ideas into action
Mobilising Museums for Climate Action
Tools, frameworks and opportunities to accelerate climate action in and with museums
The Toolbox brings together information on climate change policy, sustainable development and the Sustainable Development Goals, and a number of approaches that museums can draw on to inform their activities
Climate action in and with museums can be thought of as having five components:
1. Mitigation through museums
Museums must support all of society to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, rapidly, in line with Paris Agreement commitments, by encouraging and empowering people to understand the part they have to play in climate action and have the skills to play it, and to use less, waste less, and make sure anything they do use is renewable. They can foster support, and sharing of resources, for nature conservation efforts that strengthen nature’s ability to absorb greenhouse gas emissions.
2. Mitigation in museums
Museums must aggressively reduce greenhouse gas emissions across all aspects of their activity, in line with Paris Agreement commitments. They can ensure all staff, and all people and organisations in the value chain understand the part they have to play in climate action, and are empowered to act through policies and resourcing so that every action is supporting climate action, in order to use less, waste less, and make sure anything that is used is renewable. They can direct financial and other resources towards nature conservation efforts that strengthen nature’s ability to absorb greenhouse gas emissions, through their everyday decisions and procurement practices.
3. Adaptation through museums
Museums must support all of society, and nature, to face and cope with current and projected climate change impacts.
4. Adaptation in museums
Museums must understand how they will be impacted by climate change, and adapt their practices, location, programmes and collections to be fit for the future.
5. Climate action as part of sustainable development, climate justice and a just transition
Museums must ensure that all climate-change activity is undertaken in ways that do not themselves disenfranchise people or communities, locally or globally; and recognise that, in tackling climate change, other sustainable development challenges have to be addressed at the same time.
explore toolbox sections
