Culture and biodiversity: taking action with VIF

The choice of sites where cultural events take place, the materials and modes of transport used, the sound volume or light intensity of an open-air event, the conditions of conservation of a work or the method of waste management…: so many decisions taken by cultural actors which impact the biodiversity. Conversely, cultural activities themselves depend on biodiversity (air, water, soil, ecosystem services). Reducing their biodiversity footprint thus helps to slow down erosion which is otherwise detrimental to them.

VIF – For a Living, Inspiring and Fertile Culture is the result of a year of action research, carried out by COAL, Les Augures and Être et avoir, in collaboration with more than 50 partners from the cultural, artistic, scientific and territorial sectors. This program is the winner of the call for projects “Supporting green alternatives 2”, support for France 2030 to the ecological transition of the cultural sector, financed by the State.

Faced with the accelerating erosion of biodiversity, VIF aims to provide professionals in the cultural sector with tools for action:

• to understand how their projects impact biodiversity ;
• to understand to what extent their projects are dependent on biodiversity ;
• pour affirm their role, as cultural actors, in the preservation of biodiversity and the ecological and social transformation of society.

Concretely, what is VIFÂ?

VIF is the first biodiversity reference for cultural professionals. Cultural and heritage establishments are in daily interaction with living ecosystems: VIF supports them in understanding the issues linked to biodiversity and in taking action, through the dissemination of open access tools and training courses.

1. The first VIF tool is a biodiversity calculator. He delivers a diagnostic the impacts of the project on biodiversity and the dependencies of the project on biodiversity during all stages of the project (upstream, during and downstream), as well as a plan d’actions. The type of environment where the project takes place, its ecological protection status, the quality of the soil, the duration and seasonality of the project are taken into account.
2. The second VIF tool is a guide for integrating biodiversity into a cultural project. He takes up the Stages of the life cycle of a cultural projectÂ: programming, manufacturing, logistics and installation, audiences and mediation, life of the works, end of life. For each stage, the challenges liés à la biodiversité sont détaillés, des actions suggested implementations and resources partagés.
3. Support and training courses allow cultural project teams to take ownership of biodiversity issues and VIF tools. The VIF course, scheduled for 2026-2027, allows participants to better integrate biodiversity into their organizations while being part of a network of dynamic cultural and territorial actors. VIF also offers tailor-made support in strategy and training within teams that express the need.

Concrete actions to preserve biodiversity

The Ministry of Culture’s support for the project is fully part of its ecological transition strategy, translated into the Guide of orientation and inspiration for the ecological transition of Culture. Numerous actions have been implemented, such as:

These actions are the translation on the ground:

More than a response to the erosion of biodiversity, cultural actors are mobilizing to reduce their biodiversity footprint, but also to participate in a paradigm shift. This is one of the starting points of the VIF program, which proposes, for example, to transform certain cultural projects into « solutions fondés sur la culture » (referring to nature-based solutions), which would mobilize arts and cultural institutions to transform relationships with the living.