Sustainability at ArtEZ

Taking social responsibility comes naturally to ArtEZ, an educational institution with quality and innovation as its core values. ArtEZ's mission statement explicitly describes one of our greatest ambitions as: empowering our students to use their future artistic careers to make an impact on society.

In the realm of social and societal developments, ArtEZ aims to be a leader, inspiring other institutions, employees, and students to do the same. Sustainability and social impact are integrated into many of our study programs.

Sustainable Development Goals

The impact can be small or big, expressed in quantitative or qualitative terms. ArtEZ supports the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals, a sustainability compass that include objectives to address challenges such as poverty, education, and climate change. ArtEZ focuses on SDGs 4 (quality education), 10 (reduced inequalities), 12 (responsible consumption and production), 13 (climate action), and 16 (peace, justice, and strong institutions).

Our various organizational units elaborate on the goals that are relevant to them in their multi-year plans. The impact can also serve as a measure to assess these goals critically. In addition to the institute-wide efforts, all Academies and programs, each in their own way, contribute to working towards the SDGs.

Our initiatives

We uphold our social responsibility according to the following key pillars:

At ArtEZ, we emphasize conscious choices in procuring services and products. Within this approach we not only consider the price but also the sustainability and positive social impact of acquired products and services. Criteria for responsible procurement include reducing environmental impact through material circularity and ensuring Social Return on Investment (SROI), by collaborating with partners who employ individuals who face barriers to employment.

Other important criteria for responsible procurement are diversity and inclusion and taking responsibility within the supply chain.Each tender has relevant and proportional attention to responsible procurement in line with the specific requirements of that task. We can for example include diversity and inclusion in the procurement criteria, which means that a contract is awarded to a party with clear policies in these areas, instead of an equally qualified party who does not have the same inclusive policies. We also require new contractors to reduce environmental impact and enhance their Social Return on Investment (SROI).
A responsible organization thrives on sustainable relationships. ArtEZ fosters ethical and vital collaborations with partners, employees, and students. Creating a positive work environment and facilitating continuous development opportunities for employees and students are paramount to this. Initiatives in diversity and inclusion are joint within a special unit of ArtEZ.
The department of sustainability and inclusion organizes events such as debates on workplace diversity or workshops on intercultural communication. During these events, our employees are provided with tools to reflect on how their own actions are shaped by different upbringings and cultures and apply these insights to interactions with colleagues and students. This is a significant and important development since 20% of ArtEZ's student population already consists of international students. Furthermore, an inclusive and diverse workforce is foundational for sustainable organizationsof the future.
ArtEZ operates across 11 locations in Zwolle, Arnhem, and Enschede, providing space to work and study for approximately 3,000 students and 1000 teachers. Ensuring these spaces are sustainable, accessible, and inspiring is crucial both to reaching the climate goals as well as ensuring a good artistic climate. We are aware of the significant impact we can make, by owning a number of large buildings. In upcoming years, we commit explicitly to improving the accessibility of our buildings in collaboration with the organization Ongehinderd. By 2050, all our educational real estate will be climate-neutral. We adhere to the CSRD guidelines; emphasizing energy efficiency and circularity (including that of construction elements).
Specific real estate projectscurrently engaged in these efforts include:
Spoorzone Zwolle
ArtEZ collaborates with Cibap (Vocational College for Design), Museum de Fundatie, the city of Zwolle and Dutch Railways (NS) on a plan for a shared location in the ‘Spoorzone’. Bringing various academies and artistic institutions together will create an environment for creative idea exchange and cross-disciplinary collaborations. This move aligns with ArtEZ's sustainability goals by leaving older and unsustainable buildings, like the old hospital and the conservatory, for which renovation costs would be too high, behind.
Oude Kraan 74 Arnhem
ArtEZplans to mergeArtEZlocation Oude Kraan 74 with Oude Kraan 72 in Arnhem. These buildings are old and not up to date with current sustainability requirements. Renovations, in collaboration with the owner of OK72, will ensure the entire space meets ArtEZ's long-term requirements. The largest part of the newly merged building will be used by ArtEZ in the future and will offer efficient educational spaces, encouraging interaction between disciplines.
As a contribution to addressing climate change (SDG 13), ArtEZ has taken a step in principle to further encourage green transport and discourage transport with higher CO2 emissions.
Employees who travel by public transport to and from ArtEZ and who live 10 kilometers or more from ArtEZ, will receive a higher travel allowance than employees who travel by car, as of January 1, 2024 . The bicycle reimbursement for employees who live less than 10 kilometers from ArtEZ has also been made more attractive by increasing the tax-exempt amount when purchasing a bicycle.
For all employees who live remotely, the travel allowance was increased on January 1, 2024, but with this differentiation, ArtEZ hopes to encourage its employees to choose "green" transportation if possible.
Reusable cups
The Netherlands is actively combating plastic litter, and ArtEZ is eager to contribute to this effort. Since the beginning of 2024, ArtEZ students and employees receive a reusable cup as a one-time provision. These cups replace the disposable ones previously used at ArtEZ, aligning with the European Single-Use Plastics (SUP) Directive.
The new polypropylene cup is made from recycled material and features the ArtEZ logo. It can be easily cleaned with cold water. Visitors are encouraged to bring their own cup or can purchase one for a small fee at the ArtEZ campus cafeteria.