Challenge

Rachel Madan spent years working corporate responsibility consultant. After completing the LEAD Fellowship Programme she founded Greener Museums because she saw that the cultural sector was “really underserved in terms of sustainability information.” There was no one helping multipurpose buildings like museums to make the leap from research into eco-friendly action.  Many within the sector were enthusiastic about greening but their approach was often scattergun, a recycling bin here and there and the odd ‘switch-off day’.

Action

Greener Museums is making the link between sustainability and saving.  Rachel claims: “sustainability projects pay for themselves.” Key to the Greener Museums approach is the cultivation of leadership.  Rachel calls 2008 her “year of change” in which her life was transformed by the LEAD Fellowship Programme. LEAD showed Rachel that strong sustainability leadership was lacking in the cultural sector.  Within museums there were passionate individuals but they existed almost as an “after school club”, she says, with little influence on senior management.

Inspired by LEAD, Greener Museums launched its own training programme to help green advocates develop leadership skills.

Impact

As a result of the Greener Museums leadership programme some of the greatest advances have come from these ‘green champions’.  Over three years Greener Museums has worked with some of the world's best-known museums to help them to advance sustainability strategically, resulting in larger, longer lasting changes. Their programmes have helped museums save over $500,000 in costs, reduce over 1,000 tonnes of carbon, and attract in over $200,000 in new sustainability funding.

www.greenermuseums.org