Towards a green Library: the British library’s response to climate change
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
0 likes•104 views
The British Library is taking steps to address climate change through reducing emissions, engaging audiences, collaborating with partners, and supporting staff initiatives. Emissions have been reduced 67% since 2009 through efficiency projects. Infrastructure projects will pursue sustainability certifications. Programs will increase climate literacy and engage communities. Networks will support green businesses and best practices. A staff sustainability group promotes action within the Library. The Green Libraries Partnership aims to place libraries at the heart of environmental change.
Recommended
Recommended
More Related Content
Similar to Towards a green Library: the British library’s response to climate change
Similar to Towards a green Library: the British library’s response to climate change (20)
More from CILIP
More from CILIP (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (20)
Towards a green Library: the British library’s response to climate change
- 1. Libraries responding to the climate change – the British Library approach Blerina Hashani, Public Policy & Campaigns Manager
- 2. 2 bl.uk Libraries as drivers for change? United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) Libraries’ contribution to SDGs Agenda Vision: Universal literacy Goal 3: Good health and wellbeing Goal 5: Culture Goals 5, 9, 7: ICT skills and access Goal 8 and 10: Decent work, economic growth, reducing inequality Goal 16: Access to information Rising seas, raging fires Warming climate 1°C / 3°C COP26
- 3. 3 bl.uk Climate change and libraries? Sharing, reusing – sustainability Access to information – informing public and researchers Climate literacy and sensitivity Archiving our era Resilience and self-preservation Renewed social relevance – young people Engaging with local and wider communities
- 4. Working towards Net Zero
- 5. 5 bl.uk ‘’…Changing our buildings and how we work with a commitment to net zero’’
- 6. 6 bl.uk • Reducing greenhouse gas emissions – a 67% reduction on the 2009/2010 baseline • Waste: 48% reduction from 2009/10 baseline • Recycling: 66% of all waste Reducing emissions at the BL since 2009/2010 Over the last decade and led by the Estates team, the Library has significantly reduced its carbon emissions and waste. The Library has been working to the Greening Government Commitments which demonstrate how the Library is working to improve its environmental performance, measured against a 2009/10 baseline. In 2019/20, for instance, we achieved targets for:
- 7. 7 bl.uk • Library awarded £8.5million to decarbonise and upgrade St Pancras and Boston Spa sites Opportunities for the BL
- 8. 8 bl.uk Decarbonisation projects in progress
- 9. 9 bl.uk • Our major infrastructure projects at St Pancras and Boston Spa are using the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals https://sdgs.un.org/goals as a framework to identify the areas where they could contribute towards sustainable outcomes. Of the 17 Goals, those two portfolios alone should support 16 of them. • Boston Spa Renewed is targeting BREEAM Outstanding (the highest) rating for our next new building and Excellent for the refurbished building • The St Pancras Transformed New Development (BL Extension) project is targeting BREEAM1 Excellent for the overall BL/SMBL building • Similar stretch targets will be adopted for a potential future presence in Temple Works in Leeds 1 BREEAM is an international sustainability assessment method for masterplanning projects, infrastructure and buildings Opportunities for the BL - programmes
- 10. 10 bl.uk • Living Knowledge for Everyone 2020 began articulating a commitment to more engagement on climate change, our next corporate strategy due to be published in early 2023 develops this commitment - Working with a sustainability consultant to begin formulating a Decarbonisation Strategy – pathways to Net Zero - Considering new Strategic Risks around climate change
- 11. Engaging our audiences Collaborating with our networks
- 12. 12 bl.uk ‘’…Helping others to make change and improve how we share knowledge to address the collective challenge of climate change’’
- 14. 14 bl.uk Blue Peter Our Planet Now poetry competition
- 15. 15 bl.uk London Fashion Week Phoebe English HERE: An Alternative Route The behind-the-scene stories of English’s collection are an eye- opener for the general fashion industry. Her soil- to-soil design approach is truly sustainable, environment-friendly and beautiful. (WWD press review)
- 17. 17 bl.uk Business – supporting our networks National BIPC user survey (2021) – results show 66% say their business is driven by a social impact and 31% by an environmental impact respectively. But we want to do more… The BIPC worked on a series of exciting activities to support BIPC entrepreneurs in greening their business. These include: • British Library’s Inventors Club - sees inventors of two environment- focused innovations share their works for constructive input • Speed mentoring – partnering up new business with environment experts on how to make their business more environmentally friendly • Start up Day 2021 – theme on ‘’Sustainability’’ • Accompanied by online content throughout autumn including blogs and social media activities on supporting business on their green agenda
- 18. 18 bl.uk Engagement with national and public libraries – policy, best practice and sector leadership
- 19. 19 bl.uk Libraries collaborating for a better climate future
- 20. 20 bl.uk
- 21. 21 bl.uk The Green Libraries Partnership is developed in response to COP26 and the long-term climate commitments made by libraries and local authorities across England. •Our vision is of a better future for planet and people, empowered and supported by librarians and library workers •Our mission is to place libraries at the heart of environmental change •Our purpose is to enable libraries to build environmental action within their communities CILIP will be supported in delivering the Programme by Arts Council England, the British Library, Libraries Connected and Julie’s Bicycle. The Partnership will be Chaired by Emma Noyce, Assistant Director of Culture and Leisure Services at Hampshire County Council.
