Alison Criddle is the Museum Carbon Literacy Officer at Museum Development North West, a programme funded by Arts Council England and delivered by the Manchester Partnership and Cumbria Museums Consortium. She spoke at greenloop 22 about the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit and how museums can use it. The toolkit has been developed as part of the Roots and Branches project, in partnership with Museum Development North West and Manchester Museum.
The Carbon Literacy Project reveals the carbon cost of daily activities, giving organisations and individuals the motivation and ability to reduce emissions. Criddle said museums can reduce their own carbon footprint through exhibitions and buildings. They can also empower their communities and create spaces for action. Institutions can discuss climate change, influence visitors and advocate.
“Carbon Literacy creates a space in which to gain, share and exchange knowledge and skills to think, communicate and act to reduce emissions impacts and take positive steps to face the climate crisis,” says Criddle. “For us as museums, we can do something really unique, we can use our care – for our collections, our communities, and our future – to make an impact.”
She has also spent several years growing environmental sustainability at HOME, Manchester. As the projects and sustainability coordinator, she ensures environmental sustainability is embedded into every area of the organisation’s operations and activities. HOME became the first arts venue in the world to have all of its staff certified as Carbon Literate. HOME has been accredited as a Platinum Carbon Literate Organisation (CLO) and Criddle is a certified Carbon Literacy Trainer.
She is also a member of the Manchester Arts Sustainability Team (MAST) and collaborates with networks including Manchester Climate Change Agency to support Greater Manchester’s Zero Carbon 2038 ambitions. “Carbon Literacy will always be a work in progress, as we continue to recognise and respect the interdependencies at play within our experiences of the world in which we inhabit,” she adds.