10 simple action ideas to call for (digital) climate action
Museums around the world have closed their doors in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and #FridaysForFuture has moved its activities online. This means the next global climate strikes taking place in April will be different: no large masses in the streets, but savvy action online. Here are 10 action ideas – adapted from our original action ideas – to support climate action in your #ClosedButActive museum or #MuseumFromHome:
  1. Give an online class about culture and art in a sustainable future.
  2. A great resource for parents now finding themselves homeschooling their kids!
  3. Join our online campaigns such as the #ObjectsOfLove and #WhatWouldn’tBe. Keep an eye on our Calendar to see upcoming campaigns!
  4. We all need some comfort and community right now, especially the kind that encourages climate action.
  5. Promote the digital climate strikes taking place in your community.
  6. Check out your local #FridaysForFuture for region-specific arrangements.
  7. Tell the story of young activists from other times and places, online.
  8. Create a blog, podcast or Instagram story. Interview contemporary activists on the phone.
  9. Revisit your online collection.
  10. Highlight a couple of objects on your website and their relationship to sustainability, climate, or activism.
  11. Start the process of aligning your museum strategy to the SDGs.
  12. Our friends at Ki Culture, the Network of European Museum Organisations, and We Are Museums have great resources or check out this free guide from Curating Tomorrow!
  13. Make your reopening a new beginning.
  14. Use this time to reflect, reconsider and plan ways to change your institution for the good of the planet.
  15. Assess the carbon footprint of a visit to your museum. Transport, the cafe, the office … Where can you reduce emissions together with your audience?
  16. Clean up the digital archive of your museums.
  17. Ancient backups, redundant files, internal emails: let’s reduce the energy bill of your servers or cloud space.
  18. Stop accepting money from fossil fuel companies.
  19. Use the extra time to do due diligence on all your funders: no artwashing, no greenwashing.
We need climate action and we’ll likely need it more than ever after we’ve tackled the current pandemic, but whatever you do, stay safe and ensure your audience stays safe as well.
Share your actions with #MuseumsForFuture on the usual social media, and why not tag #MuseumFromHome and #ClosedButActive too!
Remember the original 10-point action list is available in 20 languages on our website!