Greentrack Ghent is the sustainability 'think and do tank' of the cultural sector in Ghent. Through experiment and mutual exchange we are co-creating a long-term sustainable future.

From 2012 until December 2022, Greentrack Ghent was a member network of 56 cultural organisations, both smaller and larger ones. The network/think tank aimed to be a catalyst in making the local cultural sector more socially and ecologically sustainable. In 2023, Greentrack Ghent was integrated in a larger community called 'Gents Kunstenoverleg' (the Arts Council of Ghent). This community unites everyone in Ghent who contributes to the artistic imagination of the city. One of its core values is socially just sustainability, which is what Greentrack is all about.

We continue our work within this larger community, collecting organisations' environmental performance data and helping them to create action plans, formulate and share ambitions and take steps towards becoming more sustainable organisations. We work closely together with the City of Ghent in reducing CO2 emissions and in looking at climate adaptation. We try to find answers to specific questions and needs that arise in the community and then collaborate on projects with organisations (e.g. group purchasing of renewable energy or sustainable products; debate on reusable cups; sharing materials and tools via an online platform, etc.). We also collaborate with other partners (our own members, other sustainability networks or European partners) on more experimental, artistic or awareness projects.

Greentrack's 10 guidelines
Members of Greentrack Ghent embrace our 10 guidelines for a sustainable cultural scene which are also the basis for the sustainable actions they all take. We consider sustainability in its broadest sense and focus as much on mobility, food, waste, water, a just sustainability, work-life balance as on infrastructure and energy. Click here to read our 10 guidelines.

Activities & Projects

A selection of our most recent projects, actions and sessions:

• 2024 - Re:Scotland / report > In 2024 we visited several inspiring organisations in Glasgow and Edinburgh in terms of both ecological and social sustainability. We wrote a report of our visit and conversations. If you want to be inspired on topics like circular and shared materials, net zero plans, a loan system for art works, community land ownership in the arts, ... click here to read the report.
• 2023-2024 - Cultural Ghent Future-proof 2030 > A series of inspirational sessions with a small group of motivated people from our cultural organisations and experts on different sustainability topics. With this group we processed all the input we received and from this we wrote a manifest/future perspective for 2030: where we expect to be with the cultural sector in terms of ecological sustainability, social just sustainability, resilience and poetic imagination. This manifest/ these guidelines will be the basis of our future work in coaching cultural organisations and in guiding them in their sustainability action plans.
• 2020-2021 - 2084. The future is hopeful > 10 literary authors wrote 10 short stories that take place in the future. They were challenged to write hopeful stories while starting from scientifically realistic potential future scenarios. This project was a collaboration with Greentrack member KANTL and several other organisations (Bibliotheek De Krook, Vlaams-Nederlands huis de Buren, Pulse Transitienetwerk Cultuur, Centrum Duurzame Ontwikkeling UGent, Uitgeverij Vrijdag). All ten stories were published in the book Over over morgen. Andere verhalen over de toekomst, published by Uitgeverij Vrijdag.
• Think tank climate adaptation > a workshop with local organisations and Greentrack members in one of the neighbourhoods of Ghent. All the participants were first informed about climate change, the impact on our city and how Ghent is adapting and then we discussed the local impact and adaptation possibilities in this specific neighbourhood in Ghent.
• Session for members: presentation and exchange by the Stadsbouwmeester ('City Architect') of Ghent about the infrastructural challenges for Ghent, a vision for cultural infrastructure and questions about climate adaptation and cultural patrimonium.
• 2018-2021: Cultural Adaptations > A European project with Glasgow, Göteborg and Dublin on the role of cultural organisations, cultural practictioners and artists on climate adaptation, and on the impact of climate adaptation on the cultural sector
• 2019-2020: Image/story > Based on conversations with our members about sustainable good practices, 5 artists created several varying artistic stories (illustrations, interviews, animation, audio story, video) -artists: Randall Casaer, Bilal Abbas, Eva De Groote, Roman Klochkov, Rebecca Lenaerts.
• Lunch session for members on Divestment > University of Ghent illustrated their new and radical divestment policy
• 2019: DRIFT. The art of climate adaptation > A collaborative, artistic project with Vooruit Arts Center (member of Greentrack) and four artists, where we asked these artists to each create a session/performance on how they deal with climate change and climate adaptation. Artists: Peter Aers, Maria Lucia Cruz Correia, Gosie Vervloessem and Ruben Nachtergaele.
• Workshop for members on Deep Democracy
• Memorandum > With the local elections of 2018 ahead Greentrack wrote a statement with more than 40 recommendations, propositions and ideas to be presented to and signed by the major political parties of Ghent
• Duo Dates > Artistic professionals with multicultural background are joined up in duos to write project proposals on diversity
• Info session for members on collaborating with refugees > How can you engage refugees in your organisation and what are the challenges?
• Culture or money: head or tail? > A debate with representatives of the main Belgian banks to question and discuss with them the sustainability of the financial sector
• Fijne Stof > An artistic guerilla intervention to bring the attention to the problem of microdust in cities

Organisation
Greentrack is part of the Gents Kunstenoverleg. There are two people working as freelancers on this topic:
Eva Peeters - eva@greentrack.be
Nathalie Decoene - nathalie@greentrack.be