About
Environmental action
Our work
We are fighting for a fair and sustainable future for life on earth.
We are proud to be the world’s first Carbon Literate museum and environmental action and social justice drives all of our work.
Building a more sustainable world requires a commitment to long-term thinking and evolution, and with over 130 years’ history as one of Manchester’s best-loved cultural venues we intend to sustain and adapt our work to continue having impact for many generations to come; supporting our communities in moving towards the climate and ecological change we want to see for Manchester and beyond.
Our unique convening power as a free-to-access public space can provide common ground and bring people together. Well-known and loved collections together with collaborative research programmes may help build understanding of how humanity’s future is wholly intertwined with the rest of our natural world. We look to inspire people and nurture their capacity to take action in the here and now.
What we do
We develop programming, events and exhibitions with our communities which explore local and global social and environmental issues from many perspectives, catalysing public conversations about the climate and ecological crisis.
We provide a non-judgemental space for people to practice expressing their views. In place of polarised and short-term perspectives, we aim to support people to find the confidence to speak out for a long-term sustainable future and take part in activism for life on earth.
How we do it
Our commitment to reducing our environmental impacts underpins all that we do. The effects of the climate and ecological crisis pose a very real threat to museum collections and our ability to deliver our mission. We will continue to adapt our ways of working to prioritise sustainable decision making and practices.
We are committed to playing our part to reach Greater Manchester’s target of zero carbon by 2038. Working alongside the university’s cultural institutions, we have a key role within The University of Manchester environmental sustainability strategy.
Join us on our journey
Resources and tips
Join us on our journey as we work towards a more sustainable future, with climate and social justice at the heart of all we do. The world we want to see does exist, so let’s care for it and send support its way.
Reduce the impact of your visit to the museum:
Travel sustainably: Our Oxford Road location makes it very easy to walk, cycle or wheel. There are lots of Sheffield stands and shelters for securing your bicycle on campus.
Help us reduce waste to landfill: avoid bringing single use packaging into the Museum and take care to put your waste into the correct bins. Please bring a reusable water bottle and cup for hot drinks.
Take care when eating and drinking: please respect the guidance on where you can / can’t eat in the Museum. Insect pests can cause a great deal of damage to collections, and the methods used to eradicate pests can come with a significant cost and environmental impact.
Resources
Download the Student Guide to the Climate Crisis: introduced in this short video by its authors Pooja Pooja Kishinani and Marion Smith, students at University of Manchester.
Find out about your environmental footprint and actions you can take.
Learn how to take care of your own special objects.
If you’d like to get in touch with our Environmental Action Manager, please email hannah.hartley@manchester.ac.uk
Roots & Branches
Roots & Branches was a collaborative project between The Carbon Literacy Project, Museum Development England and Manchester Museum.
It empowered and inspired the Museum sector to undertake environmental action through a programme of Carbon Literacy training, targeted support, and the development of an innovative Top Floor climate hub and public programme at Manchester Museum.
Download the report to find out more about the project and its impacts from June 2021 to March 2024
The Top Floor
An environmental and social justice hub
The Top Floor Hub is a dynamic, community-centred space for action, sharing, learning and dreaming, used by a range of changemaking individuals/groups working across the city. The hub drives forward Manchester Museum’s mission to build….