“I am honoured to be part of SAIL” says Leeds University student Julia Bachmann, who’s studying for an MA in Sustainability and Consultancy.  Sustainable Arts in Leeds, the foundation of which was led by Opera North, is a group of organisations and companies in the arts, cultural and creative industries sectors of Leeds who work together to take action against climate change.

One month into her placement she has already learned much about the complexities and potential of working collectively to lower the carbon footprint in the cultural sector…

“I have been working with SAIL on a placement project as final part of my degree for four weeks now. SAIL has tasked me to develop a carbon roadmap which is in alignment with Leeds’s aim of being a net-zero city by 2030.

As a first step, I had to map the representatives of the cultural and arts sector. Next, it is essential to collect carbon footprint data from all SAIL members and NPOs in Leeds in order to determine the carbon footprints from the last five years to detect any trends. Data from last year will build the baseline for reduction targets and solutions.

In a first evaluation, I came up with six themes for the roadmap: Buildings & Energy Efficiency, Water, Waste, Travel, Natural Capital, and Behavioural Change / Community Engagement.

In the next phase of my project, carbon footprint data needs to be evaluated in order to set reduction targets and to suggest suitable reduction solutions and projects.”

You can read more about Julia’s placement here.