Introduction
Museums play a vital role in local communities, preserving history, culture and heritage for future generations. But as climate change progresses and pressure to meet net zero targets increases, many museums are facing a new challenge: how to protect the past whilst preparing for a more sustainable future.
From rising energy costs and limited funding, to working in protected listed buildings, sustainability can feel like a daunting task for museums of all sizes.
In this blog, we explore why museums and sustainability go hand in hand, and how a clear sustainability plan can help you future-proof the past.
Why is Sustainability in Museums Important?
Museums have a unique opportunity to inspire change and reach audiences from all backgrounds, ages and walks of life. They play a pivotal role in shaping how we see and interact with the world and our responsibility to protect it.
By embracing sustainability, museums can lead by example and encourage visitors to think differently about the environment. This is especially important when engaging younger generations, who are increasingly passionate about climate action. Surveys have shown that 80% of children and young people are eager to take action to help the environment and expect organisations to take sustainability seriously.
Sustainability in museums not only reduces carbon emissions, but it also helps to protect historical collections and artefacts by creating stable and healthy indoor environments, avoiding damage or degradation caused by temperature fluctuations and damp and poor air quality.
For many museums, sustainability also has practical and financial benefits. Tight budgets, rising energy costs and ageing buildings can put pressure on resources, but introducing sustainable practices can help reduce operational costs over time. Simple changes such as improving energy efficiency, reducing waste, and monitoring environmental conditions can make a significant difference.
Sustainability in museums also helps to strengthen social responsibility, by encouraging organisations to become more inclusive, accessible, and community-focused to create welcoming spaces for everyone and continuing to create more history to look back on.
How to Create a Museum Sustainability Plan to Future-Proof the Past
A survey from the Network of European Museum Organisations found that 80% of museums surveyed said that climate change and sustainability are important strategic topics, but this number drops to 65% when asked if they emphasise sustainability in the planning and management of the museums’ premises and properties.
This shows a clear gap between recognising sustainability as a priority and embedding it into day-to-day operations, perhaps as a result of sustainability initiatives being perceived as expensive. But despite this perception, there are lots of low-cost, effective ways to create a museum sustainability plan that can help you achieve your long-term targets.
1- Set measurable and achievable targets
Starting off by setting realistic and measurable targets for your museum sustainability plan is a great way to establish a benchmark for you to measure your progress.
Setting goals across key areas such as emissions, waste reduction, and energy consumption will help you track progress and identify opportunities for improvement over time.
You could also assign responsibility for specific targets to designated members of staff to encourage accountability and consistent monitoring. Publicly sharing your sustainability goals with visitors can further demonstrate your commitment and help engage guests in your sustainability initiatives.
2- Building fabric improvements
There are lots of small, low-cost ways you can upgrade the fabric of your buildings that can contribute towards your museum’s sustainability. This could include improvements to insulation, using eco-friendly materials, and installation of energy-efficient windows which will reduce the demand on your heating and cooling systems, prevent draughts and heat loss, and reduce energy consumption.
3- Switch up your lighting
Lighting accounts for a significant portion of a museum’s energy use and is essential for effectively showcasing your exhibits. By replacing any traditional lighting fixtures with LED lighting upgrades and smart sensors, you can reduce electricity use whilst protecting sensitive collections.
4- Consider water use
Reducing and optimising water use is another important step towards becoming a more sustainable museum. By implementing water-saving initiatives, you can lower your environmental impact whilst also reducing operational costs.
Installing low-flow taps, rainwater harvesting, and greywater recycling systems can significantly cut water consumption across your site. Rainwater can also be collected and reused for landscape maintenance, toilet flushing, and cleaning.
5- Sustainable food practices
Museum cafés and restaurants can play an important role in supporting overall sustainability goals. Composting food waste from cafés and restaurants helps reduce the amount sent to landfill and can be used to grow plants, herbs, or produce on-site for your kitchen.
You could also consider adapting your menu by incorporating local, seasonal, and ethically produced food, helping to reduce transportation emissions and support local businesses.
6- Renewable energy
One of the most impactful ways you can make your museum sustainable is by shifting your energy reliance away from fossil fuels and generating your own renewable energy on-site. Renewable energy systems can significantly lower carbon emissions whilst helping reduce long-term energy costs.
Commercial solar panels typically have a lifespan of around 25 years and often have short payback periods of around 4 to 6 years, providing museums with decades of low-cost or free energy afterwards.
For museums operating within listed buildings, renewable technologies can often be integrated through careful planning, including discreet roof placement, ground-mounted systems, or solar carports.
7- Nurture biodiversity
Increasing biodiversity around your museum site can help create healthier environments for both wildlife and visitors. Green spaces can support local ecosystems as well as improving air quality and adding character to the overall appearance of your museum building and grounds.
