Board Environmental Champions programme
The cultural sector has a powerful role to play in tackling the climate, nature and justice crises, and board leadership is key to making that happen. As stewards of mission and strategy, cultural Boards are uniquely positioned to drive meaningful, lasting change that centres equity and sustainability.
The Board Environmental Champions Programme is a free, self-paced training designed for trustees and Board members of Arts Council England National Portfolio Organisations (NPOs) and Investment Principle Support Organisations (IPSOs). It supports boards to embed environmental responsibility at governance level, strengthen their sustainability strategies, reduce impact, and lead by example across the sector.
A practical training pathway for trustees
The programme is designed to help trustees understand their role in responding to the climate and nature crises. Through short, accessible learning modules and peer-networking, it provides the tools and confidence to support strategic environmental action.
Whether you’re new to sustainability or already leading change, this programme helps align your governance responsibilities with environmental ambition.
Acknowledging that Board members are often short of time, the programme is flexible, free, and built with trustees in mind – no prior knowledge needed.
Why Join?
By completing the training, Board members will:
Strengthen your board’s climate literacy
Understand your legal and ethical duties around environmental responsibility
Equip yourself to ask the right questions and set meaningful goals
Increase your organisation’s capacity for long-term, sustainable change
Join a growing network of cultural board champions committed to climate leadership
Is It for Me?
The programme is open to trustees and board members of organisations in Arts Council England’s National Portfolio (NPO). It’s designed to support boards regardless of size, location or sustainability experience.
Getting started
Everything you need to take part in the Board Environmental Programme is included below. Each resource is downloadable and designed for flexible use, whether as a board activity or for individual self-study.
Welcome Pack
An outline of what’s involved and how to sign-up for this free, self-paced training programme.
Download
Job Description
A comprehensive overview of the role and expectations of programme members.
Download
Champion's Guide
A comprehensive guide to start your journey and signpost you to more resources relevant to your organisation.
Download
— Courtyard TrustOur chairman Bruce Freeman has joined on to the Board Environmental Champions Programme and has attended in house Eco Group meetings to feed into environmental action planning. The Leadership Team have since devoted all fundraising resources to a new campaign called Give The Green Light to help fundraise for £379k of LED stage lighting. The Board have already committed £100k to the project as a platform for funding bids and we have a roadmap to installation by September 2025.
ready to
take part?
Signing up is simple and only takes a few minutes. Once registered, you’ll receive access to all training materials and guidance to support your journey as a Board Environmental Champion. Participating organisations need to:
- Identify a Board Environmental Champion
- Identify a senior leadership representative for them to liaise with
- Sign up via the online registration form below
The programme is now open for registration.
