Questions to help you plan for climate action in and with museums

This section poses sets of questions to help you understand and accelerate climate action in and with museums.

The questions are presented to help you evaluate your existing activities, and to plan further or future activities to accelerate climate action.

They are intended to help you clarify what the challenges and opportunities are, what you intend to do about them, how you might address them, and how you might work with others to enhance your contributions to climate action.

You could explore the questions to decide which tools, frameworks and opportunities you want to focus on in the rest of the Toolbox; or, you could use them to evaluate your museum’s climate action, The questions should be useful to you as you develop exhibitions and events, as part of recruitment or to understand your museum’s operational impacts, to frame discussions in your museum, or to develop partnerships and interactions with the public and other stakeholders.

The questions are not set in stone, nor are they a final list: use them, add to them, and debate them as you find useful.

At the end of each section you are directed to sections in this
Toolbox that provide further information, frameworks and suggestions
for climate action.

INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS: YOUR OVERALL ROLE[S] IN CLIMATE ACTION

• How will climate change impact the place[s] you operate in?
• Who will be affected and how?
• How do you contribute to climate change, locally and globally?
• What roles does your community currently think your museum plays?
• What resources and opportunities do you have or could you create, to foster climate action?
• Thinking about climate change impacts in your setting, what roles would be most helpful to your community and the natural environment, in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and adapting to a changing climate? Who should decide?
• Which roles do you think your museum can’t play, and why?
• What would you, your colleagues and your museum need to differently to play those roles?
• What would be gained, and what would be lost in making those changes? Who would benefit, prioritising the needs of those currently under-served or excluded?
• Who decides how you change, in the face of certain change? You, or your community?
• Whose voices and opinions matter?
• What scales should you operate at? What scales can you work at to support climate transformation?
• What is your overall vision and commitment to climate action?
• When are you currently on track to be zero carbon on climate neutral?
• How fast are you reducing your carbon footprint, before offsetting is considered?
• Are you contributing to the transformation needed, in line with Paris Agreement commitments, or are you too slow?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Human rights and climate change (section g)
Climate justice (section h)
Just transition (section i)

In the following sets of questions, a suggested ‘destination’ of ‘where are you trying to get to?’ is presented, followed by sets of questions to help you explore where you are now, and how you might get from there to the desired future destination.

1. CULTURAL AND NATURAL HERITAGE FOR CLIMATE ACTION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

Cultural and natural heritage are threatened by climate change. They need to be managed in ways that address climate change and that can adapt to climate impacts. Caring for cultural and natural heritage should be undertaken in ways that do not themselves contribute to climate damage, which ultimately threatens people, and cultural and natural heritage.

Where are you trying to get to?

– A position where cultural and natural heritage are safeguarded and developed effectively, in the context of a changing climate.
– Where cultural and natural heritage contribute effectively to climate action.
– Where cultural and natural heritage are accessible to those who can make use of them for climate action.
– Where the negative impacts of heritage management are eliminated.

Where are you now?

– How are cultural and natural heritage threatened by climate change in your context (place)?
– How are your current approaches to managing cultural heritage impacting on wider cultural and natural heritage?
– Who is dispossessed from their heritage, or unable to draw on cultural or natural heritage because of museum practices?

How are you going to get there?

– What heritage preservation approaches are needed to meet the requirements of the Paris Agreement and Sustainable Development Goals?
– What cultural heritage could be helpful to reduce emissions or adapt to climate change, to whom, and how can they be provided with full access to it?
– How can you incorporate your impacts on wider society, cultural and natural heritage into your decision-making, energy use and planning?
– How can you incorporate the care and safeguarding of wider climate and biodiversity into your internal museum decisions?
– How can you consider the impacts of decisions on heritage in three ways: ‘here and now’, ‘elsewhere’, and ‘later on’?
– What are the current and future climate scenarios, impacts and adaptation plans you need to be aware of and participate in?
– If your museum has to move because of climate change, where should it move to, and for whom, and why should it continue to exist?
– At what level of risk should your museum be allowed to come to an end?
– What questions would you need to ask now, and of whom, to help you change to a more constructive role, in safeguarding cultural and natural heritage from climate impacts?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Human rights and climate change (section g)
Climate justice (section h)
Just transition (section i)
Towards positive relationships with nature (section n)
Nature-based solutions (section o)
Heritage as part of the problem – and part of the solution (section p)
Reimagining Museums for Climate Action: inspiring radical climate action in and with museums (section q)

2. LEARNING FOR CLIMATE ACTION

Education, for all ages and lifelong, is a fundamental part of climate action, empowering people to know what they can do, to care about addressing climate change and its impacts, and having practical skills to act to address climate change.

