museums & art galleries survival strategies A guide for reducing operating costs and improving sustainability museums & art galleries Survival Strategies sur vival Contents strategies A guide for reducing operating costs and improving sustainability including Foreword 2 A five-step plan for institutions plus 205 initiatives to help get you Introduction 3 started Museums, Galleries and Energy Benefits of Change Survival strategies for museums & art galleries 4 Legislation Environmental Control and Collections Care Standards Five simple steps – A survival strategy for your institution 9 Step #1 Determine your baseline and appropriate level of refurbishment 10 Step #2 Review your building maintenance, housekeeping and energy purchasing 14 Sustainability makes good sense for museums. Step #3 Establish your targets and goals 18 A sustainable business is one that will survive and Step #4 Select your optimal upgrade initiatives 22 continue to benefit society. Vanessa Trevelyan, 2010 President of Museums Association Head of Norfolk Museums & Archaeology Service Step #5 Make your survival strategy happen 50 Further information 54 Renaissance in the Regions Environmental Sustainability Initiatives 58 Acknowledgements and Contacts 60 Cover © Scott Frances 1 Foreword Introduction The UK sustainable development strategy The Green Museums programme in the Our Green Museums programme has Museums, Galleries and Benefits of Change “aims to enable all people throughout the North West is part of a nationwide fabric focussed on empowering members of staff world to satisfy their basic needs and enjoy of initiatives and projects developed and at all levels to bring about organisational Energy Improving energy efficiency and acting Meet the needs a better quality of life without compromising supported through Renaissance in the change. We have recognised that in Museums and Galleries consume sustainably now will avoid the increasing of users, reduce the quality of life of future generations”. Regions. They have been inspired and addition to developing technical expertise significant amounts of energy to maintain costs of acting later and avoid the penalties consumption, guided by the work of the Museums’ and confidence, there is a need to internal environments to protect and being introduced by legislation. This is improve Museums and galleries are striving for Association and other agencies on strengthen individual responsibility and preserve their collections. By targeting this in addition to the immediate benefits of organisational, social, economic and sustainability, and will provide a significant capacity to influence. An important part energy demand, significant energy savings operating more sustainably. environmental environmental sustainability in a challenging resource for museums and galleries. This of this has been working together as a can be made. performance and economic climate, to develop and provide work also supports and complements work network of green champions to test ideas, Museums and Galleries are strongly linked protect your balance relevant and inspirational services to undertaken by the Heritage Lottery Fund develop transferable findings and to share The Survival Strategy has been developed to the community, and so have a choice users. As a result of pressures to become to minimise the environmental impact of learning and best practice. We hope that to build on the Green Museum Step- as to how they promote sustainability. sheet Institutions can directly educate the public more sustainable, our sector is becoming capital developments. the Survival Strategy is a crucial tool for by-step Guide, delivered as part of Make do with the increasingly aware and focused on the everyone working in museums to use to Groundwork Derby & Derbyshire’s Green through newsletters, displays, events etc. reduction of energy use, costs and carbon Many museums and galleries are located make immediate and long-term change in Museums programme initiated and funded Alternatively sustainability can be promoted current performance emissions. within local authorities and universities the way we work. by Museums, Libraries and Archives East indirectly through sustainable practices of your existing carried out by an institution. Both methods that have their own climate change action Midlands and Renaissance East Midlands. buildings, or plan plans. For example, a groundbreaking Sustainability remains one of the key http://www.mla.gov.uk/what/programmes/ have advantages and disadvantages; initiative to help protect against the impacts challenges for our sector; as a contributor renaissance/regions/east_midlands/ however each is a big step towards more your survival of global warming will provide a blueprint to the Museums Association’s consultation info_for_sector/collections_buildings/ sustainable behaviour in the institution and strategy and reap for Greater Manchester to adapt to what stated, ‘It’s pointless showcasing history to buildings_projects the wider community. are now accepted as the inevitable effects the world if it costs the earth’. the rewards - the of climate change. By 2015 Manchester Together these documents will help your choice is yours will be a “Green City” with improved local organisation to benchmark current energy and global environmental performance and water use as well as waste production, and with sustainable transport, which develop a strategy with reduction contributes to economic growth. targets and choose the best options for implementing new practices and initiatives to meet your goals. The Survival Strategy comprises 5 steps which will guide your institution through the process with a selection of case studies to demonstrate how the survival strategies have been implemented. The 205 upgrade initiatives listed in Step 4 of the Survival Strategy range from low cost, quick win solutions to longer-term schemes across a range of operational activities. Virginia Tandy OBE Director of Culture, Other environmental sustainability initiatives Manchester City Council, and supported by the Renaissance in the Now, it makes more sense than ever for Hub Lead Renaissance North West Regions programme are listed on page 58. museums to reduce their use of energy and other natural resources; it’s not just good for the planet, but it reduces running costs too. Maurice Davies, Head of Policy and Communication, Museums Association Image credit: Ben Blackall 2 3 Survival strategies Case study for museums and art galleries Legislation Environmental Control and New European standard being developed Updating Lighting by CEN/TC 346 The tightening of the regulatory Collections Care Standards The development of a new European Manchester Museum environment over the last decade is BS 5454 standard dealing with the protection scheduled to increase steadily to meet Work is underway for a new Published of objects in all types of collections is the overarching Government objective Document (PD 5454), Guide for the currently under way by CEN, the European Manchester Museum houses over 4.25 million of reducing carbon emissions by 80% Storage and Exhibition of Archival Committee for Standardisation. It will specimens and objects. Its collections range widely by 2050. Below is a list of the relevant Material, which will merge BS 5454 with take the latest thinking on environmental from Ancient Egypt to Plants and the Changing Planet. legislation and other considerations that its accompanying guidance, PD 0024. criteria into consideration and update In 2008 The Carbon Trust surveyed Manchester are applicable to Museums and Galleries. It will still include guidance relating to advice on building construction and Museum to identify the ways in which it could reduce Additional details about the legislation can building construction, security, fire and protection, fire precautions, storage and its carbon footprint. The objective was to highlight be found in the Further Information section flood protection but will take into account packing requirements, modern media and the most productive activities that would reduce the on page 53. exhibitions. This work should be completed current thinking around environmental museum’s carbon footprint. sustainability. It is directed to archive and by 2013/14. s Energy Performance of Buildings library collections only, but is often used as Benefits Directive (EPBD) a reference by museums and galleries. For updated news on the changing s UK Building Regulations standards visit http://www.bsigroup.com/ The Carbon Trust survey highlighted three main areas s BS5454 PAS 198 where savings could be made. These comprised A Publically Available Specification, PAS Government Indemnity Scheme s Government Indemnity Scheme lighting, local hot water supply and space heating. The 198 Specification for environmental The Government Indemnity Scheme s The Carbon Reduction Commitment museum identified updating lighting as having the most conditions for cultural collections, is due (GIS) provides compensation cover for Energy Efficiency Scheme (CRC) significant potential to save energy. Lighting previously to be available in May 2011. PAS 198 objects being loaned by the institution. Feed in Tariffs (FITs) accounted for 50% of the total electricity consumption. s will provide a set of requirements for The scheme covers loss and damage for s BREEAM the objects; however, the institution must the environmental conditions in which Matrix Initiatives s The EU Emission Trading System (ETS) archive, library and museum collections meet certain requirements to qualify