Abstract
This summer climate scientists have recorded the highest global temperatures in history. As climate change accelerates, every institution and field must consider how to do their part in order to reduce carbon emissions in an attempt to slow the process of global warming. Museums are among the most energy expensive institutions there are, with strict requirements for temperature regulation of collections that are stored in expansive galleries and storage facilities. While organizations like IPI and ECP have demonstrated expertise in gathering preservation and environmental data and tracking energy usage, there is a lack of research on the organizational decision making behavior that determines how and whether these institutions can solve the problem of maintaining safe conditions for their collections while reducing energy usage. Building on existing research published from the Kress and Mellon funded Art Museum Director Survey, this study shares findings about how museums have been impacted by climate change so far, how they are evaluating their climate impact, and how they are planning to adapt in order to be resilient in an unpredictable future. The paper expands to consider future research which will study decision making among institutional leaders as they try to safely reduce energy usage. This study will impact museums’ communities by demonstrating the internal processes necessary to allow these public institutions to demonstrate responsible stewardship while optimizing for environmental sustainability.
Details
Presentation Type
Paper Presentation in a Themed Session
Theme
KEYWORDS
Conservation, Preservation, Climate Change, Emissions, Leadership, Evaluation, Environmental Sustainability, Collections
