

From 4 to 7 November 2026, the Culture for the Planet Alliance gathered in Hong Kong for the second Culture for the Planet Summit and its first edition in the Asia-Pacific region.
Co-hosted by M+ and the CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, the four-day Summit brought together representatives from more than 40 arts and cultural organisations worldwide, alongside sustainability practitioners, researchers and sector partners. The programme centred on a shared question: how can arts and cultural organisations move from sustainability commitments towards lasting organisational transformation?
Building on the inaugural Summit in Lausanne in 2025, this second edition placed greater emphasis on applying research to organisational realities. The Summit combined capacity building, peer learning, collaborative problem-solving and practical work with the emerging solutions being developed through Culture for the Planet.
Organisational Transformation as a Learning Journey
The Summit began from the realities of participating organisations themselves.
Ahead of Hong Kong, Alliance Members were invited to identify one recent sustainability highlight and one specific organisational challenge. These challenges became a starting point for reflection and peer learning throughout the programme, connecting individual experience with organisational structures and the wider ecosystem in which cultural organisations operate.
This learning journey moved across three interconnected levels: the people leading and implementing sustainability, the organisations in which change takes place, and the broader ecosystem of partners, policymakers, funders, networks and other stakeholders.
The approach reflects one of the central principles behind Culture for the Planet: meaningful sustainability transformation cannot be addressed through isolated measures. It requires changes in capabilities, management processes, governance and collaboration across the sector.
QUALIFY, MANAGE and CERTIFY in Practice
On 5 November, the Summit moved to CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change at The Chinese University of Hong Kong, where Alliance Members worked across the QUALIFY, MANAGE and CERTIFY pillars of Culture for the Planet.
Through QUALIFY, participants explored sustainability governance, professional roles and the capabilities required to lead transformation. The session addressed areas such as leadership, stakeholder management, communication, systems thinking, change management, assessment and monitoring.
MANAGE shifted the focus to organisational strategy. Participants worked with elements of the Sustainability Management System (SMS) being developed by Culture for the Planet, using Key Sustainability Indicators to identify priorities, examine tensions between sustainability and other institutional objectives, and begin structuring sustainability strategies for their organisations.
CERTIFY extended the discussion to the organisational ecosystem. Members explored how a sustainability standard can be translated into practice while responding to different institutional contexts, and how employees, suppliers and external partners can be involved in the process.
These working sessions also provided an important opportunity for Alliance Members to engage directly with research that is still being developed. Their experiences, questions and feedback continue to inform the tools, frameworks and approaches that Culture for the Planet is co-developing with the sector.
The day concluded with a visit to the CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change, connecting discussions on organisational transformation with climate education and public engagement in practice.
Collective Problem-Solving Across the Alliance
Back at M+ on 6 November, the focus shifted from research inputs to collective problem-solving.
Participants revisited the challenges they had brought to Hong Kong, reflected on what they had learned across the previous sessions and worked with peers facing related organisational questions. The objective was not to produce generic solutions, but to identify practical next steps that could respond to the specific context of each organisation.
This peer learning process also reinforced the role of the Culture for the Planet Alliance as a global community of practice: a space where organisations can share what is working, discuss where progress remains difficult and learn from approaches developed in different institutional and geographical contexts.
The programme continued with the Alliance General Assembly, bringing Members together to discuss the development of the initiative, current research and priorities for the coming year.
Culture Leads the Transition: A Public Conversation
On the afternoon of 6 November, the Summit opened its conversation to the wider arts and cultural community through the public programme Culture Leads the Transition: Transforming Arts & Cultural Organisations Towards Sustainability.
The programme examined how organisations are moving from sustainability commitments towards implementation, with particular attention to leadership, coordination and collaboration.
Prof. Dr. Leticia Labaronne presented emerging Culture for the Planet research on sustainability management and the development of sector-specific approaches. This was followed by a keynote conversation between M+ Museum Director Suhanya Raffel and Instituto Inhotim CEO Paula Azevedo on how cultural organisations can contribute to sustainable futures.
Two international panels then brought together perspectives from arts and cultural organisations across different regions. The first examined leadership and coordination in organisational transformation, while the second focused on how collaboration can move beyond individual institutions and support sustainability at scale.
