text and photos: Triin Siimer, Tartu With Earth Programme Line Manager
We live in a time of compounded uncertainty—what some call a “polycrisis.” From the prolonged Russian war against Ukraine and global geopolitical unrest to weakening democracies, economic instability, and the accelerating impacts of climate change, our world’s challenges are vast and interconnected. Faced with many simultaneous crises, focusing on the most immediate threats is natural. Yet, beneath this surface of urgency lies a deeper, more critical reality: we have reached the planetary boundaries in six categories out of nine[1], which will define the long-term conditions for life on Earth.
To secure a liveable future, we must think beyond temporary solutions. We need profound, structural changes. Governments must act, but so must companies, civil society, and individuals. Changes, however, are rarely easy. They demand a shift in habits, mindsets, and values. This is where culture can play a decisive role—not as a luxury but as a catalyst.
European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024 artistic concept Arts of Survival[2] was about teaching and learning the skills, values, and knowledge that we need to live on planet Earth in the future. Through art, storytelling, and collective experience, we can imagine—and build—a more sustainable world. In the following, I will explore good examples of changes that have led to the movement towards more sustainable cities and countrysides in Tartu and Southern Estonia.
Most people live in cities today.[3] Large asphalt surfaces, low-mowed lawns and a lack of urban wildlife turn our primary habitat into a desert, which is not a good place for us or other species to live. The project Curated Biodiversity[4] focused on three parks in the centre of Tartu and transformed them over a five-year period into more biodiverse environments where insects, birds, and small animals can live better and people enjoy the wilderness in the city centre. “As urbanisation grows, green spaces have an ever-increasing role to play. In a healthy environment, people are healthy, urban species have habitats, soil, water, and air quality are better, and, most importantly, urban life is enjoyable,” writes landscape architect and one of the leaders of Curated Biodiversity, Anna-Liisa Unt.[5]
She adds: “Thus, landscaping and urban planning already have an important role to play in creating a sustainable urban environment that provides quality of life and resilience to extreme climatic conditions, by encouraging more walking and cycling, and by providing opportunities to listen to birdsong or meet hedgehogs and beetles. A better urban environment, however, comes when citizens know what they need and how to demand it for a good life and good health”. Project Curated Biodiversity took a big step forward in raising this awareness among citizens. It started a debate on what cities should be and look like.
The project started by first leaving parts of the downtown park unmowed. The following spring, a call was made for residents to bring in bulbs of tulips, daffodils and crocuses, which were planted in another downtown park. In the third park, Grove Forest was created together with citizens by planting characteristic plants, and now Hepaticas and Windflowers bloom in spring. However, many people resisted the idea of not mowing the parks, primarily because unmowed lawns appeared untidy and neglected. On the other hand, many others found inspiration in the initiative and began mowing less in their own gardens, appreciating meadow plants and promoting biodiversity. In collaboration with landscape architects and artists, five biodesign works were also created in the Grove Forest, enriching the park’s natural environment.
Preserving biodiversity is not only crucial in urban areas but also in rural areas. According to scientists, the sixth mass extinction of species is underway, caused by human activities.[6] But how much do we think about the fact that our actions affect the well-being of other species? The IUCN states in its 2021 report that “Climate change currently affects at least 10,967 species on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™, increasing the likelihood of their extinction”.[7]
Balancing the boundaries between art and science, the project Unfit Remains[8] drew attention to the fragility of the environment and the endangerment of species in a sensitive and nuanced way. With the two exhibitions, the participating artists explored different facets of extinction, inviting reflection on the cultural meaning of endangerment and extinction. As the extinction and disappearance of languages or cultures leads to impoverishment, species loss impoverishes planet Earth. Not only do we live in a poorer environment, but species extinctions lead to changes in the food chain, the spread of alien species and increased carbon emissions instead of carbon sequestration.[9]
Biodiversity supports key ecosystem services that humans also use.[10] We need pollinators, stable weather, water regulation and fertile soil to grow food. Environmentally friendly food is plant-based, organic, fair and local. The project Growing with your food[11] carried out various food-related activities in more than 80 schools and preschools over three years – children in both school and nursery were able to study a plant seed, put it in the soil and look after it until it started to bear fruit. Children also learned to harvest their crops from the fields and to look after the land using permaculture principles.
Why is this one of the survival skills that future generations will need? Food production accounts for 26% of the world’s total CO2 emissions[12], of which the production of animal products is a huge part. The production of meat and dairy products requires massive amounts of land to feed the cattle. Besides that, it needs vast amounts of water and cultivation, leading to biodiversity loss, deforestation and the heavy use of chemicals. Growing with your food challenged children and adults to approach food creatively—by photographing, drawing, and growing seeds, plants, and fruits. The children’s photos ended up in an exhibition, which was on display in several schools and nurseries. In the same project’s community programme, citizens could learn wickerwork, share seeds, and make apple juice together.
