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Managing Museum Environments: Reconsiderations, Reflections, and Resources

Sponsored by the Sustainability Committee in collaboration with the Preventive Care Network

The climate crisis is here; evidence has irrefutably shown that carbon emissions from fossil fuels are at its heart. In 2023, the United States Energy Information Administration estimated that the energy use from buildings accounted for about 37% of total emissions, and cultural institutions are no exception. Energy used to heat, cool, de/humidify, and light buildings is one of the biggest environmental impacts of the cultural heritage sector. With this energy use multiplied across an estimated thirty-five thousand museums in the US, the cultural sector’s carbon impact is significant (2014 IMLS data). Results from the Carbon Inventory Project (CIP) released in 2023 are staggering; the collective greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions associated with the 2022 energy consumption of the 80 CIP participants were more than 187,000 metric tons CO2e. This is equivalent to the annual emissions of over 41,000 gasoline-powered passenger cars.

Carbon Dioxide Equivalent CO2e, or carbon dioxide equivalent, is a unit of measurement that standardizes the global warming potential of different greenhouse gases, allowing for easier comparison of their climate impact. Source: Climatepartner.com.

The Bizot Green Protocol (Bizot), which was recently endorsed by the AIC Board among other allied organizations, FAIC’s 2023 Held in Trust Report, and many other initiatives across the globe are inspiring institutions to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. This includes drawing down our energy consumption by reassessing museum environment parameters.

The call to expand museum environment setpoints has led the Sustainability Committee (SC) and the Preventive Care Network (PCN) to explore the challenges and opportunities that this shift offers. We talked to multiple colleagues who are implementing these changes ethically and responsibly. We aim to help clarify confusion where possible, and to set the stage for further discussion about the Bizot Green Protocol at the PCN-sponsored session to be held at this year’s AIC Annual Meeting, “Stumbling Towards Sustainability: Stories of Implementation.”

Evolving Standards: From 70/50 Setpoints to the Bizot Green Protocol

Since Garry Thomson’s 1978 seminal publication The Museum Environment, which focused on the permanent storage and display of fine art, conservators have aspired to meet environmental parameters of 50% RH and 21°C / 70°F +/- 2. However, Thomson’s work delved deeper into context and highlighted that these parameters do not fit all collections in all climates. As a field grounded in conservation science, we accepted these numbers as standards because we tend to prefer hard and fast numbers which conveniently correspond with HVAC programming requirements. Add to this our profession’s tendency to be both perfection-oriented and risk averse, and we have managed to turn Thomson’s recommended parameters into a gold standard. Care regimes that stray from these setpoints are often regarded with a high degree of skepticism.

In 2019, ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration, and Air Condition Engineers) revised their guidelines for museums, galleries, archives, and libraries, recognizing advances in our understanding of material degradation and the need for a more nuanced approach to environmental control. The guidelines state that “it is neither economical nor environmentally acceptable to have very tightly controlled conditions if they are not necessary,” emphasizing the need to manage fluctuations rather than adhere to rigid setpoints.

Refreshed in 2023, the Bizot guidelines stipulate:

It is widely recognized that the museum building and its collections should be viewed as one system, and that significant energy savings can be achieved by changing the system operating algorithm and measures such as sealing the structure, improving insulation to reduce heat gain/loss, and optimizing ventilation rates. But interventions in the building are not always possible and it has been demonstrated that relaxing the parameters of temperature and humidity also produces a considerable reduction in energy consumption. For many classes of object containing hygroscopic materials, (such as canvas paintings, textiles, ethnographic objects) a stable relative humidity (RH) is required in the range of 40 - 60% and a stable temperature in the range 16°C - 25°C / 61°F- 77°F with fluctuations of no more than ±10% RH per 24 hours within this range. (Bizot Green Protocol Handbook # 1: Adopting the Bizot Green Guidelines, accessed March 9, 2025).

The Bizot is a call to explore alternative approaches that facilitate lower carbon emissions. The move towards broader ranges has raised concern that the recommendations are replacing one prescriptive standard with another. Instead, the protocol recommends shifting our approach in environmental management to one in keeping with more sustainable practices. We recognize that in some instances, simply broadening the range of setpoints may not reduce energy consumption at all. We can therefore adjust parameters in whatever ways are both practical for our systems and safe for our collections.

