Manchester Museum has launched the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit, developed as part of the ‘Roots & Branches’ project, in partnership with Museum Development North West (MDNW) and the Carbon Literacy Trust.
Manchester Museum received £136,750 of Arts Council England funding in June for the two-year partnership, which aims to accelerate the museum sector’s ability to respond to the climate crisis. Institutions can use the free toolkit to provide in-house training.
“Manchester Museum’s commitment to the natural world is central to our core purpose,” said Esme Ward, director of Manchester Museum and MDNW manager. “We are passionate about the role that museums can and should play – here in Manchester, and nationally – in addressing the climate emergency.”
“Through this unique collaboration with Museum Development North West and the Carbon Literacy Trust, this project will be pivotal in developing museum practice further, transforming our sector’s capacity to support ecological thinking and action to build a sustainable future and inspire post-pandemic green recovery.”
‘Roots & Branches’ project
Over the next two years, Manchester Museum, MDNW and the Carbon Literacy Trust will roll out carbon literacy training across museums in England, giving institutions the tools to respond to Art Council England’s 10-year environmental responsibility strategy.
Roots & Branches involves training and certifying 1,500 museum employees and volunteers as carbon literate. In addition, 300 museums will develop organisational pledges to take action against climate change.
“This toolkit approach, in which sector-relevant carbon literacy courses are co-created, has seen great success in the BEIS-UK Government funded public sectors already developed,” said Dave Coleman, co-founder and managing director of the Carbon Literacy Project.
“We’re really excited to see how Manchester Museum and Museum Development North West – both organisations deeply experienced in delivering impactful carbon literacy to their staff and communities, will develop this toolkit for all museums and galleries, and in so doing directly increase low-carbon action on climate, opportunities and access to carbon literacy across the sector and low-carbon culture, across the whole of the UK.”
Images: Carbon Literacy Trust