A popular way of incorporating nature into your building is by introducing living walls, creating rooftop gardens, and planting areas to encourage biodiversity by creating habitats for insects, birds, and other pollinators. Adding features such as bird boxes, hedgehog and bug hotels, and other wildlife-friendly outdoor spaces can further support local species whilst creating an enjoyable experience for visitors.
8- Eco-friendly gift shops
Gift shops can support museum sustainability goals by offering products that are ethically and responsibly sourced. Choosing items made from recycled, organic, or fairtrade materials is a simple way to reduce environmental impact, as well as acting as a unique selling point for green-minded customers.
Make your gift shop a part of the educational experience for your guests by adding signs or posters that show the lifecycle of a sustainable gift compared with a less sustainable alternative. This can help raise awareness among visitors, encourage more responsible purchasing decisions, and reinforce your museum’s sustainable values beyond the exhibits themselves.
You should also consider more sustainable packaging such as using paper bags, recyclable wrapping materials, and digital receipts instead of printed copies. These small changes can help reduce waste and reinforce your wider commitment to sustainability.
9- Community engagement programs
Museums have a unique opportunity to reach large audiences and inspire real environmental change.
Hosting sustainability workshops, conservation projects, and environmental education initiatives can help get local communities involved and create greater awareness of environmental issues. You can also use exhibitions, signage, and interactive displays to showcase your own sustainability efforts and inspire visitors to adopt more sustainable habits too.
Practical initiatives such as providing EV charging points and bike racks can further encourage greener travel choices for staff and visitors which can improve your scope 3 emissions. You could also use your website to encourage green travel for your guests by highlighting public transport routes on your ‘visit us’ page.
10- Support local artists and makers
Sustainability starts at home, and museums can make a positive impact by supporting local artists, craftspeople, and suppliers. By commissioning local creatives for exhibitions, installations, workshops, and visitor experiences, museums can reduce transportation-related emissions whilst celebrating local culture and talent. Working with local artists and makers can also provide opportunities for community engagement and educational programmes that tell local stories and perspectives.
Museums can also improve sustainability behind the scenes by purchasing environmentally responsible office supplies, display materials, and exhibition resources wherever possible. Choosing local suppliers for these operational essentials can help reduce environmental impact whilst supporting businesses that share your commitment to sustainability.
Examples of Sustainable Museums
Across the globe, more and more museums are coming up with innovative ways to incorporate sustainability into the way they operate, with some of the most sustainable museums creating unique experiences for their visitors.
- The Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) – Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
The Museum of Tomorrow opened its doors in 2015 with sustainability at the forefront of its design. The building features solar panels that move with the sun to ensure maximum generation as well as an air conditioning system that draws in water from the nearby Guanabara Bay, cleans it and returns it to its source in the process, as well as collecting and utilising rainwater. The museum has reported savings of around 9.6 million litres of water and 2,400 megawatt-hours of electricity per year, thanks to its sustainable design.
- The Museum of Liverpool – Liverpool, UK
The Museum of Liverpool building features an energy-efficient ‘trigeneration’ plant which uses a combined heat and power system that efficiently generates heat, cooling and electricity. The museum is also powered by a mix of low carbon fuels and renewable energy, reducing CO2 emissions by 884 tonnes per year.
Furthermore, National Museums Liverpool is one of many organisations around the world to declare a climate and ecological emergency.
- The Exploratorium – San Francisco, USA
San Francisco’s Exploratorium aims to be one of the world’s first and largest net zero museums and works to educate visitors about the realities of climate change.
This involved a major renovation and preservation project on the museum’s historic building using recycled materials. The museum’s rooftop also features solar panels which generate around 2,000 MWh of clean energy each year, which has led to a platinum LEED certification and the ability to produce around 76% of its energy needs on-site each year.
How Ennovus Can Help You Future-Proof the Past
At Ennovus, we understand the challenges faced by the arts and culture sector when it comes to implementing sustainability initiatives, and we’re here to support you with a range of services and tools.
Business energy audits are a great starting point when implementing new museum sustainability initiatives, allowing you to take a deeper look at your energy usage across your whole site. Ennovus’ energy audits allow you to spot inefficiencies and areas where you can make adjustments, helping you to secure long term energy cost savings.
Whether you’re new to sustainability or already making changes, we can support you with a comprehensive decarbonisation strategy to deliver site-specific roadmaps with tailored upgrades and technologies, all bespoke to your site, requirements, and goals.
At Ennovus, we specialise in renewable energy installation. Whether you want to harness the power of the sun with solar panels for rooftop, ground or carport, generate clean electricity with efficient wind turbines tailored to your site, or combine the two for a robust and resilient renewable energy system, we deliver sustainable energy solutions designed around your needs.
From LED lighting upgrades and building management systems, to battery storage and EV charging stations, we have a suite of energy efficiency solutions that can be tailored to your museum, helping you to save money, cut carbon and gain greater control over your energy.
If you’re ready to start future-proofing the past, get in touch with our team today.
