Environmental Sustainability Statement
The Museum of Oxford (MOX) is dedicated to telling the story of Oxford and its people. This includes the impact of the people of Oxford on their environment, as well as the impact that changes in the environment have on the lives of Oxford’s communities.
We are working towards identifying a concrete set of key sustainability goals. As a starting point, we have identified several of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals to guide our mission:
- Goal 4: Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
- Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.
- Goal 12: Ensure sustainable consumption and production patterns.
- Goal 13: Take urgent action to combat climate change and its impacts.
- Goal 16: Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels.
What we’ve done so far
Measuring our Carbon Footprint
In 2023, MOX commissioned our carbon footprint to be calculated. We’re one of the first Museums in the UK to have this research carried out!
The report on our carbon footprint found that:
- The total emissions for MOX in the base year 2021-2022 was 26.8 tonnes CO2e.
- The majority of our emissions come from energy usage for heating and hot water.
- Most of our staff and volunteers use public transport to travel to and from the Museum.
- Waste (including wastewater) was low, at just 2.9% of our emissions total.
Going forward in our sustainability work, we will be using these measurements to evaluate improvements to our emissions and recognise the challenges we face (for example, limits to the modifications we can make to our grade-II listed Victorian building!).
Encouraging active travel and public transport
The report on our carbon footprint found that most of our staff and volunteers use active travel or public transport to travel to the Museum. We continue to encourage this by subsidising public transport for all our employees and volunteers.
We’re part of the Green Arts Oxfordshire Network, and encourage our visitors to make a greener choice to travel where possible. Find out the different ways you can get to Oxford on Green Arts Oxfordshire website.
What we’re working on
In addition to telling the stories of the people and places that make up Oxford, MOX is striving to maintain a positive relationship with the environment we call home. Here are some of the projects we’re working on:
Reducing Waste
The Museum already follows a circular economy philosophy in the development of its temporary exhibitions programme by aiming to reduce waste and reuse material whenever possible. We aim to extend this practice by applying it to the development of the project’s exhibition interpretation as well as events. For example, we will print interpretation material in low volume on recycled or FSC-certified mixed materials. We will also encourage families to bring clothes and recycled materials to upcycle at summer events. Any additional materials required will be locally sourced through ethical routes (e.g. a recycled materials centre) and bought in modest volume to reduce waste.
Environmental Storytelling
We would like to showcase sustainability in Oxford through a public programme of activities with families, cultural organisations, councillors and leaders in the city. As part of the programme, we’ll share messages about our work to measure and reduce water, waste, travel and energy emissions. As part of this effort, we’ll share how we investigated our usage, waste and emissions to identify areas for improvement, and how we plan to improve our footprint going forward.
The project will encourage visitors, families, city leaders, councillors, community group and cultural organisation representatives to consider how they too can lower their carbon footprint, as well as measure their progress. In our event marketing, to cultural and community networks and Oxford families, we’ll encourage people to consider active travel options to get to our events, encouraging them to get out of the car, use public transport and/or cycle and walk.
Centring the environment in our galleries
The story of Oxford includes the environment – how it’s changed throughout history, and how it’s affecting Oxford’s communities now. Being a city on two rivers, Oxford is especially vulnerable to flooding. In recent years, flooding caused by extreme weather has caused major disruption in the city and damaged people’s homes.
We are hoping to introduce new signage in our galleries that reinterprets our collections through an environmental lens. This will be part of a green trail that visitors can follow through the Museum to learn about how the environment has changed and how climate change is impacting us today.