The Bizot is also a call for a paradigm shift, to consider the needs of individual objects or groups of objectsrather than basing setpoints on the needs of the most sensitive works for entire collections. For example, the use of microclimate displays cases and sealed frame packages offer solutions for preserving fragile and unstable heritage requiring tighter parameters. Placing objects away from exterior walls and windows may provide additional stability.

Loan Agreements and Other Contracts

More relaxed parameters are often embedded in loan agreements and other contracts. Anecdotally, there has been minimal pushback from lenders in this regard.

Indemnity contracts are also incorporating broader ranges as part of their efforts to reduce carbon emissions at borrowing institutions. Lorraine Finch of LFCP recently reviewed the UK’s Government Indemnity Scheme Environmental Guidelines (2023). She found that although the guidelines themselves offer flexibility, borrowers and other potential users are often misinterpreting them. There is a disconnect in some cases where perception of requirements is based on engrained practice instead of what is actually stipulated.

Initiatives such as Art Bridges have inspired many larger institutions to reassess their lending requirements as they look to increase access to their collections with smaller, less resourced institutions.

Building Relationships and Collaborating with Colleagues

In conversations with institutions that are currently reassessing their environmental management strategies, we’ve found that while there may be initial heavy lifting, these endeavors have resulted in improvements to the overall work environment. In all cases, reevaluation of environmental setpoints required interdepartmental collaboration. If existing relationships across departments are fraught, building trust and cultivating relationships is the first, and often hardest, step. Time, patience and dedication are required, but once that foundation is established, benefits spilled into many aspects of day-to-day work. As relationships developed, some preservation professionals have experienced the side effect of improved positioning of their departments within their institutions. These partnerships have not only reduced some of the workload associated with shifts in expanding environmental parameters but have also improved organizational efficiency.

Holistic perceptions around the risks associated with environmental changes also require a common language among all stakeholders. The Sustainability Committee has hosted a number of conversations on this topic in our Conversations with Change Makers Series, including recent conversations with the New York Public Library and the Victorian & Albert Museum.

Getting to Know your HVAC and BMS

The first step is to assess your Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Building Management System (BMS) systems holistically. We cannot simply turn a dial or two to make the necessary adjustments. Solutions will vary depending on the HVAC system and the unique nature of each building envelope. Institutions sometimes begin by testing shutdowns in areas where collections are not housed, incrementally extending the length of time the HVAC is off. This provides a general understanding of how well-insulated spaces are and can provide significant energy and financial savings.

The Image Permanence Institute (IPI) has conducted extensive research into HVAC systems related to collections care, and we urge those interested to take a look at IPI’s Methodology for Implementing Sustainable Energy Saving Strategies in Collections Environments. IPI’s research provides many solutions for minimizing emissions and increasing savings beyond widening setpoints.

Whether working with external advisors or innovating solutions internally, some have secured funding to spearhead their HVAC assessments and other sustainability-related projects. The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) offers a variety of grants, including support for strategic planning through the Climate Smart Humanities Organizations. This program offers funding towards comprehensive organizational assessments that lead to strategic climate action and adaptation plans. The collaborative, privately funded Frankenthaler Climate Initiative offers support for projects of all shapes and sizes, from modest and rapid-response to comprehensive efficiency audits and feasibility studies. They also contribute towards significant infrastructural renovations and other major projects.

Current Studies and the Development of Supportive Tools and Guidelines

Several studies are underway to help guide museum environment management decisions.

• The Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) will soon publish revised climate guidelines based on the ASHRAE specifications. These updated guidelines will include two interactive tools:
  • ClimaSpec will provide evidence-based climate control recommendations for various object and collection types, along with a lifetime calculator for organic materials and a mold risk calculator.
  • The Climate Control Decision Tool will offer basic climate control guidance through a short series of questions. The new guidelines and tools are expected to be released in the Preventive Conservation section of CCI’s website in April.
• Environment and Culture Partners (ECP) received an IMLS grant in 2024 to research the financial costs, energy consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions from museum collections spaces.
• FAIC received an IMLS grant to help expand the Sustainable Tools in Cultural Heritage (STiCH) platform to include a number of new tools, including a calculator for measuring carbon footprints related to environmental management, by the end of 2026.
• The Getty Conservation Institute (GCI) has been working on a multi-project initiative since 2013, which addresses practical ways to manage collections environments sustainably. They have developed multiple resources, including the publication Managing Collection Environments: Technical Notes and Guidance.
• The Climate Toolkit offers a collaborative approach for institutions to learn how to aggressively address climate change within their own organization and inspire the communities they serve to follow their lead.

