Feature image: Museum of Tomorrow, Brazil.

The September 2019 meeting of the International Council of Museums in Kyoto, Japan, included several days of critical discussion on sustainability. We now know that museums can be more energy-intensive than hospitals. Are there any opportunities to bring the world’s museum community together to work in the same direction toward climate goals? The answer is yes.

Leaders are emerging

Some countries have initiated dialogues with their institutions. For example, Julie’s Bicycle, with the support of Arts Council England, has been tracking the carbon footprint and use of clean energy in United Kingdom museums. As seen in the LEED project database, about 150 museums have earned LEED green building certification. Approximately 300 more are working toward certification. This is quite a feat for a complex building type.

“By securing the third-party endorsement of LEED certification, we are showing the community our true commitment to the environment,” says JoAnn Newman, President and CEO of Orlando Science Center, which originally earned LEED Gold certification in 2010. “Operating a large building has a big impact on the environment, so it was a priority for us to reduce our energy and water usage. We want to be a conservation leader in our community, which is why we pursued LEED certification, not just once, but twice,” she says.

Link here:   https://www.usgbc.org/articles/green-museums-community-and-un-climate-week