The Public Conversation created an important bridge between the work taking place within the Alliance and the wider arts and cultural sector, bringing research, institutional experience and international perspectives into the same discussion.
2026 Summit Photo Gallery
Next →

























Connecting with Hong Kong’s Cultural Scene
On the final day, the Summit programme extended beyond the working sessions through a series of cultural and sustainability visits across Hong Kong.
This closing programme offered participants a chance to connect the Summit’s discussions with local practices, perspectives and the wider cultural ecosystem.
Summit Follow-up and Upcoming Resources
Stay connected through the Culture for the Planet website, LinkedIn and newsletter for the Summit Report, recordings and upcoming research and publications.
The Culture for the Planet team extends its sincere thanks to our co-hosts M+ and the CUHK Jockey Club Museum of Climate Change for making the first Asia-Pacific edition of the Summit possible, and to Swissnex for supporting the programme. We also thank all Alliance Members, speakers, partners and participants whose experiences and contributions made the Summit a space for learning, exchange and collective action.
—
Culture for the Planet
One Sector, One Voice
LinkedIn: culture-for-the-planet
Newsletter: culturefortheplanet.org/newsletter
YouTube: @CultureforthePlanet

Greta is a PhD candidate in the research-for-action project Culture for the Planet. Her research focuses on developing a framework and a Sustainability Management System (SMS) to measure, monitor, and manage sustainability progress in museums, theaters, and opera houses.
She holds a BA in Communication Sciences and Culture from the Free University of Bolzano and an MA in Innovation and Organization of Culture and the Arts from the University of Bologna.
Greta began her career in the cultural sector at MUSEION - Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art, working in the Communication and Marketing Department. She later collaborated with consultancies specializing in the Cultural and Creative Sectors (CCS) in both Italy and Belgium, gaining expertise in impact evaluation, audience development, and cultural management.
As part of her research at the University of Lausanne, Greta explores how cultural organisations can serve as catalysts for envisioning and developing alternative futures.
She is fluent in Italian, English, German, and French.
In the project Culture for the Planet, Małgorzata Ćwikła is responsible for developing sector-specific sustainability standardisation processes with a dedicated governance scheme. Her role involves conducting research and balancing the thresholds to be achieved by cultural organisations with the freedom to create and develop the arts.
Raised in Wrocław, Poland, a vibrant cultural city, she graduated in Polish philology and moved to Germany in 2007. There, she worked at the Hebbel am Ufer Theatre in Berlin and the Kampnagel International Culture Factory in Hamburg as a producer and curator. In 2010, she undertook an internship at the Polish Embassy in Sarajevo, where she worked on the dissemination of Polish culture. Following this practical phase, she decided to focus on an academic career.
In 2014, she obtained a PhD in management studies from Jagiellonian University in Kraków and worked as an assistant professor at the Faculty of Management and Social Communication. In this capacity, she served as editor-in-chief of the first Polish peer-reviewed journal on cultural management.
During the pandemic, she participated in a posthumanist seminar offered by a professor of performing arts, which shifted her focus towards the nexus between culture and sustainability and arts management during the Anthropocene. This new interest led her to join ICLEI Europe – Local Governments for Sustainability, where she worked on various Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects on green culture and heritage.
After an employment as a lecturer in Environmental and Sustainability Sciences at the University of Freiburg, she joined the Center for Arts Management at the Zurich University of Applied Sciences in October 2024.
Laura is the Executive Education Lead in the Culture for the Planet project and Senior Researcher at the Center for Arts Management at ZHAW. Previously, Laura completed a PhD and Postdoc in Management at the University of St.Gallen (HSG). She founded a competence center for art market research at the HSG and initiated and supervised applied research projects with leading art institutions including Art Basel and Christie's.
Since 2011, Laura has been researching international art markets. She is a regular speaker at the “Association for Cultural Economics International” and the “International Art Market Studies Association”. Her main research interests are the value and price of art and the future viability of art institutions. This is why she is committed to creating a pioneering sustainability programme for arts and culture.
Laura also has demonstrated professional experience with art museums, galleries, fairs and auction houses and expertise in designing and leading executive education programmes. She is committed to lifelong learning, didactic excellence, and the added value of interdisciplinarity, creativity and collaboration in management education.
