Sustainability

We are facing a climate and ecological emergency, and most of us are aware of the need to do our bit. The 55,000 museums in the world generate greenhouse gas emissions comparable to a small country. We need to work more sustainably, we want to do so but we don’t always know how to. LFCP can help you and your museum or archive to set and meet your sustainability goals.

In a survey by the SME Climate Hub, 68% of businesses identified lack of skills and knowledge of sustainability actions as a block to taking action. LFCP has these skills and knowledge. Let us do it for you. 40% of those businesses identified lack of time as another block. Use our time to save yours.

Finalist. David Middleton Sustainability Award. 2022

LFCP can help you with:

  • Plans, Audits and Strategy
  • Training
  • Mentoring

Plans, Audits, Strategy

Plans: LFCP can create your sustainability action plan or give you helping hand to guide you through the process.

Policy: LFCP will work with you to produce your sustainability policy for your organisation or your department.

Audits: LFCP can audit your collection and your work evaluating where you are now with your sustainability to create your bespoke action plan setting realistic priorities, timescales and achievable goals alongside benchmarking tools to allow you to monitor and review your progress.

Audits include:

  • Sustainable working in collections care
  • Sustainable working in conservation
  • Energy
  • Waste
  • Water

If all that sounds daunting be aware that all actions make a difference. The Carbon Trust estimates that low cost or no cost actions can reduce energy costs by at least 10%. By taking sustainability actions you will save money, reduce the running costs of your museum or archive AND help to save the planet. Here’s an example: At The Beacon Museum, Whitehaven simple sustainability actions to reduce the energy used for lighting saved £1050 in a year, and stopped 5.5 tonnes of CO₂e being emitted.

Training

Our most popular training is:

  1. Carbon literacy
  2. Sustainability in heritage: What does it mean and what can you do? An examination of what sustainability means in heritage, what to consider when working sustainably and how to implement sustainability actions in your work.
  3. Working sustainably. How to reduce the impact of your work on the climate and the environment covering materials and equipment, energy, water, digital, travel, money and waste.

Feedback from training

‘It was great to hear some focus for becoming more sustainable.’

‘Thank you Lorraine. Your advice, encouragement and support is so appreciated.’

Mentoring

Remote and onsite mentoring to help you reach your sustainability goals.

Partnership Projects:

LFCP works in collaboration with sector support organisations and experts to produce sustainability tools, resources and training including:

  • Roots and Branches Project with Museum Development North West, Manchester Museum and The Carbon Literacy Project funded by Arts Council England.
  • Decision Making for Sustainability in Museums Toolkit with SHARE Museums East and University Cambridge Museums.
  • Sustainability of Materials commonly used in conservation and collections care to allow suppliers to offer alternatives and for you to make informed choices with Preservation Equipment Ltd

Sustainability training by LFCP to watch:

Working Sustainably for Shared Knowledge – Sustainable Future, SHARE Museums East conference.

LFCP is certified carbon literate