Maintaining Credibility as Our Knowledge Evolves

After decades of fighting for strict environmental parameters to safeguard our collections, are we now saying it’s not actually necessary? How are we to maintain professional credibility? Here’s the thing: Our understanding of the objects in our care and the spaces that hold them are always evolving. Back in 1978, Thomson himself said that more research was needed. He was also very cognizant of the related high energy consumption of maintaining the 50% RH and 21°C / 70°F guidelines:

There is something inelegant in the mass of energy-consuming machinery needed at present to maintain constant RH and illuminance, something inappropriate in an expense which is beyond most of the world’s museums. Thus, the trend must be towards simplicity, reliability and cheapness. We cannot, of course, prophesy what will be developed, but I should guess that it will include means to stabilising RH in showcases without machinery, use of solar energy for RH control in the tropics, improved building construction to reduce energy losses, and extensive electronic monitoring. —Thomson, Garry. 1978. The Museum Environment (1^st ed.), London: Buttersworth & Co., ISBN: 9780408707923, p. 267.

The climate crisis has underscored the urgency to reduce our energy consumption and resulting greenhouse gas emissions while scientific research has continued in the subsequent 47 years, supporting recommendations to expand set points. The Smithsonian’s Museum Conservation Institute, the Getty Conservation Institute, IPI, CCI, and many other organizations across the globe have conducted extensive studies on the chemical deterioration and mechanical behavior of cultural heritage materials. Today, we have access to more data, and different kinds of data, including proofed fluctuations, degradation models, and other tools that help determine how to best care for our collections and the planet at the same time. As Monica Shah, Deputy Director of Conservation and Collections at the Anchorage Museum of Alaska, shared in a recent conversation, we demonstrate our professionalism by evolving and adapting rather than by focusing on being right.

The Bizot Green Protocol is a call for us to change our perspective, not just our practice, and there are many tools available that can help. For those who commit to it, the Bizot may be an effective guide for lowering carbon emissions. Implementing sustainable practices can bring additional benefits in supporting cross departmental collaboration, learning about building and system restraints and opportunities, and affording cost savings that can be allocated elsewhere. In this evolution, the field of cultural heritage demonstrates a commitment and openness to adjust practices based on new and reliable data and a recognition of the environmental impacts of our work on global heritage and communities.

Acknowledgements

We are grateful to all those who were extraordinarily generous with their time and wisdom. Please note that the perspectives we shared in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of all who answered our call for insights. These include: Mary Ballard, Senior Textiles Conservator at the Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute; Mike Brown, Director of Sustainability at the Portland Art Museum (Maine); Lisa Bruno, Chief Conservator at the Brooklyn Museum of Art; Lorraine Finch, Founder & Director of LFCP; Simon Lambert, Manager of the Preventive Conservation Division at the Canadian Conservation Institute; Jeremy Linden, Founder & Principal of Linden Preservation Services; Sarah Nunberg, Principal Investigator in STiCH; Monica Shah, Deputy Director of Conservation and Collections at the Anchorage Museum; Heidi Sobol, Senior Manager of Conservation at the Royal Ontario Museum; Sarah Sutton, Co-Founder & CEO of Environment & Culture Partners; Jean Tetreault, Retired Senior Conservation Scientist at the Canadian Conservation Institute; Valerie Tomlinson, Conservator at the Royal Ontario Museum; and Jane Williams, Director of Conservation at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco.

What does CO₂e mean?

Carbon dioxide equivalents (CO₂e) are a measure of the effect of different greenhouse gases (GHGs) on the climate. By converting different emissions to the equivalent amount of carbon dioxide (CO₂), their impacts can be compared.

This article is a result of a collaboration among the following:

• Yadin Larochette, SC Co-Chair (Independent Consultant), yadinl@gmail.com
• Kate Fugett, SC Co-Chair (Preventive Conservator, 9/11 Memorial & Museum), kfugett@911memorial.org
• Daniela Molinari, SC Member (Paintings Conservator and Sustainability Consultant), danielakmolinari@gmail.com
• Laura Gaylord Resch, PCN Chair (Assistant Preventive Conservator, Cleveland Museum of Art), lresch@clevelandart.org
• Kelly McCauley, PCN Chair Emeritus (Preventive Conservator, Colonial Williamsburg Foundation), kmccauley@cwf.org
• Wendi Field Murray, PCN Editor (Archaeology Collections Manager, Wesleyan University) wmurray01@wesleyan.edu
• Al Carver-Kubik, acarverkubik@gmail.com, advised on content

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