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Environmental sustainability commitment

Purpose

The purpose of this statement is to outline Kirkstall Art Trail’s commitment to environmental sustainability. Although a small arts organisation, Kirkstall Art Trail is aware that its operations may still contribute to the ongoing climate emergency.

We are committed to reducing our environmental impact, and continue to build on this commitment year on year. We are members of SAIL (Sustainable Arts In Leeds), who support the creative and cultural industries to be environmentally sustainable.

Travel and transport

Travel options that minimise carbon emissions – such as walking, public transport, cycling, or car-pooling if a car is unavoidable – are encouraged. This applies to:

This is communicated through various methods, including the application form, contracts, email, and the FAQs.

Meetings are held locally, within walking distance of most members. Video conferencing is considered as an alternative for members who live further away.

Visitors are encouraged to make sustainable travel choices when visiting the Art Trail, supported by clear information about green travel on the website and social media, for example, bus routes, timetables, and cycling routes.

Materials and Waste

The three ‘Rs’ guide the approach to materials and consumption: reduce, reuse, recycle. A materials inventory is used to track what’s held, what’s used, and how materials are discarded.

Materials and methods are carefully considered, including:

New materials are assessed for sustainability in advance, so they can be used across future events. Printing is kept to a minimum, and correspondence is sent electronically where possible. Where materials cannot be reused, they are recycled.

Guidelines are provided for participating artists on the Art Trail’s environmental policy, encouraging the use of sustainable materials and practices.

A Circular Network is used where possible, before buying new, and to rehome materials no longer needed.

Programme of Events

Kirkstall Art Trail aims to include events and exhibitions that creatively engage with environmental issues, considering both the short- and long-term environmental effects of its projects. The Fashion Show is a prime example: designers are asked to make clothes from second-hand, recycled, or sustainably sourced materials, reducing waste and avoiding the introduction of new materials into the cycle. The aim is for events like this to have a lasting positive impact, both physically and through public engagement.

The main call-out for artists particularly encourages those with environmental sustainability at the core of their work to apply, which has increased the number of artists applying with this focus in their practice. The environmental commitment is included in contracts for commissioned artists where applicable, and sent to all volunteers and venues once their role is confirmed.

Due to the variety of venues used, it is difficult to guarantee that they consider their environmental impact. Venues are checked for an environmental sustainability policy where possible, though this isn’t always achievable.

Digital Impact

The impact the internet has on electricity consumption, and the resulting carbon emissions, is well recognised. This has been considered in how this website is built and run.

Fasthosts, a UK-based web hosting company, is used for hosting, which:

WordPress is used as the content management system, which:

A light theme is used across the website. Some evidence suggests users are less likely to turn up screen brightness than when using dark mode, and increasing brightness uses more power. Individual device settings, including dark mode and brightness, cannot be controlled for. Some visitors, including those with certain vision impairments or who are neurodivergent, may find a dark theme more comfortable to read. This website does not currently have built-in dark mode support. Visitors can use their own device or browser’s dark mode or colour inversion settings, though this may also invert images on some devices.

Media is carefully considered: it isn’t included unless it adds value, is optimised and appropriately sized, and saved in web-friendly formats such as WebP. Auto-play is disabled on all media, and decorative animation isn’t used.

The web sustainability guidelines inform how the website is built, within the restrictions of cost and feasibility that come with being a volunteer-led organisation.

Visitors can also help reduce the energy used while viewing this website – using a smaller device where possible, turning down brightness, and keeping older devices for longer, which reduces the number of new devices that need to be manufactured.

Communications

Kirkstall Art Trail aims to:

Monitoring and review

Commitments and aims are monitored on an ongoing basis. This statement is reviewed annually, or earlier if a significant change affects Kirkstall Art Trail’s environmental practices.

Review

The policy was last reviewed on 18 August 2026