When it comes to imagining new solutions to achieve the much-needed climate neutrality by 2030, the cultural and creative sectors and industries (CCSIs) hold immense power. They’re not just economic heavyweights – generating every year in Europe a staggering €354 billion of value added – they’re uniquely placed to help us rethink how we live and to make the transition to a society more respectful of its inhabitant more desirable. 

On 5 November 2024, this potential took centre stage at The Big Creative UK Climate Summit: Climate Solutions, hosted at London’s City Hall. Organised by Creative UK with support from EIT Culture & Creativity, the event underscored how culture and creativity can help us navigate one of humanity’s biggest challenges – and even thrive while doing so. 

From ideas to impact: creativity as catalyst  

Creative innovators sit at the crossroads of science, technology, and the arts, giving them the power to make sustainability not just necessary but desirable. Whether it’s circular fashion, regenerative architecture, or awareness-raising games, these fields are a living lab on how to balance human needs with ecological limits. 

The market opportunity is immense. The World Economic Forum estimates that adapting to climate change could cost $2 trillion a year by 2026, but within this challenge lies an unprecedented chance to innovate and grow. 

At EIT Culture & Creativity, we’re proud to support the thinkers and doers in the CCSIs who imagine new ways to be resilient and attractive while being conscious of their environmental impact. Here’s how we do it: 

• Fashion: Supporting sustainable production and consumption in line with EU circular economy standards. 

• Architecture: Promoting innovative, circular, and fair practices to meet net-zero goals in the built environment. 

• Cultural Heritage: Helping heritage sites adapt to climate change through resilience planning. 

• Audiovisual, media and gaming: Backing responsible technologies that reduce environmental impacts. 

We don’t do this alone. We collaborate with 62 partners across research, education, business, and culture, including Creative UK. Their Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund provided £500,000 in funding to nine creative SMEs across the UK that focus on decarbonisation and waste reduction in CCSIs. The response was overwhelming, with applications totalling £14 million—highlighting both the appetite for and the necessity of innovation funding in this space. 

Climate action in focus 

At the Big Creative UK Climate Summit, collaboration and action were the order of the day. The day began with a business roundtable where about 30 investors and start-ups explored how funding can ensure that CCSIs strengthen their economic, social, and sustainable impact, while inspiring others to join the movement. 

In the afternoon, over 100 participants gathered to discuss how we can design and finance the solutions the planet urgently needs. Remarks from two of London’s Deputy Mayors, Justine Simons OBE for the CCSIs and Mete Coban MBE for Environment and Energy, set the tone, reminding of the transformative power of art and calling for bold, creative action. 

Javier Arias, Director of Business Creation at EIT Culture & Creativity, joined voices from the Ananda Fund and Creative UK to explore how to balance grants with investments, as well as defining robust impact metrics.

“As the Director of Business Creation at EIT Culture & Creativity, I am proud to witness the transformative impact of our programmes and services for entrepreneurs. These initiatives are designed to support ventures in derisking their innovations, fostering resilience, and advancing green and digital solutions. Partnering with initiatives like the Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund by CreativeUK is essential to our mission, as it amplifies our efforts to bring together creativity and sustainability.”

– Javier Arias, Director of Business Creation, EIT Culture & Creativity

The next generation of creatives entrepreneurs 

The event also spotlighted the winners of Creative UK’s Creative Catalyst Challenge Fund, demonstrating that the sustainable transformation of CCSIs is not just underway—it’s here to stay and grow. 

Take LaundRE, for instance, which solves the issue of unsold surplus jeans by offering innovative onshore recycling solutions for UK brands. Or Inspiring Yarns, which transforms raw sheep and alpaca fleece into sustainable insulation and fabrics, fully aligned with EIT Culture & Creativity’s circular fashion goals. 

In architecture, Margate-based Ratliff/Landells designs passive houses using circular principles, blending beauty with sustainability in the spirit of the New European Bauhaus. Meanwhile, Heata turns the waste heat from computer networks into free hot water for households in need, and Green-BiT Software reduces the gaming industry’s carbon footprint with tools that help developers optimise energy use. 

“We know that the CCSIs have solutions to some of our biggest shared challenges. Chief amongst these is climate change – and as we collectively move towards net zero, we all need to do more to combat it. The Big Creative Uk Summit Climate Solutions was about celebrating the power of innovation – and showcasing the importance of investing in businesses which are truly making an impact.”  

– Natalyia Nikolova, Administration & Partnerships Manager, Creative UK

As Europe races toward climate neutrality, focal points like this summit remind us that creativity is more than an asset, it’s a necessity. From policymakers to entrepreneurs and investors, the CCSIs are already hard at work imaging solutions. 

At EIT Culture & Creativity, we’re proud to support these changemakers. Together, we can turn today’s urgent climate challenges into tomorrow’s opportunities. After all, the best solutions aren’t just practical—they’re beautiful, inspiring, and transformative. 

Text: Julie Lebrun 

Pictures: Donna Ford