Getty, LACMA, MOCA, Hammer Museum, and Hauser & Wirth Announce Collective Commitment to Climate Action

A consortium of arts institutions announced today their joint commitment to climate action through implementing the Bizot Green Protocol, a set of recommendations that offer environmentally sustainable approaches for the long-term care of collections. The group includes Getty, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Hammer Museum at UCLA and Hauser & Wirth.

The Bizot Green Protocol was first introduced in 2015 at the convening of The Bizot Group, an international network of art museum directors from major institutions around the world. It has since been revised several times to reflect the need for specific actions that can address the impacts of climate change while protecting art and objects.

“This is the first time that Los Angeles art institutions have announced together their commitment to these recommendations, and it is our hope that it will motivate others to commit as well,” said Camille Kirk, sustainability director at Getty, speaking on behalf of the group.

Below is the joint statement from the participating institutions:

Though not a direct cause, climate change was an exacerbating factor in the size and devastation of the recent Los Angeles-area fires, which took a toll on our cultural institutions, galleries and artists. Increasingly, the cultural sector is being shaped by and is responding to climate change as part of fulfilling our mission of caring for and exhibiting our shared cultural heritage. It is vital that our sector take action to both reduce our environmental impact and improve our resilience, so that we can continue to fulfill this mission.

In light of the clear need for action, Getty, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA), The Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), the Hammer Museum at UCLA and Hauser & Wirth declare their commitment to climate action through implementation of the set of guidelines set out in the Bizot Green Protocol. The Bizot Green Protocol was developed using research from many institutions internationally, including the Getty Conservation Institute, as part of its Managing Collection Environments initiative.

Though our organizations are of different sizes, collection types and operating parameters, we all share an interest in fostering collaborative approaches to sustainability and in being information resources for other organizations.

We are committed to experimenting with wider climate-control parameters for temperature and relative humidity in our facilities, changing criteria for outgoing loans when safe for the works of art of our collections and incorporating measures to reduce air travel and design waste as part of our exhibitions, as outlined in the Bizot Green Protocol.

Ongoing pilot projects and research will inform how we can broadly implement new standards while exhibiting, conserving and protecting the cultural heritage and artworks under our stewardship.

Our commitment builds on our individual participation in the Climate Impact Program, developed by artist Debra Scacco and consultant Laura Lupton, that was launched under the Getty’s PST ART initiative, on the theme of Art & Science Collide. The resulting Climate Impact Program report was released in late 2025.

More information about each institution’s individual action plan related to the Bizot Green Protocol:

Getty

Getty extends our commitment to exhibiting, conserving, and understanding the world’s artistic and cultural heritage to include environmental stewardship. For Getty, a healthy planet is fundamental to our ability to carry out our mission to preserve, learn from, and share our collective heritage. In June 2024, the Getty Museum embraced the Bizot Green Protocol, which outlines the ways art museums should operate more sustainably and reduce carbon emissions in their practices. The Getty Conservation Institute has been actively engaged in researching sustainable control and management of collection environments for over 10 years and is committed to advancing more sustainable solutions for collections care, storage, emergency preparedness, transit, and training and support for professionals in the field. The Getty Research Institute—home to a large circulation library, vast special collections and archives with diverse material make up—has launched a pilot project to explore the effects of expanded environmental parameters on energy consumption and impact on collections in high-density storage. The Getty Foundation sponsored the PST ART Climate Impact Report, which helped advance climate action across the Southern California region’s cultural institutions. We invite you to learn more about Getty’s climate action practices related to our collections and archives and follow along with us as we share our findings.

LACMA

LACMA is committed to achieving a high level of sustainable design, construction, and operating principles across its main campus, storage facilities, and off-site programming locations, and to identifying opportunities to continue minimizing environmental impacts.

LACMA adopted the Bizot Green Protocol early in the planning phase of the newest building on campus, the David Geffen Galleries, to support broader environmental conditions in the galleries and target microclimates for sensitive works. The design balances collection care and energy performance by using flexible climate zones across perimeter and interior galleries. The David Geffen Galleries are designed to achieve LEED Gold certification, integrating high-efficiency systems, reduced embodied carbon materials, and long-term resource conservation. Replacing outdated, inefficient structures, the new building features low-carbon concrete, radiant heating and cooling, and natural ventilation.

Water use is significantly reduced across the site, and the transition to electric-powered equipment and an extensive electric vehicle charging infrastructure further supports low-impact access and operations, and a comprehensive waste management program contributed to more than 95% of construction and demolition waste being diverted from landfills. Learn more about LACMA’s guiding principles.

The Hammer Museum

The Hammer Museum is committed to making intentional decisions regarding the environmental and social impacts of our exhibitions, collections, and programs. We are focused on high-impact opportunities to minimize our waste and emissions. In 2024, the museum implemented the Bizot Green Guidelines for Breath(e): Toward Climate and Social Justice. Subsequently, the museum has committed to implementing the Bizot guidelines across our exhibitions and collections. The museum is focused on implementation of sustainable practices for temporary exhibition construction and fabrication, catalogue production, and events. Through traveling exhibitions, loans, and new projects, the Hammer is also working to amplify the impact of our efforts by introducing lenders, artists, and other museums to sustainable practices including the Bizot Green Guidelines.

MOCA

MOCA is working to reduce its environmental impact through reconsidered waste cycles, infrastructure upgrades, and the decarbonization of its operations and facilities. As part of this institution-wide effort, the museum is reevaluating temperature and relative humidity standards in its galleries to reduce energy consumption in alignment with the Bizot Green Protocol.

For decades, museums have maintained tightly controlled climate conditions to prevent damage such as warping, fading, and mold. However, the Bizot Group and other leaders in the field have questioned whether such strict standards are always necessary, given their significant energy demands. Rather than substituting one rigid benchmark for another, MOCA has adopted a responsive framework that considers both the specific needs of artworks on view and Los Angeles’s climate, balancing collections care with energy efficiency. This approach was initiated at The Geffen Contemporary, MOCA’s Little Tokyo campus, during the run of Olafur Eliasson: OPEN (September 14, 2024 - July 6, 2025).

Enabled by a new digital energy management system—funded through a grant from the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative and a matching gift from Suzanne and David G. Johnson, MOCA Life Trustee and co-founder of the MOCA Environmental Council—MOCA is expanding this model to future exhibitions and has begun phasing Bizot conditions into the galleries at MOCA Grand Avenue this year. Moving forward, MOCA will apply this framework to all exhibitions at The Geffen Contemporary, and the museum will phase Bizot conditions, inclusive of relative humidity, into the galleries at MOCA Grand Avenue in 2026.

Hauser & Wirth

Hauser & Wirth Los Angeles has been working on practical solutions to improve the gallery’s climate control systems, delivering both energy savings and cost reductions. The team’s findings were presented at the International Climate Control Conference in December 2024, highlighting the specific achievements of our Los Angeles galleries case study. In the spirit of the Bizot Green Protocol, using a cost‑conscious approach and driven by curiosity, the team experimented with:

• Overnight HVAC system shutdowns
• Leveraging seasonal outdoor temperature shifts to more effectively manage indoor conditions
• Moving away from universal temperature ranges, while carefully evaluating potential risks
• Expanding temperature and humidity set‑point ranges

We continue to implement these operational shifts and have already produced measurable energy and cost savings, which we continue to monitor. This work forms part of our involvement in the Ki Culture Getting Climate Control Under Control program, which supports galleries, museums and cultural institutions in adopting sustainable climate management practices.

Learn more about the Hauser & Wirth West Hollywood location and about their partnership with Ki Culture.