Cultural Workers of L’Internationale mark Earth Day through Climate Action

All around the planet, we are witnessing a rising backlash against environmental policies and climate science, as well as against climate activists and organizations. Much of what the global climate movement has achieved in the past decade is now being lost, succumbing to the pressure of lobbyists, corporations, and politicians. Environmental protections are being dismantled, climate policies revoked, transition plans put on hold, funding for climate causes cut, and emissions pledges canceled. Increasingly, those engaged in the climate cause are facing ridicule, silencing, threats, and even criminalization and incarceration – both in Europe and worldwide.

Despite the inherent contradictions of the art world and prevalence of environmentally harmful institutional practices, the planetary climate and environmental crisis has been one of the key issues for L’Internationale and its partners for many years. This has manifested in various educational, artistic, cultural, and social programmes, projects, and publications. The members of the global climate movement – artists, activists, NGOs, scientists, communicators, and policymakers – have played a key role in those endeavours. They are our friends, allies, collaborators, teachers, and partners. We recognise their vital contribution, not only to today’s science, politics, and public discourse, but also to contemporary culture and arts. This is why today, we express our solidarity with the global climate movement and protest against the prevalent anti-climate backlash.

This year’s Earth Day we acknowledge that we are in a stark and difficult planetary moment. Yet we remain firm in our belief that now is not the time to dilute the priority of climate policies and to raise consumption rates in the European Union, including through militarization. On the contrary, it is more urgent than ever to invest in ecological repair and regeneration across sectors. As cultural workers we must connect, collectivise and organise towards liveable future making. We need to extend and expand our institutional reach and create space for the many inspiring Climate Action projects happening in our cities, towns, communities and neighbourhoods.

We are marking Earth Day 2026 in three ways:

1. Collective actions and programmes: We are publishing a list of activities and programmes, organised in conjunction with local climate organisations, activist groups, NGOs, scientists, artists and communicators, taking place across L'Internationale partners. The programme includes workshops, performances, actions and publishing.
2. Amplifying and supporting local initiatives: We amplify and platform the voices, experiences, and perspectives of local climate initiatives through joint activities and publishing.
3. Institutional responsibility: Heeding the words of our mission statement that foregrounds solidarity, planetary responsibility, and a commitment to contribute to a liveable planet, we call on members of L’Internationale and invite other cultural and artistic institutions, organizations and academies to:

• Prioritize, uphold and practically implement concrete sustainable, climate-conscious practices and infrastructural changes that aim at lowering the emissions and minimizing the environmental impact of the art and culture ecosystem;
• Support and maintain collaborations with local and global climate movements: activists, artists, NGOs, scientists, policymakers, and communicators;
• Ensure the planetary climate and environmental crisis are central in their programming and activities, including exhibitions, artistic activities, education and public programmes, and research projects.