Sustainability
We are in a Climate Emergency and the RAF Museum is committed to addressing this crisis through our operation. We will operate in an environmentally sustainable way, applying the principles of sustainable development for the benefit of current and future generations, both locally and globally.
In addressing the Climate Emergency we will focus all our decision making through four focus areas:
Reduce our operational impact
- Operate as Carbon Net Zero by 2030
- Commit to sustainable development for the RAF Midlands Programme
- Improve our energy efficiency and reduce our energy consumption, invest in a rolling programme of energy saving measures
- Reduce our consumption of non-renewable fuels by utilising renewable energy and fuel tariffs that offer best value and establish and maintain systematic procedures for monitoring energy consumption and associated carbon emissions across all sites with the aim of minimising our emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) and other harmful greenhouse gases
- Invest in clean, energy-efficient sustainable technologies
- Support and encourage sustainable transport for both visitors, staff and Collection transport
- Use carbon offsetting when this is felt appropriate but maintain focus on reducing energy use and emissions
- Reduce our consumption of raw and processed materials, reusing material and repairing/maintaining equipment as a preference
- Reduce our use of non-renewable materials and water consumption
- Follow the waste hierarchy and minimise the amount of waste we produce
- Reduce the use of chemicals in our operations and maintenance where possible
Develop a resilient and biodiverse estate
- Adapt the Museums Estate to minimise the impact of the changing climate
- Provide and maintain rich bio-diverse landscapes
- Minimise water use in landscape maintenance
Enable our people
- Implement the requirements of all relevant sustainability legislation and regulations, exceeding the minimum requirements where possible
- Aspire to take a leading role in defining best sustainability practice, setting demanding standards for ourselves where none exist to reduce the environmental impact of our activities
- Provide sustainability training for staff and encourage them to apply sound sustainability practices at home and within the wider community as well as at work
- Carry out periodic reviews of environmental management performance and monitor progress against objectives and targets to ensure continual improvement
Share and engage with our audiences
- Through interpretation and communication share the Museums sustainability vision, environmental impact and sustainability performance to our visitors and the wider public
We're a Carbon Literate Organisation
We have been accredited as a Bronze level Carbon Literate Organisation, reaffirming our dedication to combating climate change and sustainability. By engaging with the Carbon Literacy Project, we have trained a significant portion of our staff, equipping them with the knowledge and motivation to implement eco-friendly practices across the museum. This achievement reflects our commitment to environmental stewardship and our ongoing efforts to create a low-carbon culture within our organisation. We will now be working towards obtaining Silver and then Gold Levels, furthering our pledge to sustainable development.