About Sustainability at Frieze

Overview 

Like other large international events, we recognize that our fairs have an environmental impact, and we are committed to reducing our footprint by cutting carbon emissions by 50% and moving to near-zero waste practices by 2030 in line with the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC) targets. 

We have established an internal green team drawing from all parts of Frieze to deliver on three objectives – 

1. Minimise our environmental footprint 
2. Contribute to Strategic Climate Funds that support frontline solutions to the climate 
3. Use our platform to drive positive change in the industry and encourage best practice   

We are proud to have achieved the status of “active member” of the GCC again. This recognises organisations who have taken effective steps towards environmental responsibility. We acknowledge that we have much more to do and would welcome feedback from our community on our strategy and actions. 

Reducing energy consumption 

Guided by environmental specialists we have taken several steps to significantly reduce energy consumption at Frieze fairs, including 

1. Switching our tented events to be powered by Biofuels, eliminating reliance on fossil fuels 
2. Moving to a more efficient hybrid power model that combines usage of bio-fuel powered generators and battery banks at Frieze London and Frieze Masters 
3. Adopting LED lighting as standard for gallery lighting at all Frieze fairs

Reducing waste 

We prioritise reusable or recyclable materials in our fair builds, including for gallery walls, signage, lighting and tent structures. In 2022 we conducted a waste audit of Frieze London to help identify further initiatives to adopt, such as – 

1. Adding waste managers onsite for our galleries to consult with to minimise their waste 
2. Extra recycling stations and recycling streams to cover most materials used at the fairs 
3. Extra space for galleries to store their re-usable packaging

Community initiatives 

We share sustainability guidelines with all Frieze exhibitors, partners, and vendors to ensure alignment and collaboration on reducing environmental impact across the board.  

We further encourage galleries to adopt sustainable practices by highlighting their membership of the GCC in gallery signage at Frieze fairs.    

We advocate for climate-conscious travel for those who do attend. We encourage the use of sea freight and consolidated shipments for galleries and through our partnership with the GCC have promoted train travel for visitors, as part of the #TrainToFrieze  campaign. Through Frieze Viewing Room, collectors and viewers can also engage with our fair from anywhere in the world. 

We are proud to champion the recently released Art Fair Toolkit from the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC), a resource designed to help art fairs across the industry make more sustainable choices 

Supporting frontline solutions to the climate 

We allocate over £100,000 each year to environmental charities. Our aim is to maximise our impact by providing funding to projects that have tangible results in the near term. Past charities have included Art into Acres, Solaraid and ClientEarth. 

This year we have decided to adopt the Strategic Climate Fund model recommended by the GCC and consolidated our giving to Murmur, a recently launched charity which supports decarbonization in the visual arts and music sectors. 

We remain a committed donor to GCC and all proceeds from our bag drop and cloakroom for Frieze London and Frieze Masters will go directly to them.