- 23. 23 bl.uk ‘’…Supporting our staff lead sustainable change throughout the library…’’
- 24. 24 bl.uk Staff engagement Sustainability Group ‘’Staff led and action orientated, the purpose is to help make the British Library a more sustainable heritage organisation and workplace.’’ • ‘Count us In’ UN Museums campaign – driving action within the Library (ongoing) • Collaborating with NMDC Ecology Group and other sector organisations
- 25. 25 bl.uk Working together towards a climate future: - Consider how your organisation can influence a better climate future - Can you lobby for change in your buildings/estates, or the way you work? - Can you work with the local community, and your audiences to share knowledge and inspire climate action? - Consider how you can support your staff to be more sustainable – is there a budding staff network that you could support? - Seek our collaborations – working together can save resources
Editor's Notes
- Threats and risks Challenges and opportunities Again, making use of the existing model of libraries
- NEW STRATEGIC RISK: The risk is in response to significant external factors such as Govt net zero targets and world-wide physical and societal impacts; as well as the similar internal impacts. The risk considers the environmental and economic impacts of climate change, natural resources, pollution and waste and environmental opportunities on our people and audience behaviours; supply chain; collections; and our estate. This new risk is intended to promote discussion and act as a focus for consolidating our understanding of what we do today and what we plan to do over the next 12 months; and how we will transition. The new risk will be re-considered along with ALL of our strategic risks at the next Board Risk Workshop which will be planned once all our Board members are appointed (likely to be Q4 2021/22).
- UK WEB ARCHIVE ON CLIMATE CHANGE: https://www.webarchive.org.uk/cy/ukwa/collection/369 - This collection focuses on climate change and related issues published in the UK. In 2021 the UK hosts the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Conference of Parties (COP26) in Glasgow, 1-12 November 2021. This event is a significant global milestone in implementing the Paris Agreement (2015). Suggestions are welcome to make this collection as representative of current UK climate change initiatives as possible. A science policy intern at the British Library set up this collection in 2015 (Climate Change Debates). The collection is currently(2021) being updated and curated by a member of staff.
- October 2021 ‘’Public Libraries and Climate Change’’ Conference – attended by nearly 100 library professionals across the UK. Featured speakers from the UK and beyond. Sharing best practices. From Wakefield Libraries working ona Climate poetry competition to how Helsinki libraries have supported local communities. https://dcmslibraries.blog.gov.uk/2021/11/12/public-libraries-and-climate-change/
- 'The staff-led and action-oriented Green Network celebrated its one year anniversary this past summer. What started out as a Continuous Improvement/Conservation initiative rapidly grew into a BL-wide network with over 50 members - all through word-of-mouth as the network has not yet been given official staff network status. Our purpose is to help make the British Library a more sustainable heritage organisation and workplace. In pursuit of this, we aim to: empower staff members to find agency in the today's ecological crisis and take sustainable action in their professional lives, use the momentum of those actions to advocate for sustainable Library policy, communicate our journey as an organisation internally and externally and work with all BL staff networks to holistically evoke sustainability, especially the social pillar. The network has two co-chairs, two SLT sponsors and a committee of departmental representatives who oversee actions within their department and track this progress through departmental actions plans. Examples of ongoing actions include: trialing card book cradles to replace our single-use acrylic ones in exhibition areas, finding recycling schemes for hard-to-recycle materials and using Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) approved wood in exhibition builds. The network meets every six weeks and - looking further ahead - hopes to: put out a quartly newsletter aimed at all staff, host events/talks, faciliate training for network members and ultimately, update the BL's environmental policy.'