Sustainability
We recognise the urgency of climate crisis and the role we can play in fighting it
Sustainability is integral to the Southbank Centre and sits at the heart of a lot of what we do.
To maintain our commitment to improving our sustainability, we’ve set clear targets and continue to explore innovative ways to minimise our environmental impact, from water-efficient toilets to the installation of a super fast composter, which has reduced our food waste volume by 80%.
Our aim is to be a net zero organisation; to be at the point where the amount of greenhouse gases (like carbon dioxide) that the Southbank Centre is adding to the atmosphere is no longer greater than what we take out. And we intend to reach this target across all our buildings and estate by 2035, and then to be operationally net zero by 2040. We’re already making progress. On this page we present a summary of our net zero strategy.
Declaration of Climate and Ecological Emergency
‘As a major arts institution, we recognise our role and our nation’s role in the ecological and climate crisis, and the platform we can provide for mobilisation and action.’
Our buildings and estate
Headline targets to hit by 2025
50%reduction in building carbon emissions
20%reduction in water usage
0emissions on the last leg of all deliveries
To be met by reducing the emissions from our buildings to zero as quickly as the technology allows, whilst recognising the challenges that the listed status of our buildings presents.
Production and visual arts
Headline targets to hit by 2025
The firstnet zero emissions exhibition curated
Top 10key suppliers having carbon reduction targets in line with the SBTi
50%reduction in emissions from curator travel
To be met by shifting to a net zero carbon approach to guide our programming decisions from an operational point of view; ensuring the majority of our content focuses on one or more elements of sustainability.
Employees and visitors
Headline targets to hit by 2025
Plastic freestatus across all our buildings and spaces
100%of staff commuting by active travel, public transport or electric vehicle
80%recycling rate across all our buildings and spaces
To be met by putting sustainability at the heart of decisions about how we operate. By engaging our employees and our visitors in a culture of sustainability through our programmes and activities across the centre.
Commercial tenants
Headline targets to hit by 2025
50%of all menus being plant-based
25%reduction in food waste from commercial tenants
75%of restaurants moving away from gas
To be met by enabling and supporting our commercial tenants to address their key sustainability challenges and ensuring we can deliver a vibrant and sustainable commercial offer for all of our visitors and staff.