, Frieze, Liste Art Fair, Market Art Fair, Ramsay Fairs, STAGE Bregenz, TEFAF, The Art Show, and Untitled Art — to collectively address environmental impacts. All participating fairs co-signed a statement pledging to implement the GCC Art Fair Toolkit for Environmental Responsibility, with a shared target to halve carbon emissions and achieve near-zero waste by 2030. The toolkit covers travel, shipping, energy, production, materials, and waste.
• Frieze (London & Masters 2025)flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerGCC partnered with Frieze to debut its '10% Of' fundraising initiative at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 2025. Frieze provided endorsement and platform support for the initiative, with 26+ leading galleries (including White Cube, Gagosian, Lisson Gallery, Hauser & Wirth, Sadie Coles HQ) nominating artworks to donate 10% of sales to GCC. The initiative coincided with GCC's fifth anniversary and COP30.
• Julie’s BicyclecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulie’s Bicycle is cited throughout GCC's materials as a complementary tool provider and fellow climate organisation in the arts. GCC's carbon calculator methodology is compatible with Julie's Bicycle tools to ensure cross-sector comparability. GCC's founding involved early collaboration and inspiration from the arts sustainability sector. Julie's Bicycle tools are referenced for UK National Portfolio Organisations required to report under UK regulations.
• The Exhibitions GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Exhibitions Group produced the report 'Carbon Impacts of International Lending and Borrowing,' commissioned by Arts Council England. The report provides detailed sector-wide analysis of environmental footprint of international museum loans and cites GCC's emissions calculator as a leading tool. GCC promotes the report findings to its members as aligned with its mission.
• Arts Council EnglandminorOthersArts Council England commissioned The Exhibitions Group to produce research on carbon impacts of international museum loans. The report is referenced and promoted by GCC as relevant to its members and aligned with GCC's mission. Arts Council England's funding and commissioning role is distinct from direct operational partnership.
• VorticminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVortic is a GCC member and pioneering extended reality company that commissioned a sustainability report with GCC carbon analyst Danny Chivers to quantify environmental benefits of digital and hybrid exhibitions. The report demonstrates digital exhibitions reduce emissions by 60-80% (without flights) and over 90% (with flights). GCC features Vortic as a member case study demonstrating how digital solutions reduce art sector emissions.
• Northeastern UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearchers at Northeastern University, overseen by Dr. Matthew Eckelman, conducted an independent Life Cycle Analysis of ROKBOX fine art shipping crates. The study confirmed ROKBOX outperforms traditional art shipping crates across all environmental impact categories, including greenhouse gas emissions.
• Christie'sminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristie's is a GCC member and participated in London Art+Climate Week 2025. The auction house launched its sustainability programme in 2020 targeting 50% in-scope emissions reduction by 2030 (achieved by 2022) and 90% by 2050. Christie's shared its sustainability journey via a GCC interview, providing a case study for the wider art market on embedding climate action.
• Accenture (via Avieco acquisition)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChristie's sustainability framework was developed with the support of sustainability consultancy Avieco (now part of Accenture). This is an indirect technology/consulting partnership relevant to GCC member case studies in the art market sector.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• B Lab: Global non-profit certifying B Corporations for social and environmental performance. Comparable as a broad sustainability standards body creating sector-wide recognition programmes that compete for the same 'credibility signalling' mindshare among arts organisations and their funders.
• Carbon Trust: International climate consultancy advising organisations on carbon measurement, reduction strategies, and certification. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing carbon measurement and advisory services that overlap with the consultancy needs of GCC's largest enterprise members.
• UN Climate Neutral Now: UNFCCC initiative encouraging organisations and individuals to measure, reduce, and offset their emissions. Comparable as a broad incumbent providing an alternative, globally recognised climate action framework that competes for the same institutional members seeking credible climate credentials.
• South Pole: Global climate solutions provider offering carbon credit development, advisory, and corporate climate services. Comparable as a broad incumbent in the carbon/climate services space, providing advisory that competes for the same corporate sustainability budgets GCC member organisations allocate.

Regional players

• Terranova: Amsterdam-based sustainability coalition for the cultural sector in the Netherlands and Flanders. Comparable as a regional peer coalition in the cultural sector with similar coalition-and-tools model, serving a different geography but with overlapping methodology and member base.
• COAL (Coalition pour l'art et l'écologie): French arts and ecology coalition producing exhibitions, residencies, and publications linking contemporary art with environmental issues. Comparable as a regional arts-climate coalition operating in a different geography (France) but pursuing a similar mission of mobilising the cultural sector on climate.

Direct peers

• The Exhibitions Group: International group of exhibition professionals producing research and guidance on environmental responsibility in museums and exhibitions. Directly comparable as a peer producing research used by the same audience and cited in GCC's commissioned research on carbon impacts of international lending and borrowing.
• Julie's Bicycle: UK-based charity providing sustainability tools, research, and consultancy for the arts and culture sector. Most directly comparable peer to GCC, with overlapping tool offerings, reporting frameworks, and UK arts membership base; GCC explicitly notes methodology compatibility with Julie's Bicycle tools.
• Culture Declares Emergency: UK-based movement of cultural organisations and individuals declaring climate and ecological emergency. Comparable to GCC as a UK-rooted arts/culture climate coalition mobilising institutions to commit to climate action, though more advocacy-focused than measurement-focused.
• Museums + Climate Crisis Network (M+CCN): International network of museum professionals working on climate action in the museum sector. Directly comparable as a peer coalition providing climate resources, advocacy, and community for a sub-segment of GCC's arts constituency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/galleryclimatecoalition
• Instagraminstagram.com/galleryclimatecoalition/?hl=en
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Gallery Climate Coalition