Climate Action Within the Cultural Sector

Courtesy National Gallery of Art, Washington

Since launching Operationally, I’ve heard more concern about climate change from friends and colleagues in the cultural sector than ever before. Climate change has become one of the most significant and fastest growing threats facing communities everywhere, and we now seem to face a “once in a generation” climate-related event on a weekly basis.

It’s no surprise that the cultural sector is being asked to play a larger role in climate action, both within their own institutions and the regions they serve. This makes sense given the characteristics of cultural organizations - broad geographic presence, public trust, commitment to conservation and social justice, and high visibility. Climate action is a role that cultural organizations should willingly embrace.

However, this presents a catch-22 from an operational perspective. Many facilities have stringent environmental requirements with higher energy consumption compared to typical commercial buildings and campuses. Additionally, cultural organizations are responsible for significant-yet-aging infrastructure, placing the industry at forefront of climate action with limited resources and competing facility needs. Fortunately, we are excited to see emerging philanthropic support for practical steps related to climate action.

 The Frankenthaler Climate Initiative recently made news through a commitment of $10M in grants dedicated to reducing energy consumption associated with visual arts. Beyond financial support, the Frankenthaler Climate Initiative has brought national attention to the importance of environmentally sustainable operations and the organizations actively pursuing climate action. A broad set of cultural organizations received over $5M in the first round of awards with a second round coming in 2022 This award is the largest of its kind, and indicates growing philanthropic interest in climate responsibility within the cultural sector.

 Whether your organization’s energy goals include preparing for new funding opportunities, reducing expense in a mission-aligned way, or building institutional momentum towards climate action by finding quick wins, here are a few opportunities from an operational perspective.

Effectively measure energy use – A necessary first step to reducing energy consumption is measuring and understanding baseline use. This can be as simple as manually collecting and entering meter readings from past invoices or as focused as monitoring energy consumption from specific equipment. An advanced measurement strategy would explore automatically extracting and analyzing building data. Independent of method, a better understanding of energy use can enable organizations to set reduction targets, demonstrate ongoing progress, partner with civic initiatives, and make a compelling case for funding. 

Pursue feasible projects with predictable payback - New construction projects have great visibility and can lead to system modernization, technology upgrades, and incorporation of lower-energy materials. Most organizations will not have an opportunity to undertake facility projects of this magnitude, but smaller-scale initiatives can still gain visibility and while significantly reducing energy consumption and expense. Example initiatives such as LED lighting conversion, solar panel installation, and targeted HVAC improvements are projects with high feasibility and predictable payback, with many more beyond this list. Beyond philanthropic organizations, gas and electricity providers may also offer rebate programs to offset the expense of these programs. 

Find opportunity through complexity reduction – Cultural organizations can unlock indirect energy saving opportunities by working in new, simpler ways. For example, remote storage contributes to energy consumption particularly when climate controlled. Reducing the need for offsite storage through inventory reduction, space reallocation, or other methods can increase operational efficiency while reducing energy consumption. Staff and collection travel, an important component of the exhibition model, also results in additional energy consumption. Emerging “virtual courier” methodologies from both museum and commercial providers present a new opportunity to significantly reduce carbon footprint while saving staff time and expense.

Embrace staff excitement and expertise – There are countless “long-tail” opportunities to reduce energy use through simple and tactical actions – for example, turning off lights, sealing doors and windows, and recycling obsolete equipment. However, capturing these opportunities are only possible with widespread staff involvement and participation that goes beyond new signage. Collectively, staff can remember to turn the lights off, find doors that need new weather-stripping, and remove appliances that quietly drain energy. These activities also can provide pathways to staff participation, a better guest and staff experience, and rapid and visible change.

Understand rationale behind policy decisions - Environmental conditioning within museums is an important and ongoing discussion. In recent years, industry groups have released updated temperature and humidity guidelines to help museums reduce energy consumption while keeping collections safe. While these revised guidelines may not be suitable for all organizations, there may be opportunity in periodically reassessing policy decisions to incorporate new recommendations, research, and technology – particularly if more climate-related innovation accelerates both within and beyond the cultural industry.

 Energy use is one element of the broader narrative surrounding climate responsibility in the culture sector. There is no shortage of opportunity for those looking to pursue climate action. Let us know what else is happening on the cutting edge at your organization, even if it involves removing the fax machine down the hall.

Thanks for following Operationally, reach out and say hello, and until next time. 

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