Are museums sustainable?

A sustainable museum should be managed to use resources efficiently. As cultural institutions, museums should uphold their social responsibility to protect the environment, reduce pollutant emissions, and mitigate climate change.

While carbon footprints vary widely between museums, it is estimated that an average museum visit generates about 2.34 kg of CO₂. Nevertheless, several measures can help reduce this footprint. It's essential to recognise that sustainability has become a fundamental responsibility of institutions committed to cultural preservation.

Museums must adhere to strict conservation requirements. For example, lighting, temperature, and spatial layout are all carefully controlled to protect the displayed artefacts. However, these conservation measures don't always align with sustainable practices.

Additionally, although all new museums today plan with sustainability in mind, that hasn't always been the case. Many older museums have infrastructures that lack the features required for implementing sustainable strategies. Deep renovations often face financial limitations.

In this context, museums face the challenge of making decisions that enable them to continue preserving culture while also responding to the need for environmental sustainability.

So, how can a museum become more sustainable? As mentioned, many cannot afford a full-scale renovation, but small changes can still make a big difference:
Create an action plan. Like any management strategy, sustainability requires a plan with short- and long-term goals. Knowing what you want to achieve and where to start is key.

-Build a committed team. The museum staff should be proactive in driving change and emphasising sustainability, which can be enhanced through training sessions and awareness initiatives.

-Reduce energy use. Energy consumption should be monitored and reduced where possible—for instance, by using LED lighting instead of traditional fixtures.

• Collaborate with other institutions. Museums can partner with local organisations or institutions to share knowledge and resources.

-Manage temporary exhibitions. Practical steps include reusing materials, reviewing packaging methods, choosing responsible suppliers, and reducing travel for staff and transported works.

-Rethink merchandising. Museum shops can reduce or eliminate plastic products and switch entirely to paper bags, as many other retailers already do.

These measures are relatively low-cost and can be a strong starting point on the road to sustainability.

Museums have a direct impact on the environment, as their buildings can pollute just like any urban structure. That's why they must implement practical sustainability measures. However, museums also have an educational dimension.

Cultural preservation doesn't refer only to the care of historically significant objects—it also includes the protection of cultural values. As institutions that serve society, museums must promote values aligned with sustainability.

Since the launch of the United Nations' 17 Sustainable Development Goals, sustainability has become a key value that no forward-thinking institution can ignore.
Museums can fulfil their educational role in two main ways:

• School visits to sustainable museums offer a unique opportunity to teach children about environmental responsibility.

• Museums also attract large numbers of tourists, providing an opportunity to convey sustainable values to a broad audience.

Beyond these educational approaches, museums can shape society through their own management and programming. Their choice of exhibitions, artists, and cultural events can all send powerful messages about sustainability.

In this way, museums become vital institutions not only for implementing sustainable practices but also for helping the public understand their importance.

Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Many museums now define themselves as sustainable. One such example is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, which has been calculating its CO₂ emissions since 2019.
The museum has developed a Sustainability Action Plan with various initiatives that can serve as a model. These include more flexible temperature and humidity control settings, reducing the volume of new packaging, reusing temporary walls, and sharing exhibition components with other institutions. Their plan also includes dynamic lighting, combining natural and LED lighting sources.

Swisstainable
And what would you think of a bicycle-powered exhibition? We developed this project for the Swiss Tourism Office, utilising the Expöbike system. This mobile, foldable structure travels through city streets by bike. It enables open-air exhibitions that support sustainable tourism. For the build, we used recovered plastic tarps.

At first, the idea of a "sustainable museum" might seem daunting due to perceived challenges. Museums must meet strict conservation standards for their collections. However, in practice, sustainability is not as complex as it looks. Once a clear goal is defined and a plan is in place, all that's left is to come up with practical, innovative ideas to achieve it.

In addition to the Swisstainable travelling exhibition at Misterio Studio, we have experience with other projects requiring strict sustainability criteria, such as the Roca stand at Construmat 2023 and the exhibition designs for Museu Terra. Contact us to discuss your needs and bring your next project to life.

REFERENCES

El Español. (2022). 8 measures museums around the world are taking to become more "green". Available at: https://www.elespanol.com/enclave-ods/historias/20220801/medidas-tomando-museos-mundo-verdes/691431169_0.html [Accessed December 19, 2024].

Guggenheim Bilbao. (n.d.). Sustainability. Available at: https://www.guggenheim-bilbao.eus/acerca-del-museo/sostenibilidad [Accessed December 19, 2024].

Iberdrola. (n.d.). How to conserve heritage while respecting the environment. Available at: https://www.iberdrola.com/cultura/museos-sostenibles [Accessed December 19, 2024].

Ministerio de Cultura. (2011). Sustainability in museums. Available at: https://www.cultura.gob.es/en/dam/jcr:18171641-8d12-4920-ba27-02a3f6fd9a44/sostenibilidad-museos.pdf [Accessed December 19, 2024].

Red 2030. (2022). What are museums doing to become more sustainable? Available at: https://red2030.com/que-hacen-los-museos-para-ser-mas-sostenibles/ [Accessed December 19, 2024].