London's Museums Go Green

Fostering fertile knowledge in green museums

Twelve of London’s top museums have been graded as green attractions.

Museums as diverse as the Museum of London and the Whitehall Museum have had their commitment to sustainability recognized by the Green Tourism Business Scheme.

Following an initiative supported by Renaissance London, 12 museums have undergone extensive sustainability improvement works and now also offer insights into the history of green issues. 

Each museum was recently awarded Bronze, Silver or Gold by the GTBS in recognition of the improvements to energy and water efficiency, waste management, biodiversity and to other sustainability areas.

For example, the Brunel Museum has taken an innovative approach to heating its building. It was not possible to insulate the scheduled ancient monument so the museum equipped itself with motion sensors that turn on electric fires as people move through the rooms.

The Brunel museum is an architetural wonder that is now also sustainableThese museums also promote awareness of green issues by providing exhibits and workshops that look into green issues.

At the Whitehall there is a school workshop called ‘How green were the Tudors?’ looking at how sustainable the Tudor way of life was. The Florence Nightingale will be showcasing a form of sustainable living with its exhibition ‘All Stitched Up’. Beginning in April, it links together the history of ‘make do and mend’ in the Crimean War with the present day and features quilts made by local artist Susan Stockwell from recycled material.

Renaissance London, a partnership set up to foster diverse, vibrant and sustainable regional museums in the capital, created action plans for each musuem with support from a Green Tourism Business Scheme advisor. Once the green changes had been made, the museums were assessed again and graded.

The scheme will run again next year with a fund of £20k for improvements for smaller museums.

Head of Renaissance London Fiona Davison says: “These awards show what can be done with small grants and gradual changes. Some museums are daunted by the prospect of making green improvements, but it doesn’t mean being told off or being given a million and one things to do. What these museums have done is within reach of even the smallest museum and we hope it will inspire others to follow Not only have these museums reduced their environmental impact, they have a 'greener feel'suit.

“The public is increasingly concerned about the environment, so if museums want to respond to their audience this is a good start. Museums can say ‘we’re making an effort here, and if you visit us you’ll be visiting a more sustainable attraction’. “

Green Tourism technical director John Proctor said: “All the museums managed to win an award, and not everybody does that - you have to show real commitment. Being green is not just about technology - it is about telling the story of how people might have lived sustainably in the past, how they created things and found solutions to their problems without relying on a global infrastructure.

“That’s where museums can have tremendously positive impact, encouraging people to rethink how they deal with green issues even if it’s just one person changing the way they do things after a visit. As each of us starts moving forward, the whole world moves forward.”

For other green museums and places to visit around London, including the Canal Museum with its commitment to canal ecology, have a look at greentraveller’s map of Green London (pdf), produced in association with VisitEngland.