Where are you trying to get to?

– A situation where everyone has the knowledge, attitudes and skills to contribute meaningfully to climate action.
– Where everyone has the knowledge, attitudes and skills to understand and recognise how climate change will impact upon them, and what they can do to be prepared for those challenges to protect themselves, their families and their property from risk of harm.
– Where education, awareness and information are provided in forms that support people’s ongoing knowledge and ability to participate in climate action, so they are accessible, mindful of cultural differences, and respectful of minorities’ needs.
– Where people know their rights, and have the knowledge, attitudes and skills to claim their rights regarding climate action, through democratic and political processes.
– Where everyone is empowered through education to know who is responsible for climate change, and how they can influence those in power to fulfil their responsibilities regarding climate action.

Where are you now?

– Who currently has the knowledge, attitudes, and/or skills to contribute meaningfully to climate action?
– Who lacks the knowledge, attitudes and/or skills to contribute meaningfully to climate action?
– Who takes part in current affairs and who doesn’t?
– What are the particular climate impacts facing people in your context[s], and how do you currently empower people to understand and manage those impacts?
– What cultural heritage is supporting learning opportunities to support climate action, and what cultural heritage is unused, underused, or not available to those who could learn from it?
– How do your current programmes build people’s knowledge, attitudes and/or skills relating to climate action?

How are you going to get there?

– How are you going to incorporate climate mitigation and action into your educational and awareness-raising programmes?
– What do you need to incorporate to support climate mitigation and adaptation effectively?
– What climate impacts are likely to impact on your communities and what information do they need to prepare for those impacts?
– How are you going to support high emitters to reduce their carbon footprint?
– How are you going to ensure everyone has the necessary and appropriate knowledge, attitudes and skills to contribute to climate action?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Human rights and climate change (section g)
Climate justice (section h)
Just transition (section i)
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (section j)
Action for Climate Empowerment (section k)
Education for Sustainable Development (section l)
Additional learning approaches (section m)
Towards positive relationships with nature (section n)

3. CLIMATE ACTION NEEDS EVERYONE

Everyone is entitled, by right, to participate in the cultural life of their community, to benefit from scientific achievement, to participate in public affairs, and to take part in environmental decision making. Everyone is entitled to know the challenges facing them and their property, without exception. Cultural participation regarding climate change is not a ‘nice to have’: it is about people’s lives and futures. Ensuring that climate action programmes are available, accessible and appropriate for all people supports people’s rights to participate in climate action. More broadly, if museums deny people, or certain groups of people, access to their own cultural heritage, or prevent people from benefitting from the knowledge associated with collections, then they are getting in the way of climate action.

Where are you trying to get to?

– A situation where everyone has access to the information, resources and opportunities to face climate change.
– Where people are lifted out of poverty, their rights are fulfilled and they can achieve their potential, which would help them face climate change.
– Where those who consume most reduce their consumption and emissions most rapidly.
– Where people are aware of how political decisions keep people in poverty, and are empowered to make use of democratic processes.
– A future where everyone has access to a reasonable standard of living, without fear, violence, discrimination, or hunger.

Where are you now?

– Whose rights are you supporting, and whose rights are you violating? How are you reaching minorities, in ways sensitive to their aspirations and needs, and in ways that are meaningful to them?
– How are efforts to support all of society to meet the challenges of today, and to truly transform society, being achieved, beyond project-based approaches?
– Who are you excluding from making use of their own heritage, which could support their climate action and empowerment?
– What cultural norms are you responsible for shaping, and how do those norms contribute to climate action (or inaction)?

How are you going to get there?

– What does cultural participation regarding climate action look like? Who is doing what?
– How are the needs of minorities met?
– How are those who are most at risk from climate impacts prioritised?
– How are everyone’s rights regarding education, information, to take part in cultural life, to contribute to the life of the community, and their collective rights to play a role in the development of the community being met?
– How are the barriers that currently prevent people from participating in society, and accessing their cultural heritage – whether it is in their own country or elsewhere, and whether it is in relation to climate change or not – being removed?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Human rights and climate change (section g)
Climate justice (section h)
Just transition (section i)
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (section j)
Action for Climate Empowerment (section k)
Education for Sustainable Development (section l)
Additional learning approaches (section m)

4. SUPPORT SUSTAINABLE TOURISM

Tourism has a massive carbon footprint. Working to support sustainable tourism can help ensure that museums are not driving climate damage. Museums often play a role in attracting tourists to particular locations and tourism is growing in unsustainable ways. The carbon footprint associated with visitor travel – including of international tourists – is part of museums’ own carbon footprint. Reducing the negative impacts of tourism has to be part of museums’ planning to reduce the impact of their activities.

