ReReeti Foundation releases ‘Sustainable Practices: Handbook for Museums in India’

Image for representational purpose only. Photo Courtesy: istock

Founded in 2022 by ReReeti Foundation, Indian Museums Against Climate Change (IMACC) is the Indian international hub of Culture Declares Emergency (CDE), which is a growing global movement of people in arts and culture who believe that the cultural sector can take the lead in creating a regenerative future that protects the planet.

In its second year of establishment, IMACC is launching the ‘Sustainable Practices: Handbook for Museums in India', a manual which will guide museums across the country in adopting sustainable practices in their operations, on September 14. This handbook is an extension of the work that CDE and IMACC have been doing at the intersection of climate and culture and the gaps in sustainability that exist in the museum sector. It has been created by Urban Morph and ReReeti Foundation, as part of the larger Culture Declares Emergency movement.

The handbook attempts to handhold the museums of India in their journeys in becoming sustainable spaces. It compiles relevant information with regards to numerous vendors across exhibitions, events, and regular operations within a museum in India. The aim of this handbook is to help museums select environmentally responsible vendors, promote ethical sourcing, reduce carbon footprint, and ensure social and environmental sustainability throughout the process. Furthermore, the handbook provides a step-by-step guide for museums to reach their goal of becoming carbon neutral. The handbook also provides tools for creating a procurement sustainability policy. It focuses on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 11, 12, and 13 - sustainable cities and communities, responsible consumption and production, and climate action. The handbook comes at a time of utmost importance since there hasn't previously been a comprehensive document catering to museum sustainability in India - most of the information available is scattered and rarely addresses the challenges in the museum context.

The handbook will be launched online (via Zoom) at the panel discussion ‘Culture of Sustainability and Sustainability in Culture'. Consisting of three panelists from diverse backgrounds and a wide range of expertise, the event will address questions like what does a sustainable museum mean for India? What are the kinds of wastes that are created at large scale cultural and professional events in India, and how can these be managed? What is the role of culture in advocating for sustainability, and how do we as cultural practitioners and museum professionals own it? What goes into creating a sustainability handbook for the museum sector? What lies ahead in our work in the cultural sector towards combating this crisis?

Following are the details of the panel discussion:

Date: September 14
Time: 4 pm
Platform: Zoom
Language: English
Registration Form: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZMvduyrrT8sG92cifLfF7cGeSRYMACbHQto

Panelists:
Wilma Rodrigues, Saahas Zero Waste
Subbaiah TS, Urban Morph
Bridget McKenzie, Climate Museum UK

Moderator:
Tejshvi Jain, ReReeti Foundation