Addressing the carbon impact of digital technologies in museums
Dr Nicole Meehan, a lecturer in museum and heritage studies at the School of Art History, is leading a project funded by Impact and Innovation that explores the environmental cost of digital activity in museums.
The project, titled “Encode (Muse)”, aims to understand the environmental consequences of using current and adopting new digital technologies within the museum sector. The initiative involves collaboration with Eilidh Lawrence, Head of Museum and Photographic Collections, Sean Rippington, Head of Archives and Rare Books, and two Laidlaw undergraduate students — one from Tufts University in Boston and one from St Andrews.
The team is assessing current strategies for reducing the carbon footprint of digital technologies, gathering insights on best practices from across the cultural sector. Their goal is to co-create resources that will influence policy-making through advocacy work.
Dr Meehan, together with a Research Assistant, organized a global online workshop that brought together museum professionals from countries including the UK, Rwanda, the US, Switzerland, Norway, and Barbados.
These discussions highlighted the barriers cultural institutions face in mitigating the environmental impact of their digital activities. Additionally, the team held a strategic meeting with national organizations, governing bodies, and funders in Scotland, Ireland, and Wales to discuss necessary actions and policy changes for widespread impact.
The project has already developed several key initiatives and tools, including a list of carbon calculators used by the sector and a selection of guidelines and toolkits from museums and collections around the world to inform their digitization practices.
The project website can be found here: Encode Muse
