The Festival International Bach Montréal is a leading cultural organization dedicated to sharing the music and legacy of Johann Sebastian Bach through world-class performances and innovative artistic experiences.

To align its artistic mission with responsible environmental, social and governance (ESG) practices, the festival sought to take its sustainability efforts to the next level by developing a comprehensive sustainable development plan.

Defining a sustainable development strategy

Culture plays an essential role in community resilience—strengthening social cohesion and quality of life, supporting local growth, encouraging diversity and promoting tourism. As such, cultural organizations also have a responsibility to adopt eco-friendly practices and embed social responsibility into their operations.

According to the Conseil des arts et des lettres du Québec (CALQ), in 2021 only 14% of cultural organizations in Quebec had a sustainable development action plan. The two main barriers were limited financial resources and time or labour constraints.

For the Festival International Bach Montréal, the challenge was to identify the best framework for establishing a robust sustainable development approach while highlighting numerous eco-friendly initiatives already in place. Designing this strategy required prioritizing key environmental, social, governance, cultural, ethical and economic issues, while responding to growing expectations from both internal and external stakeholders.

Measuring ESG maturity and building a sustainable development roadmap

To carry out its mission responsibly, the festival had already implemented sustainable development initiatives to reduce its environmental impact and strengthen its positive influence on society and the local economy.

CGI’s Business Consulting experts worked closely with the festival’s ESG committee and team to define the organization’s sustainable development approach. This included:

  • Assessing the festival’s current practices and ESG maturity;
  • Benchmarking peer organizations’ best practices in embracing environmental and social responsibility;
  • Conducting an ESG materiality assessment to prioritize the most significant ESG issues that are relevant to the festival and stakeholders;
  • Defining key ESG commitments and strategic initiatives to increase overall positive social, environmental and cultural impact.

With CGI’s guidance, the festival translated its sustainability vision into actionable commitments.

Driving sustainable impact

The collaboration enabled the festival to focus its resources on strategic ESG initiatives and formalize ten key commitments, including:

  • Promoting Montréal’s historical heritage and emblematic cultural sites;
  • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions from festival operations;
  • Ensuring accessibility and inclusion for all audiences.

CGI’s support further enabled the festival to strengthen the distinctive elements of its artistic approach. While remaining true to its mission of transmitting Bach’s work through musical excellence, the festival actively fosters innovation by encouraging new musical experiences and embracing diversity among nationalities and emerging artists.

By clarifying its commitments and establishing a roadmap for continuous improvement, the Festival International Bach Montréal has strengthened its positive social, environmental and cultural impact, setting a strong example for sustainable development in the arts sector.

Read the Festival’s sustainable development plan here (in French)

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CGI selected the most relevant framework for our organization and identified concrete challenges related to our artistic and societal mission. We were supported in formulating our commitments and developing a clear perspective for the years to come. The Festival International Bach Montréal was thus able to implement the organizational changes necessary to address its sustainable development challenges and strengthen its role as a major cultural player within its community.

C. Plantiveau Executive Director