Earlier this year, I wrote a fairly broad-based post about the linkages between the arts and the environment and concluded that “more can be done to align the arts with climate solutions, given the importance of the arts in environmental activism, the quite average level of environmental practices and policies by arts organizations, and a policy disconnect between the arts and the environment”.

Today’s post will provide a more focused analysis of new data on the presence or absence of environmental practices among arts, heritage, and entertainment organizations and businesses (with at least one employee). I’ll also highlight some key statistics for each province, in addition to the pan-Canadian analysis.

My analysis shows that …

Most arts, heritage, and entertainment organizations and businesses are engaged in some type of environmental practice, but few have a written policy or measure their footprint.

The analysis is based on the following question, included in a survey that Statistics Canada conducted between July 4 and August 8, 2022:

Which of the following environmental practices does this business or organization have currently in place or plan to implement over the next 12 months?

Select all that apply.

[15 different options were given, from “reducing waste” to “obtaining or maintaining one or more eco-responsible certifications”. The full list is provided in the first graph.]

Note: Arts, heritage, and entertainment (which the survey refers to as “arts, entertainment, and recreation”) includes performing arts, spectator sports, and related industries (industry code 711); heritage institutions (code 712); amusement, gambling, and recreation industries (code 713).

Environmental practices in the arts, heritage, and entertainment in Canada