Useful Right Now

Tools and Resources

A practical toolkit for artists, arts workers and organisations across Australia. This is a growing collection of climate tools, guides and networks to support climate action in the arts and culture sector. It’s free, up-to-date, and yours to use and share.

Know something we’ve missed? Let us know and help grow the collective climate brain.

Supporting and following the leadership of First Nations communities is foundational to climate justice on this continent. These incredible First Nations led initiatives have deep knowledge and care for Country:
- Wurundjeri Narrap Team – land management grounded in Wurundjeri traditions
- Coranderrk – a historical site of Aboriginal self-determination and environmental stewardship
- Seed Mob – youth-led grassroots movement for climate justice
- Firesticks – cultural fire knowledge and practice
- Our Islands, Our Home – Torres Strait Islander campaign for climate action
- Original Power – building the power of First Nations communities for self-determined action

Connection is everything. These groups are building networks across practice, place, and purpose:
- Bilya – a Creative Climate project by the Centre for Reworlding & High Volume – add your action and connect with others
- Creative Recovery Network – for community-based creative practice
- Creative Climate Action Alliance – arts sector activists
- Climate Aware Creative Practices – for researchers, teachers and practitioners
- Planetary Pedagogies – exploring arts and ecology in academia
- Sustainable Screens Australia – for film, TV, and digital storytelling
- Arts on Tour – for regional presenters and touring companies
- Sustainable Theatre Australia – peer network for independent practitioners
These international networks offer solidarity, ideas and inspiration:
- Creative Climate International Peer Network – launched at Asia TOPA, 2024 – email catherine@creativeclimate.org.au to get involved
Supported by British Council
- Julie’s Bicycle (UK) – leaders in arts and sustainability
- Culture for Climate Scotland - Scotland’s peak body for arts and climate
- Arts Council Ireland
- IETM – international performing arts network
- Global Artivism convening activists in Brazil from across the globe ahead of COP 30.
- Green Art Lab Alliance Alliance connecting Europe, Asia and Latin-America.
- Gallery Climate Coalition - international organisation working to create an environmentally responsible art world
- The Centre for Sustainable Practice in the Arts – Canada
Arts Council England Creative Climate Action Toolkit from Watershed is designed specifically to support smaller businesses, organisations, collectives and freelancers to act on climate

Mandatory Climate Reporting
Once in a generation legislation commencing 2025 will significantly impact the sector’s operations and governance - here’s an overview and links to resources.
Download
Understanding your carbon footprint is a powerful step. These Australian-standard tools help calculate and manage emissions:
- Australian Carbon Management Calculator – for artists, collectives and small orgs (originally developed by CCS)
- ARUP Circulate – Beta Tool – carbon calculation for creative events, productions, and business ops

Charters, Pledges & Declarations
Put your values on the record – and show your audiences, funders and peers that you’re serious about climate action:
- ACFA Pledging Members – show your commitment to arts-led climate action
- Culture Declares Emergency – global movement for cultural climate leadership
No Music on a Dead Planet – GMA – music industry climate call
Looking beyond the sector? These resources are great for understanding the wider climate landscape and how to have impact:
- Market Forces – Compare Banks & Super Funds – align your money with your values
- The Australian Adaptation Database is a living stocktake of 600 adaptation projects in Australia.
Communicating climate action
- Climate for Change – tips and resources for having meaningful climate conversations
- CultureHive: Audience Research – UK research into audience expectations around climate action in the arts

This page is alive. We’ll keep adding, editing, and growing this list as new tools emerge and more voices contribute. Help us make it better — get in touch with suggestions, updates or new resources.

The arts are already leading – here’s a collection of artform-specific resources to help embed sustainability into practice, programming and policy.
Peak Body Resources
- Creative Australia – Governance Hub: Developing a Climate Change Policy
- AMaGA – Strategic Plan & Pillars: Sustainability
- NAVA – Environmental Sustainability Guides
Artform-Specific Guides
- Theatre Green Book Australia – comprehensive carbon-reduction guides for theatre companies, producers, venues and crews
- Arts on Tour – Green Touring Toolkit – sustainable touring tips
- Green Music Australia's Sound Country – music and live performance
- Green Music Australia's Green Venue Guide
- Greening the Gaming Industry – Dr Ben Abraham – a practical resource for game developers
- Australian Publishers Association – Greener Publishing Guide – for the literary world
For Independents
- Sustainable Theatres Australia – Green Guides
- Julie’s Bicycle (UK) – The Creative Freelancer’s Climate Almanac

Not sure what “net zero” or “climate justice” really means? Our friends at Culture for Climate Scotland have a friendly glossary to demystify climate language and help you talk confidently and clearly about the issues that matter.