In addition to celebrating nature, green spaces, and biodiversity, arts and culture can shine a light on more everyday issues, such as the environmental impact of clothing. The world produces 92 million tonnes of textile waste each year. At the current rate, this could increase to 134 million tonnes by 2030. Around 100 billion new clothing items are created yearly, which adds to waste levels.[13] To make clothes last longer and be produced in a more environmentally friendly way, we need a new generation of designers who value sustainable fashion. The Estonian Fashion Festival[14], part of the Tartu 2024 programme, ran a training programme for young designers on sustainable fashion. In addition, it was decided that only designers and collections that have proven to be sustainable and meet sustainability criteria can participate in the fashion shows. More importantly, the project was also passionate about raising consumer awareness. So they organised a sustainable fashion workshop called “Greenery,” featuring designers, stylists, and practitioners who offered advice on how to make better and greener choices as consumers.
Shop in your closet, swap clothes with friends, if you need something, go to the second-hand shops, for which there are already many reasonable online solutions (Sellpy, Emmystore, Vinted, Yaga, etc.). We’re also already seeing an upturn in the turnover of reuse department stores. For example, several shopping centres in Estonia have already set up reuse shops. Go for trusted brands and local designers who you can ask about the origin of your clothes and how they are made. Take good care of your clothes, i.e. wash them according to the instructions and repair them so they can serve you longer. These are only a few advice that the conscious consumer ABC from the Estonian Fashion Festival is giving.[15] We imagine fashion festivals as glamorous, exclusive, and not always associated with eco-friendliness. All the more special are these fashion events that have set specific environmental goals for themselves and the designers who participate, while also contributing to raising awareness among visitors.
How can culture and art create social change? One way is to organise events in an environmentally friendly way. Another is to organise competitions and work with culture and artists so that they can contribute creatively and keenly to challenges such as the loss of biodiversity, the climate crisis, sustainable practices, social cohesion or mental health. Together with artists, create programmes for communities, children, and adults or support existing initiatives.
Culture holds a unique power: it reaches people not through facts, but through emotions, imagination, and shared experience. This is why the cultural sector must be seen as vital to the transition to more sustainable everyday life. Whether through the food we serve at events or grow, the materials we use, or the stories we tell, every choice can help shift behaviour and raise awareness.
The work does not end here. Our experience invites us to rethink how culture is created, shared, and celebrated harmoniously with the planet. Sustainability is not a burden—it’s a creative opportunity. And the more we embrace it, the better equipped we’ll be to imagine and build a future worth living in.
References
[1] Stockholm Resilience Centre, Stockholm University, “Planetary boundaries”. www.stockholmresilience.org/research/planetary-boundaries (9.06.2025).
[2] European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, “About”. https://tartu2024.ee/en/about/ (9.06.2025).
[3] Our World in Data, “The European Commission combines satellite imagery with national census data to identify cities, towns and villages and estimate their respective populations”. https://ourworldindata.org/grapher/share-of-population-living-in-cities-towns-and-villages?time=earliest..2020&country=~OWID_WRL (9.06.2025).
[4] European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, “Curated Biodiversity”. https://tartu2024.ee/en/elurikkus/ (9.06.2025).
[5] Unt, Anna-Liisa. “Äratasuvad kasinusmeetmed.” Sirp, April (2025). https://www.sirp.ee/aratasuvad-kasinusmeetmed/ (9.06.2025).
[6] World Wildlife Fund, “What is the sixth mass extinction and what can we do about it?” https://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/what-is-the-sixth-mass-extinction-and-what-can-we-do-about-it (9.06.2025).
[7] “Species and climate change.” International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, October (2021). https://iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/species-and-climate-change (9.06.2025).
[8] European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, “Unfit Remains”. https://tartu2024.ee/en/unfit-remains/ (9.06.2025).
[9] “Species and climate change.” International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources, October (2021). https://iucn.org/resources/issues-brief/species-and-climate-change (9.06.2025).
[10] Ledesma, Lester. “Biodiversity.” World Health Organisation, February (2025). https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/biodiversity (9.06.2025).
[11] European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, “Growing With Your Food”. https://tartu2024.ee/en/kasvadesomatoiduga/ (9.06.2025).
[12]Ritchie, Hannah. “Food production is responsible for one-quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions.” Our World in Data, November (2019). https://ourworldindata.org/food-ghg-emissions (9.06.2025).
[13] Business Waste, “Textile Waste Facts”. https://businesswaste.com/waste-types/textile-waste/textile-waste-facts/ (9.06.2025).
[14] European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024, “Tartu 2024 Presents: Estonian Fashion Festival”. https://tartu2024.ee/en/eff/ (9.06.2025).
[15] Estonian Fashion Festival, “Sustainability”. https://fashionfestival.ee/sustainability (9.06.2025).
The project is part of the joint pARTir – Creating a Cultural Roadmap Towards Responsible International Mobility project by the Finnish Cultural and Academic Institutes and ten Finnish institutes around the world, made possible by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU program.
