Sustainability

Our environmental commitments and actions

The New Art Gallery Walsall recognises that negative environmental impacts are associated
with the way we operate, particularly around the energy consumption of the building and our
contribution to landfill. We aim to integrate a sustainable and conscientious environmental
policy into all our work, and we recognise that further work must be done to reduce the
negative environmental impact of our activities. We are committed to doing better in this area.

Over the last decade we have been working hard behind the scenes to make the building more
environmentally responsible:

  • by investment in better building management controls, lighting, and cooling systems, we
  • have reduced overall energy use of the site by 59% and reduced CO2e associated with electricity use by 70%
  • we have reduced our waste to landfill by 50% and increased recycling provision by 200%
  • we have reduced the volume of printed materials
  • we source locally where possible

In 2024, we have:

  • set up an Advisory group to critique our work around environmental responsibility and programming
  • begun carbon literacy training for all staff
  • hosted four environmental-themed artist residencies, brokering partnerships with local
    growing communities and charities, and developed an exhibition on an environmental theme

In 2025, there are exciting plans:

  • we are replacing our heating system, removing gas from site, and installing a carbon efficient air source heat pump for heating and hot water, aiming to reduce energy consumption by 60% in this area
  • we will be installing a Solar PV array on our roof to supplement our energy needs
  • we are developing more environmentally focused projects and events, including a
    composting exhibition developed by General Public

We continue to:

  • monitor our environmental impact and report on targets to funders and stakeholders
  • embed environmental responsibility into exhibitions, learning and collections policies
  • use, as far as practical, non-toxic ethical, and sustainably sourced resources for packaging of
    artworks and practical art workshops with learning and community group

We are grateful to our many partners and funders, who support us, advise us, and hold us to account on these matters. We would like to thank Arts Council England, Walsall Council, Salix, Sustainable Arts West Midlands, our Advisory and Oversight Groups, the artists that we work with and our local communities.