Where are you trying to get to?

– A future where tourism is in balance with other museum activities.
– Where tourism doesn’t necessitate long flights or emissions.
– Where museums are less place-based and reach out more, to avoid the need for travel and its negative emissions.

Where are you now?

– What proportion of your overall greenhouse gas emissions are a result of tourism?
– What are your plans to manage tourism?
– Has tourism grown sustainably, or not?
– If tourism has grown a lot, what else have you not been able to do, and what has been lost in the process?

How are you going to get there?

– By prioritising local sustainable development over climate-wrecking international tourism?
– Could digital media help you reach people without their needing to travel?
– Could you support people to become ‘responsible tourists’ before they travel?
– Could you better support localism? Are you prioritising the needs or desires of wealthy, high-emissions travellers, or disadvantaged local people?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Just transition (section i)
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (section j)
Nature-based solutions (section o)

5. RESEARCH FOR CLIMATE ACTION

Research – production of new knowledge and perspectives – is fundamental to climate action, in terms of science, social sciences and humanities approaches, and Traditional Knowledge. Museums contain unique resources and opportunities that can support research that can help meet the challenge of climate change, and also connect people with and in research. The research process can be very carbon intensive (for example through air travel to conferences), and shifting research practices to be lower carbon could contribute meaningfully to climate action.

Where are you trying to get to?

– A future where people have access to the knowledge resources they need to understand and meet the challenges of climate change.
– Where research and research-ready resources are developed effectively, and shared for the maximum benefit of humanity and for climate action.
– Where research is undertaken in ways that maximise its positive contributions to climate action and sustainable development, and use little carbon in the process.

Where are you now?

– What resources do you have – collections, information – that could help understand climate change or manage its impacts?
– How are these resources being made use of?
– Who is able, and unable, to make use of collections and other resources to meet the challenge of climate change and its impacts?

How are you going to get there?

– What are the biggest questions that could help address climate change, and cope with its impacts, and which researchers and disciplines might be able to answer them?
– Whose research and which disciplines can help inform public opinion and awareness to meet the challenges of climate change?
– What kinds of resources are needed in your context to ensure people can continue to understand and explore climate change and its impacts?
– In what forms does research need to be made available to meet the needs of communities and other stakeholders, notably through open access publishing?
– How can your museums support the communication and sharing of research, and promote critical thinking to enable people to make use of research?
– How can your museum support research to understand and enhance public support for climate action?
– How can research be more accessible, and appropriate to the needs of communities and a wide variety of users and stakeholders?
– How can your current, or new, research programmes contribute to climate action and sustainable development?
– How can the negative aspects of research and research practice – which often involves a lot of travel for research and conferences – be reduced and eliminated?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Human rights and climate change (section g)
Climate justice (section h)
Just transition (section i)
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (section j)
Action for Climate Empowerment (section k)
Education for Sustainable Development (section l)
Additional learning approaches (section m)
Towards positive relationships with nature (section n)
Nature-based solutions (section o)
Heritage as part of the problem – and part of the solution (section p)

6. MAKING CLIMATE ACTION EVERY MUSEUM WORKERS’ JOB, EVERYDAY

Climate change represents a monumental challenge for all of society. That means it needs everyone to act, and to act fast. Climate change is too big a challenge to be a simple project alongside other activities, or a short-term project, or one particular person’s job. Climate action needs everyone. Climate action has to be part of everyone’s work and daily decision-making, and certainly a part of big decisions, to achieve the transformation to a climate-friendly future. Museums have to address their own carbon footprint and other greenhouse gas emissions, as part of climate action, in line with the Paris Agreement. Their pension funds and investments should be directed towards supporting climate action, and they should not be funding or supporting climate destruction. They – individual museums, sector support organisations and the entire museum sector – need to adopt policies and develop plans that incorporate the requirements needed to achieve the Paris Agreement and SDGs.

Where are you trying to get to?

– A future where museums are climate positive: responsible for removing more greenhouse gas emissions than you produce.
– Where museums and those who work in them are deploying their various resources – collections, buildings, staff – to concrete climate action as far as is reasonably possible.
– Where museums’ and museum workers’ external-facing actions (educational and participatory activities) complement their internal rapid greenhouse gas reductions.
– Where museums’ climate action is reported and communicated openly, honestly and transparently to all stakeholders.