At ZHAW, she also leads the CAS Cultural Marketing. Laura loves all things visual and creative. She likes fine and performing arts, drawing and design, and is passionate about cooking, dancing, and music. She is fluent in German, English and French, and has basic knowledge of Italian and Spanish
Leticia is Professor and Head of the Center for Arts Management at Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW) as well as Director of the executive Masterprogramm in Cultural Management. Together with Martin Müller, she has co-created and co-leads the Culture for the Planet project.
Leticia worked in the performing arts for over 10 years before joining academia. Originally from Argentina, she holds a BA in International Studies (UK), a MSc in Public and Nonprofit Management (Switzerland) and a PhD on Cultural Management (Germany). She speaks Spanish, German and English and understands French and Italian.
Her expertise extends to a wide range of topics related to the management of arts and cultural organizations, including new paths for financing and funding, performance measurement and evaluation. Underlying her work is the premise that cultural management as a distinct research discipline - rather than a field of application of general management – needs to capture professional practices and understand the everyday specific realities of organizations in the cultural sector. This line of thought runs through her publications in prominent journals such as the Journal of Arts Management, Law, and Society and Cultural Trends.
Leticia is Vice-President of ENCATC, the European network on cultural management and policy that co-funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union.
Martin is a professor in the Department of Geography and Sustainability at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland. He has co-created and co-leads the Culture for the Planet project. With his transformative research, he collects data and creates tools that empower museums, theaters and other cultural organisations to accelerate the sustainability transition.
He has spearheaded the development of the ‘Sustainability Star’ as the first bespoke model of sustainability for the cultural sector. He created a global benchmark for sustainability in the cultural sector, which can be used by cultural organisations to structure and measure their sustainability efforts.
He is a passionate teacher and has developed courses for cultural professionals on how to advance sustainability in their daily practice.
His research has been cited in The Economist, Art Newspaper, New York Times, Financial Times, BBC World News, Agence France-Presse, Associated Press, Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung and other international news media.
He speaks English, German and French fluently and understands Russian, Italian and Spanish.
Martin counts playing fugues by Bach on the accordion to his special powers.
Zoé joined Culture for the Planet as Project manager and Communications Lead. During several years of experience in the cultural sector, she has gained expertise in areas such as digital communication, event project management, and fundraising.
Prior to joining Culture for the Planet, she worked with a diverse range of arts and cultural institutions, including a classical orchestra, a photography festival, and a music venue, where she built strong partnerships with local authorities. These experiences have provided her with a comprehensive understanding of the cultural landscape and the unique challenges and opportunities it presents. She is fluent in French, English, and Spanish, and is currently improving her German.
Zoé holds a Master’s degree in Cultural Management from the University of Lausanne, as well as a Certificate of Advanced Studies in Promoting Cultural Institutions from the University of Neuchâtel. She also has a background in Tourism, with a specialization in event management and digital communication. Passionate about exploring the dynamic relationships between people, institutions, culture, and the environment, Zoé is particularly interested in how these connections can foster meaningful change.
Giovanna is the Strategy Lead for the Culture for the Planet project, leading its global Alliance and community of practice. Her work bridges arts and sustainability, fostering collaboration to drive meaningful change.
Raised in Brazil, Giovanna’s Global South experience fuels her commitment and belief in the arts' transformative power. Her career spans roles across art galleries, theatres, and museums, including founding MASP’s pioneering Sustainability Working Group—groundbreaking in Latin America. She has spearheaded several strategic innovation projects, seeking to optimise decision-making through data.
Her interdisciplinary academic background includes a Business Administration degree with a Sustainability minor, a postgraduate diploma in Sociology focusing on cultural policies and urban interactions, and a master’s in Culture, Policy, and Management, where she explored how cultural policies addressing sustainability can be translated into actionable strategies for museums.
She is fluent in English and Portuguese, conversational in Spanish, and advancing her French.
Giovanna embraces her contradictions, such as a desire for immersive travels to remote places, balanced by her equal love for vibrant, never-stopping cities.
Establish the Culture for the Planet Alliance, a global community of practice uniting arts and cultural organisations, policymakers, funders, and associations. This collaborative, global platform will drive the co-creation, validation, and implementation of all project innovation objectives.