In a unified effort, several prominent cultural organizations across Los Angeles have committed to embracing the Bizot Green Protocol, a framework of environmentally conscious principles. This collaborative endeavor emerges as a direct consequence of the catastrophic wildfires that afflicted the region just over a year prior, events significantly amplified by ongoing climate shifts. The protocol's adoption signifies a pivotal move within the cultural sphere to foster ecological stewardship and minimize environmental impact.
The Bizot Green Protocol, initially conceived in 2015 by the Bizot Group—an international assembly of art museum directors—has undergone periodic revisions to address the escalating severity of climate-related disasters. Institutions endorsing this recent commitment include renowned entities such as the Getty, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Hammer Museum, and the esteemed gallery Hauser & Wirth.
Camille Kirk, Sustainability Director at the Getty, highlighted the significance of this collective announcement, stating, "This marks the inaugural instance where Los Angeles art institutions have jointly declared their adherence to these recommendations. We are hopeful that this will inspire others to follow suit." The participating institutions issued a joint declaration emphasizing that while climate change may not have been the sole catalyst, it undeniably intensified the scale and destructiveness of the recent Los Angeles area fires, impacting cultural establishments, galleries, and artists alike. The statement underscores a growing recognition within the cultural sector of its role in addressing and adapting to climate change, particularly in fulfilling its mandate to preserve and present shared cultural heritage.
Among the core objectives of this collective initiative are commitments to explore broader climate control parameters for temperature and humidity within their facilities, re-evaluate criteria for outgoing loans to ensure artwork safety, and implement measures to curtail air travel and waste generated through design and operations. The original Bizot Green Protocol drew inspiration, in part, from research conducted by the Getty Conservation Institute's "Managing Collection Environments" project. Furthermore, this collective pledge follows the active involvement of these Los Angeles institutions in the Climate Impact Program, an initiative spearheaded by artist Debra Scacco and consultant Laura Lupton as part of the 2024–25 PST ART: Art & Science Collide event.
This concerted action by leading Los Angeles art institutions represents a proactive stride toward integrating environmental sustainability into their operational ethos. By collectively endorsing the Bizot Green Protocol, these organizations aim to mitigate their ecological footprint and champion responsible practices within the cultural sector, setting a precedent for environmental consciousness in the face of a changing climate.