How museums support UK national ambitions on climate
UK museums are at the forefront of global thinking and practical action on addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. They are using their unique expertise and collections to engage the public and contributing to global research efforts to find solutions. The museum sector is also committed to reducing its environmental impact by proactively navigating the complex challenges of managing collections and heritage buildings to ensure they are here for future generations to enjoy.
The sector stands ready to progress the UK’s climate ambitions of net zero and beyond, but government support and investment is needed to continue this forward momentum.
1. Museum estates inspiring the road to net zero
Museums can be exemplars of environmentally sustainable and nature positive estate management. However, they also face unique challenges in balancing sustainability with their responsibility for the long-term care of collections and buildings. As the Buro Happold study for NMDC shows, there are major opportunities for carbon and cost savings across museum estates. There is also an imperative urgency to act now to protect collections from future climate risks.
In order to maintain the high levels of public trust in museums as sources of information on the climate and biodiversity crises and act as role models for sustainable behaviours, museums must reduce the environmental impact of their own operations and buildings. Research on cultural audiences shows that 72% think cultural organisations have a responsibility to influence society to make radical change to address the climate emergency, but 1 in 4 of don’t know what organisations are doing in this respect. By visibly improving estates, museums have the opportunity to take audiences with them on the journey to reach net zero.
NMDC recognises that there are extensive existing needs for museum maintenance and repair that far outstrip available funding. The hugely successful but over-subscribed MEND fund distributed by Arts Council England, and the Public Bodies Infrastructure Fund (PBIF) have illustrated this. Future rounds of capital and maintenance funds should expand to incorporate environmental improvements to museum estates. NMDC will continue to work with officials on further building the evidence base of sector needs.
The Public Sector Decarbonisation Scheme (PSDS) has also allowed a small number of museums to transform their estates. To ensure even more public organisations can benefit from future rounds we would encourage an expansion of the criteria, more transparency and ease of application.
Offering smaller grants to the sector for energy assessments prior to capital works would ensure museums are in the right position to apply for these larger grants, as key barriers are the time, funds and expertise to conduct energy audits to identify capital needs. A similar scheme already exists for voluntary, community and social enterprise sector which could be expanded for museums.
NMDC has initiated conversations with some funders about how to make money available to conduct baseline surveys, but incorporation into the PSDS would be transformative.
Museums are ready to work in tune with Government to deliver the UK’s net zero goals.
2. Engaging the public with the climate and biodiversity crisis
Mary Robinson described museums as ‘cornerstones of civil society with high levels of public trust, [museums are] uniquely placed to instil in the public a sense of urgency through action-orientated exhibitions and to portray a more hopeful future.’
Due to their huge popularity, vast audiences and extensive engagement through schools, communities and informal learning, museums can bridge the gaps in public understanding about the science behind the climate and biodiversity crisis. They are uniquely positioned to tell the story through their collections, using expertise and far-reaching research, that other traditional forms of media and public information sources struggle to do at such scale.
This is the fundamental role of museums: telling stories about the planet, our history and our place in it. Cultural education is one of the main roles of museums and with millions of school and learning visits and engagements each year they are pivotal to engaging the next generation in culture, creativity and climate. With secure and sustainable funding museums can continue to do this essential work.
3. Museums driving global ambitions on climate action
UK museums are working with international networks of experts to drive global policy and research. By engaging with the UN COPs on climate and biodiversity, organisations like the Natural History Museum, Science Museum Group and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew that are heavily engaged in cutting edge research are present on the world stage to demonstrate the impact of climate change and biodiversity loss. Museums of all kinds and sizes around the UK have internationally important collections and expertise, engaging with communities domestically and across the globe.
Museums are committed to conservation and research. They use their collections, including extensive natural history and science collections, to conduct research which makes a huge contribution to fighting the climate crisis. Much of this work takes place as part of cross-sector partnerships bringing together curators, scientists and academics from museums, universities and research organisations across the globe. These projects focus on a range of issues facing the planet from protecting ocean ecosystems to understanding biodiversity and preventing further extinctions.
NMDC’s UK Museum COP event in October 2023, where sector leaders committed to collective action, has had a ripple effect through museums across the globe, with membership bodies from other countries following suit in pursuing joint-sector commitments and clarity on how museums can drive wider change. Museums in the UK are also seen as leaders in the move to reduce the carbon-heavy methods used to preserve, display and share museum collections.
Museums are often seen as purveyors of soft power, promoting the UK’s culture, creativity and values to the world, and our heritage is a key reason many want to visit, study and work here. Museums will continue to use this position to engage with the rest of the world on the critical issue of our time.