Climate change is happening now: our collections reveal its historic, current and future consequences.
We know we all have a part to play in reducing our carbon footprint.
We aim to be responsible and transparent about the environmental impact of our work and to help inspire positive climate action in our Museums and Garden, audiences, partners and the wider heritage sector.
As part of our commitment as an Arts Council England funded organisation, we are working in response to its Investment Principles, including Environmental Responsibility. Our core programme, Our Planet, guides our work as we continue to develop sustainable practices.
How we are doing this
- Our team runs Carbon Literacy for Museums training for staff and volunteers across our Museums and Garden. This whole day accredited training aims to empower our staff and offer them the skills and confidence they need to take impactful action.
- We monitor and report our annual environmental impact to Julie’s Bicycle, a non-profit organisation supporting arts and culture to take action on the climate crisis. This data contributes to the picture of the carbon footprint of the cultural sector more widely.
- We support Museums to develop programming and events that inspire a love of nature, explore environmental change and open up conversations with our communities about our changing planet. You can see some of these events listed below.
- We consult with our communities about their feelings on the environment. This has included an audience study in partnership with Cambridge City Council and a Pop-Up Museum, exploring how species from our collections adapt to their environments.
- We continue to work within the wider University of Cambridge environmental strategy and its goal to reduce its energy-related carbon emissions to absolute zero by 2048. All our procurement processes, waste management, energy and water consumption are managed under this framework. You can read more about sustainability across the University and how it is taking action on its Sustainability web page.
Our Museums and Garden are working to promote sustainability in a range of ways, including through event programming, reusing and recycling exhibition materials, and minimising food waste and offering more plant-based options in their cafes.
How you can help
- Travel sustainably when you visit our Museums and Garden. Many of our sites are within easy walking distance, or you can cycle (see Cambridgeshire City Council’s cycle maps), catch an electric bus or use the Park and Ride service.
- Make sure you put any rubbish in the bins provided. This is recycled through the University’s innovative waste recovery service. When visiting the cafes, reduce single use plastic by bringing a reusable cup or bottle with you.
- Filter our What’s On page by ‘Sustainability’ and join in one of our events.
- Tell us what you think. If you notice something you think we can do better, share your feedback with us through visitor surveys or by contacting us by email: info@museums.cam.ac.uk
You can read more about our sustainability work on our Collections in Action blog.
A new temporary art installation co-curated with a group of young people from Parkside Community College and artist Hilary Cox Condron. This creative response to the Museum’s collections and the current climate crisis explores extinction, climate change and hope for the future.
Year 12 students explore our power over the natural world in this free exhibition
Meet some of nature's heroes in our new exhibition, which will be popping up across Cambridge this autumn.
Resources
We connect with local and national partners across the culture sector to draw on and share best practice and develop our work.
