The CCAT Conference

In the course of CCAT a two-day conference was organised and a hands-on toolkit for green events in Thailand was developed, thereby facilitating knowledge sharing between European and Thai cultural practitioners, aiding in creating and promoting sustainable events, building networks and raising public awareness about regenerative practices. CCAT is a project by the EUNIC Cluster Thailand which was co-organised with Creative Migration (International Arts Organization) and in collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency (Public Organization).

As a network of European cultural institutes and Embassies, the EUNIC Cluster Thailand proudly launched Creatives for Climate Action – Thailand in 2024, to harness the power of culture and address the climate crisis. Our goal is to contribute to finding tangible solutions to one of the most pressing challenges shared by both Europe and Thailand. Guided by the principles of co-creation, collaboration and mutual learning, this project reflects our commitment to making a meaningful impact.

Michael Schmeiser, President EUNIC Thailand and Deputy Head of Mission at the Austrian Embassy Bangkok

The Creatives for Climate Action - Thailand (CCAT) conference was held on June 26-27, 2024, at the Thailand Creative & Design Center (TCDC) in Bangkok and online. This event became a platform to share best practices, discuss sustainable event management and develop actionable tools for promoting climate action within the Creative Economy. The conference featured prominent speakers from Europe and Thailand, including festival organisers, sustainability experts and policymakers.

I believe the climate issue is important to Thailand, and the CCAT Conference is a great opportunity for us as a government agency that has hosted Bangkok Design Week and different festivals across Thailand. Events and festivals here lack climate action, so they need the knowledge and expertise shared during the conference.

Pichit Virankabutra, Deputy Director, Creative Economy Agency

The CCAT Toolkit

Based on the conference and input from the conference participants, as well as European and Thai Best Practice examples, a CCAT Toolkit on sustainable event management was developed by Creative Migration in collaboration with various European and Thai partners and published in October 2024. The CCAT Toolkit is a comprehensive, easy-to-use network and database supporting Thailand’s festival and event industry's green transition. This resource includes practical self-assessment tools, guidance and company profiles of sustainable suppliers that can help event organisers to reduce their environmental impact (Catering, Mobility, Location & Accommodation, Energy & Water, Equipment & Materials, Procurement & Waste, Communications, Social Responsibility, Locally-Sourced Products, etc.).

The toolkit is bilingual, available both in English and Thai, and can be downloaded here.

Climate action and culture are, essentially, a collective work. When we collaborate we are stronger, more creative and powerful: this is why being involved in the CCAT Toolkit has been so empowering and such a learning experience, especially as a representative of both a European network and a Barcelona festival. Our differences give us more understanding of the world, and our similar challenges bring us together: we hope that this toolkit can become the to-go document for any cultural enterprise that believes that there is no creativity without sustainability.

Marta Pallarès, Primavera Sound / YOUROPE - The European Festival Association

The long-term result will be a reduction in the environmental impact of the festival sector and improved progress towards the international goals for a livable planet. Additionally, CCAT underscored the importance of intersectionality in dismantling siloed initiatives, thus advocating for a collaborative approach to leverage the creative industry’s bargaining power to promote sustainable practices among the general public and across sectors.

When the EUNIC Cluster Thailand invited us to collaborate on an initiative merging cultural engagement with climate action, it deeply resonated with our belief in intersectional practice. CCAT emerged from a desire for a meaningful exchange of ideas between Thailand and Europe—a shared journey toward environmentally regenerative practices.

Susannah Tantemsapya, Founder & Executive Director, Creative Migration / Bangkok 1899

CCAT at the G20 Brasil 2024

Founder & Executive Director of Creative Migration and Creatives for Climate Action - Thailand (CCAT) Producer, Susannah Tantemsapya, was invited to participate in the International Seminar on Culture and Climate Change at the current edition of the G20 Brasil 2024.
Moderated by Lucimara Letelier, Director of RegeneraMuseu, sustainability specialist for museums and culture, the panel discussion Reducing Emissions: Creating an Environmentally Responsible Cultural Sector featured prominent speakers such as Jacob Sylvester Bilabel, founder of the Green Music Initiative, Everywh2ere Hydrogen, and Managing Director of the Green Culture Contact Point (GCA) of the Federal Ministry of Culture in Germany and Potyra Lavor, founder and CEO of IDW, a creative business agency focused on content and entertainment that develops authentic connections for brands through creators and special projects.

As part of this panel, Susannah shared the opportunities and challenges of producing Creatives for Climate Action - Thailand (CCAT) earlier this year and the pioneering process of developing practical tools for sustainability in cultural productions in the Southeast Asian context in the course of a EUNIC project.
Organised by the Ministry of Culture of Brazil’s activities during its G20 in cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI), the conference aimed to highlight the fundamental role of culture in addressing climate change, offering innovative responses while discussing ways to support the cultural sector in mitigating and adapting to the challenges of climate change.

About the Creatives for Climate Action - Thailand (CCAT) organisers

CCAT is a project by the European Union National Institutes for Culture in Thailand (EUNIC Cluster Thailand) that is co-organised with Creative Migration and in collaboration with the Creative Economy Agency.

• Creative Migration: a women-of-colour-led, international arts organisation based in Bangkok and Los Angeles. Its mission is to bring together cultural and climate diplomacy with a special focus on collaborative community building through intersectional practices. Its flagship space in Thailand is Bangkok 1899.
• Creative Economy Agency (CEA): a key institution in Thailand focused on driving the Creative Economy towards balanced and sustainable growth.