Where are you now?

– Do you know what your greenhouse gas emissions are, both for your museum and for your own work? Do you care?
– Do you know what emissions your museum and your work are indirectly responsible for? There’s a good chance they represent 80% or more of the overall emissions.
– Are your emissions reducing, both for your museum and your own work or, worse, are they increasing?
– When are you (your museum and your own work) on course to be carbon neutral/Net Zero, in the proper sense of aggressively reducing your emissions as far as is possible, and offsetting the remainder responsibly?

How are you going to get there?

– How can you make your museum accountable for the climate damage it has done over the course of its history?
– How can you ensure people in your museum know what emissions your country is responsible for, and the level of ambition that your museum should be taking to reduce its emissions?
– What concrete plans and actions should your museum prioritise to understand and reduce its largest/biggest sources of emissions from burning fossil fuels, energy and transport (Scope 1 and 2 emissions)?
– What concrete plans and actions should your museum prioritise to understand and reduce the emissions resulting from its activities, such as visitor travel and waste management (Scope 3 emissions)?
– How can you make concrete commitments that involve measurement, reduction, offsetting/contribution, and regular reporting of your climate actions to all stakeholders?
– How can you ensure that reporting incorporates all of positive actions, negative impacts, and actions to be taken to address negative impacts?
– How can you make climate action everyone’s job, everyday, through recruitment, work plans, staff reviews and resourcing decisions?
– How can you understand how climate change will impact on your organisation and community, and ensure it is ready to cope with those impacts?

See sections on:

Climate change and its many impacts (section c)
Reducing greenhouse gas emissions: climate mitigation (section d)
Coping with change: climate adaptation and resilience (section e)
Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Human rights and climate change (section g)
Climate justice (section h)
Just transition (section i)
Common But Differentiated Responsibilities (section j)
Action for Climate Empowerment (section k)
Education for Sustainable Development (section l)
Additional learning approaches (section m)
Towards positive relationships with nature (section n)
Nature-based solutions (section o)
Heritage as part of the problem – and part of the solution (section p)

7. WORKING EFFECTIVELY WITH OTHER MUSEUMS, ORGANISATIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES, TO SUPPORT CLIMATE ACTION

Partnerships between people, institutions, sectors, networks and countries are an essential part of climate action and sustainable development. Partnerships help to build collective value through synergies and added value. There are a number of excellent initiatives that museums can empower people to participate in. Museums can embed these into their planning, exhibitions, educational activities, and ensure that their own operations are steered towards supporting them, and removing their negative impacts.

Where are you trying to get to?

– Where museums are effective and willing partners in climate action.
– A situation where everyone knows the potential of museums to support climate action, and where that potential is realised.
– Where museums understand what agendas, initiatives and opportunities are underway or being developed, and how they can play their part.
– Where museum workers can work effectively with other sectors to build public value and climate action.
– Where collective action involving museums is communicated widely and effectively among partners, and to wider stakeholders.

Where are you now?

– Who (museums, other organisations) are you working with on climate change mitigation and adaptation?
– Who (museums, other organisations) are you working with on nature conservation and restoration?
– Which communities or agencies representing communities are you working with, in order to understand and address climate impacts they face?
– How are your current partnerships and collaborations directed towards climate action?
– Which of your current partnerships and collaborations support climate action, and which, if any, impede climate action?
– Which relevant agendas, such as international observance days, international years and decades, and sustainable development programmes, are you participating in?
– Who are you currently communicating your climate action to, how and why?

How are you going to get there?

– Which other museums or organisations could you work with, to accelerate and enhance climate change mitigation and adaptation?
– Which other museums other organisations could you work with, to accelerate and enhance nature conservation and restoration, which could contribute to climate action?
– How well do you understand which communities face particular climate impacts, and how could you work with them or with other agencies to support them to understand and address these impacts?
– How can you incorporate climate action into relevant decisionmaking processes, such as collaborations, partnership agreements, and policies?
– How can you enhance your current partnerships and collaborations that support climate action, and reduce and eliminate your current partnerships and collaborations that impede climate action?
– What additional or upcoming international observance days, international years, decades and sustainable development programmes could you support, and what steps need to be taken to support them?

See sections on:

Disaster Risk Reduction and ‘Build Back Better’ (section f)
Action for Climate Empowerment (section k)
Education for Sustainable Development (section l)
Additional learning approaches (section m)
Nature-based solutions (section o)
Current opportunities to take part in climate action (section r)