Sustainability: people and planet
Local, low-carbon and built on sharing: why Fun Palaces is good for the planet – and how to make yours even greener.
Why it matters
Culture made on your doorstep is culture that’s kinder to the planet
Fun Palaces happen where people already are – in libraries, parks, community centres and front rooms. No flying in experts, no lorries of kit: just neighbours sharing what they know and what they’ve got.
That makes Fun Palaces low-carbon by nature. And because they bring people together, they’re a brilliant place to start conversations about climate, nature and the future of where we live.
In numbers
Green by nature
83%
of Fun Palace Makers said they took sustainability into account when making their Fun Palace in 2025.
Train, not plane
We encourage our team and the Fun Palaces Network not to fly – and our funding covers the extra time and cost of going by train or ferry.
On your doorstep
Most people walk, wheel or pop in on their way somewhere else. Keeping culture local keeps travel – and carbon – down.
“It’s never been about, buy more, sell more, you know? It’s fundamentally regenerative in its approach. It’s like, what do you have within you that you would share?”
Fun Palaces stakeholder, Climate Impact Report 2023
Get involved
Take the Makers’ Climate Pledge
Small changes, made by lots of us, add up. Pick one promise, or all five, for your next Fun Palace – then tell us and we’ll cheer you on.
01
Keep it local
Choose a venue people can walk, wheel, cycle or get the bus to – and share how to get there without a car.
02
Use what we’ve got
Borrow, swap and reuse before buying anything new. Skip single-use plastic and pass leftover materials on.
03
Share a green skill
Mending, repair, seed swaps, cooking with leftovers, growing food – everyone has something to share.
04
Start a conversation
Make space to talk about climate, nature or the future of where you live. Listening counts too.
05
Leave it better
Do a litter pick, plant something, or leave your space a little greener than you found it.
Sign the pledge
Tick the promises you’re making and we’ll cheer you on. It takes a minute.
Planning already? Download the Sustainability Checklist (PDF, 4 pages).
Tools and ideas
Make your Fun Palace greener
Everything you need, from a five-minute checklist to a full toolkit.
Toolkit
Sustainable Fun Palaces
Lots of small shifts that add up – from borrowing kit to greener suppliers, energy and travel.
Guide
Hosting a climate-friendly Fun Palace
Ria’s guide: reuse and borrow, use local venues, share resources and choose creativity over consumption.
Checklist
Sustainability Checklist
A quick list to run through while you plan. Tick off what you can – every tick counts.
Green Fun Palaces in action
Stories and ideas
Maker story
Making a green Fun Palace in the Swale
Polka Dot Arts on recycling, the environment and connecting people to the place they live.
Creative Riot
Letters to Tomorrow
With The Climate Coalition: write a letter to future generations about your hopes and fears for the climate – on your own or as a group.
Big idea
Fun Palaces and the 20-minute neighbourhood
Why culture on your doorstep matters for local life – and for cutting carbon.
Partners
Greener & Cleaner
Maker Tamasin Rhymes on bringing climate action and creativity together in Bromley.
More: Fun Palacing with XR Farnham · Ideas Grow Like Seeds · Our campaigns
Our promise
The Fun Palaces Climate Pledge
As an organisation, we commit to:
01
Minimise our impact on the climate crisis – on the Fun Palaces Weekend and all year round.
02
Give ourselves: the Fun Palaces Network, the Makers and the team, the knowledge to make informed decisions about the natural environment.
03
Go beyond reducing harm: cutting carbon emissions, working with partners and other organisations, and sharing ideas and good practice.
These promises are a starting point for an ongoing process of evaluation and renewal.
The Climate Impact Report (2023) was commissioned from The Lines Between.
“That is what a Fun Palace is, right? It’s not about producing new stuff, it’s not about buying stuff; it’s about sharing. And I think that sharing ethos is the most environmental thing.”
Fun Palace Maker, 10 Year Impact Report 2025
Got a green idea or a climate project?
Whether you’re planning a repair café, a seed swap or a climate conversation, we’d love to hear about it – and help you share it.