The Green Ribbon Commission (GRC) Cultural Institutions Working Group comprises a wide variety of arts, sports, nature-based, historic, and entertainment organizations in and near Boston, as they build awareness and drive action on climate issues on behalf of their own organizations, the cultural sector, the City, and audiences.
The Cultural Institutions of Boston are integral to the fabric and character of the city. Museums, theaters, concert halls and sports arenas — especially those with collections and buildings — need help preparing for future climate impacts, and they also need strategies for transitioning to carbon-free energy use.
Thanks to their unique “line of business,” the cultural institutions have much to contribute in terms of communication, outreach, and thought-provoking programming. These institutions have the potential to influence our perceptions of shared challenges, expand our understanding of complex issues, and reach very large audiences. Their voices are therefore integral to helping people understand climate in creative, interdisciplinary ways.
Chairs
-
Carole Charnow
President and CEO
Boston Children’s Museum -
Tim Ritchie
President
Museum of Science -
Gwill York
Founding Managing Director, Lighthouse Capital Partners;
Board of Trustees President, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum
Participating Organizations
Arnold Arboretum, ArtsEmerson, Boston Architectural College, Boston Athenæum, Boston Ballet, Boston Center for the Arts, Boston Children’s Museum, Boston Public Library, Boston Red Sox, Boston Society of Architects, Boston Symphony Orchestra, BSA Foundation, Emerald Necklace Conservancy, ArtsEmerson, Esplanade Association, Fenway Alliance, Goethe-Institut Boston, Handel and Haydn Society, Harvard Art Museums, Harvard Museums of Science and Culture, Huntington Theatre Company, Institute of Contemporary Art, Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum, John F. Kennedy Presidential Library & Museum, Mary Baker Eddy Library, Mass Art, Massachusetts Historical Society, Metropolitan Waterworks Museum, Museum of African American History, Museum of Fine Arts, Museum of Science, New England Aquarium, New England Historic Genealogical Society, New England Museum Association, Norman B. Leventhal Map Center, Now + There, Paul Revere House, Rose Kennedy Greenway, USS Constitution Museum, Zoo New England.
Working Group Initiatives
Action Pact
The City of Boston aims to be carbon neutral by 2050, as well as resilient to the greatest climate threats. To support these efforts the GRC, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Science, the New England Aquarium, the Red Sox, and over 40 of Boston’s world class arts, history, nature, sports, and entertainment organizations have partnered together to launch the Action Pact Boston campaign. Arts and culture have the power to open people’s minds and help people see things in powerful new ways. Action Pact’s goal is to harness that power and encourage a sustained focus on visioning and achieving a climate-safe future.
Collaborative Climate Action Planning
The GRC has mobilized ten of its Cultural Institutions Working Group members to participate in a year-long pilot of a peer driven, collaborative Climate Action Planning process. This extraordinary learning opportunity will result in individualized climate action plans for each participating institution. These plans will help guide Boston’s cultural organizations toward a more resilient future and, at the same time, support their important equity work by helping to make Boston a healthy and accessible city for all. Recently, we celebrated the graduation of our 2022/2023 Collaborative Climate Action Planning cohort.