Comment | Frieze galleries have committed to climate donations-now it's time for the art world to pack in its private jets

"This month's multiple whammy of Friezes London and Masters, swiftly followed by Art Basel Paris, and accompanied by the inevitable plethora of adjacent events and satellite art fairs, is never good news for the environment. And in these twitchy times, when there is so much else kicking off-both economically and politically-across the globe, it is especially challenging to keep the attention of the art world on the ever-escalating climate and environmental crisis that faces us all."

"This scheme plays with and off the idea of a markdown by turning it into an act of giving, inviting galleries to donate 10% of the sale price of designated works on their Frieze booth to the Gallery Climate Coalition (GCC)-the international art world environmental charity, of which I am a founder member, and which celebrates its fifth birthday this year."

""10% Of offers extra visibility at the fair and a clear way for artists, galleries and collectors to demonstrate environmental commitment while also contributing to a collective fund that sustains sector-wide climate action," says Frances Morris, the chair of the GCC board. "By reframing a standard art market gesture, the initiative shows how the sector can work together to drive systemic change by supporting the GCC's tools, research and advocacy.""

Frieze London, Masters and Art Basel Paris, alongside numerous satellite fairs, substantially increase carbon emissions and other environmental harms. Global economic and political disruptions make sustaining attention on the escalating climate crisis difficult. A new initiative, 10% Of, offers a market-based model where galleries donate 10% of the sale price of designated works to the Gallery Climate Coalition. The initiative gives extra visibility at fairs and enables artists, galleries and collectors to demonstrate environmental commitment while funding sector-wide tools, research and advocacy. Nearly thirty galleries have signed up and the scheme adopts Gary Hume's '10% activist' motto to aggregate small commitments into meaningful impact.

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