London’s Design Museum has translated its toolkit for reducing the environmental impact of exhibitions into all six UN languages.
The Chinese, French, Russian and Spanish versions of the toolkit were developed with support from the Culture Connect consultancy in collaboration with Art Jameel. An updated version of the guide has been produced in English and Arabic.
The museum’s environmental impact toolkit was made for the wider museum community. It consists of a written guide to reducing the environmental impact of exhibition design.
It also includes an impact model, which allows museums to track and calculate the carbon emissions related to each of their exhibitions.
Supported by Future Observatory and funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council, the toolkit was first launched by the Design Museum last year.
It followed the museum’s ‘Waste Age: What can design do?’ exhibition, which explored how designers can repurpose waste for a more sustainable industry.
“Since the toolkit was launched last year, institutions from New York to New Zealand have been using our guide to inform their approach to producing exhibitions more responsibly,” said Elise Foster Vander Elst, head of exhibitions and environmental impact lead at the Design Museum.
“The tips on procurement, decision-making and how to measure CO2e have empowered colleagues around the globe, helping them understand where to focus attention for maximum impact.
Reducing the environmental impact of exhibitions
“We’re delighted to be publishing this research in more languages to ensure it has even wider reach.”
In discussion with blooloop, Vander Elst said: “Most of the designers I know are committed to being part of the solution. But I think we need to ask better questions of our designers. We need a cultural shift to be able to do that.”
The Design Museum is currently working with museums across the UK to deliver bespoke advisory packages to lower the environmental impact of their exhibitions.
greenloop 2024, blooloop’s online conference focusing on sustainability in visitor attractions, takes place online on 30 April.
Images courtesy of the Design Museum
