LONDON.- The Mayor of London Boris Johnson was at the prestigious Frieze Art Fair this morning to launch his Green Visual Arts Guide, aimed at helping artists, galleries and arts fairs to become greener and save cash.

The Mayor has set a target for London to reduce emissions by 60 per cent by 2025 and the new guide gives practical information tailored specifically for the visual arts, highlighting how the sector can cut its carbon emissions and in the process save money.

The Mayor, whose draft Climate Change Mitigation and Energy strategy is now available for public consultation, was joined at Frieze Art Fair by Tate Director Nicholas Serota and Matthew Slotover, Co-Director of Frieze Art Fair, which are already working to reduce their own emissions.

Straightforward advice contained in the guide includes: saving energy through efficiency measures such as LED lighting and installation of insulation; using renewable energy; increasing recycling and composting and reducing the amount of waste sent to landfill; and saving water. The Guide also measures the impact of audience travel and provides reduction advice - through switching to public transport, walking and cycling.

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson said: ' I can't think of a better place than the Frieze Art Fair to launch our green guide for the arts world. This provides excellent, practical advice on how to save energy and therefore cash, which is invaluable at a time when, as individuals and organisations, we all need to tighten our belts. By greening 42 of our own GLA buildings with energy efficient gizmos we have saved over £1 million.'

Matthew Slotover, Co-Director, Frieze Art Fair, said: 'Frieze was delighted to co-ordinate this Green Visual Arts Guide for the Mayor. Working with Julie's Bicycle, the authors of the guide, we have been tracking the fair's carbon emissions since 2007. This year we have been able to achieve 60 per cent reductions thanks to changing our energy source from diesel to re-used vegetable oil biofuel.'

Nicholas Serota, Director, Tate, said: 'We have a responsibility to work together to reduce the energy load for caring, showing and lending our Collections, and the Green Guide to the Visual Arts brings together the expertise and research already undertaken by organisations and artists. Tate has already made good progress in reducing the emissions from its energy use in buildings and is leading in research to revise protocol for more sustainable gallery environmental conditions. This excellent booklet will provide invaluable advice for others and set the benchmark for future practice and developments.'

The visual arts sector employs 8200 people in the capital, contributing £827 million of gross value to the UK economy; it also generates 220,442 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions per year. This is the fourth guide in the Mayor's series of Creative Industry Green Guides.

Data drawn from over a thousand organisations contributed to the preparation of the Green Visual Arts Guide. Packed with practical advice, it includes case studies of some of the many eco initiatives already taking place. They include:

• The National Portrait Gallery has reduced electricity consumption for lighting by 68 per cent by switching to LED lights

• Camden Arts Centre has reduced waste to landfill by 25 per cent, their fuel bills by 10 per cent and whose staff now either walk, cycle or use public transport to get to work

The Green Visual Arts guide is part of a series of Creative Industry Green Guides which cover London's theatre, film and music industries. These set out how organisations can save hundreds of tonnes of CO2 and cash, such as:

• Theatre: the National Theatre saved £100,000 by switching to LED lighting, equating to 30 tonnes of CO2 per year.

• Music: the music industry is working towards switching from plastic to card CD packaging, which will save 90 per cent of emissions.

• Film: Pinewood Studios scheme to build international streetscapes on site, reducing emissions by around 77 per cent.