This article was first published by Museum Development North West.
Environmental sustainability is on our minds more than ever this week as Glasgow hosts COP26 and we once again see the effects of flooding in communities across Cumbria.
Many museums may be reassessing what they can do to tackle climate change over the short, medium and long term so we wanted to share some resources you might find useful in your planning.
If you have your own list of useful tools and resources you would like to share with others, do send them through to MDNW.
To learn more about the causes and effects of climate change:
National Geographic have recommended some documentaries to watch: https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/travel/2021/04/eight-new-environmental-documentaries-to-watch-for-earth-day-2021
The Carbon Map website uses an animated, distorted, shaded, interactive map to help convey how different countries fit into the climate change picture – both the causes and the risks: https://www.carbonmap.org/
UK and International Policy and goals:
For an introduction to the Carbon Budget, watch this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=blsTXGFdeDk
Here is an introduction to the Paris Agreement: https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement
What are the UK Targets: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-enshrines-new-target-in-law-to-slash-emissions-by-78-by-2035
Learn more about the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and think about how they relate to your museum’s values and mission: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
To assess the climate risks to your own organisation and to calculate your impact:
Explore the National Trust’s Climate Hazard Map: https://national-trust.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=a44672bb34c4491a909034d0eed76583
Check out Julie’s Bicycle Creative Green Tools: https://juliesbicycle.com/reporting/
Here is a website carbon calculator: https://www.websitecarbon.com
Calculate your carbon footprint to assess where you could make positive changes. There are lots of tools available, here are a few –
Carbon Calculator: https://www.carbonfootprint.com/calculator.aspx
WWF Carbon Footprint Calculator: https://footprint.wwf.org.uk/
Check out the MDNW publications, ‘U-values Heat Loss Calculator Tool’ and accompanying Guide: https://museumdevelopmentnorthwest.wordpress.com/publications/
Other Guides, Tools and Resources to help you plan:
Check out the MDNW publication, ‘Museums and Art Galleries Survival Strategies’: https://museumdevelopmentnorthwest.wordpress.com/publications/
Arts Council England’s Environmental Responsibility Investment Principle page includes an essential read and resources: https://www.artscouncil.org.uk/publication/essential-read-environmental-responsibility
Julie’s Bicycle has produced a Museums Top Tips Guide: https://juliesbicycle.com/resource_hub/museums-top-tips-guide/
Have a look at Julie’s Bicycle guide to clean energy:
https://juliesbicycle.com/resource-webinar-cleanenergy/
Curating Tomorrow has produced a Museums and the Sustainable Development Goals publication: https://curatingtomorrow236646048.files.wordpress.com/2019/12/museums-and-the-sustainable-development-goals-2019.pdf
What else could you do?
Check out the Association of Independent Museums’ Energy Action Group:
Join Culture Declares Emergency: https://www.culturedeclares.org
List unwanted storage and display furniture on Museocycle: https://museumdevelopmentnorthwest.wordpress.com/museocycle/
Need help decoding some of the green jargon:
Here is Julie’s Bicycle guide to deciphering green gibberish: https://juliesbicycle.com/resource_hub/deciphering-green-gibberish/
Inspiration:
Watch the Climate Reality Project video, Earthrise by Amanda Gorman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwOvBv8RLmo&t=1s
Have a look at The Centre for Alternative Technology’s Zero Carbon Britain reports: https://cat.org.uk/info-resources/zero-carbon-britain/research-reports/zero-carbon-britain-rising-to-the-climate-emergency/
Search the hashtag #MuseumCarbonStories on your social media platforms to see what other museums are doing to take action
Join us online for The Carbon Literacy Project’s Museum Sector Day at COP26 on 4th November:
Finally, look out for opportunities to get involved in Carbon Literacy training using the new Museums Toolkit to be published in January 2022.