We will do this by:
- Leading by example in sustainable and planet-positive practices
- Sparking inventive thinking, sharing new ideas, and designing with environmental responsibility at the heart
- Developing evidence-based, climate-friendly approaches for collection care
- Inspiring audiences to imagine and shape a better future
Our ambition is to be net zero by 2035, and to ensure that our family of museums are ready for the impacts of a changing climate.
We are only the trustees for those who come after us.
Climate Action Plan
Our Climate Action Plan sets out our strategy for ambitious and collaborative action across all our departments to 2030 – the halfway point to net zero by 2035. It enables us to address the challenges posed by climate change, reduce our environmental impact and contribute to global sustainability efforts.
Creating a climate ready museum
As a result of climate change, London is predicted to experience hotter and drier conditions, along with more frequent severe flooding. We commissioned a climate risk assessment to identify the key climate hazards V&A South Kensington, Young V&A, and V&A East (V&A East Storehouse and V&A East Museum) are exposed to. The key hazards are extreme heat, water scarcity, and surface water flooding. If we do nothing, this may impact our buildings, staff and visitor wellbeing and comfort, and pose a risk to our collections.
These findings will shape further research and development of a climate change adaptation plan.
Every year we remove objects made from temperature sensitive materials, such as waxes, from display to protect them from damage.
Our carbon emissions 2024/25
Total emissions
Our emissions are calculated in line with the Greenhouse Gas Protocol using Normative, our carbon accounting software.
Around 70% of our emissions are from purchased goods and services, investments, electricity and upstream transportation, which includes object shipping.
Our total emissions in 2024/25 were 18,481 tCO2e, equal to 4.7kg CO2e per staff member and visitor.
Last year, our emissions increased by 10%, an increase that we anticipated. This was due to a few factors, including reporting more data. Last year we reported our partner site, V&A Wedgwood, for the first time, as well as fugitive emissions (emissions from AC units). We also had increases in emissions due to growing as a family of museums with the opening of V&A East Storehouse. We expect our emissions to grow over the next few years with the opening of V&A East Museum.
Scope 1 was 185 tCO2e (-48% from 23/24), scope 2 was 4,132 tCO2e (+8% from 23/24) and scope 3 was 14,161 tCO2e (+12% from 23/24).
Scope 1 and 2 emissions
Scope 1 emissions decreased across all sites by 48% due to the closure of Blythe House, as well as a temporary boiler at South Kensington which was used until winter 2024 due to a burst pipe – this is no longer in use.
Scope 2 emissions increased by 8% with South Kensington producing 90% of emissions. There was higher heat demand at South Kensington, which increased on-site emissions by 20%. This year was the first full year of V&A East Storehouse being operational and improved building management control led to a decrease in emissions of 65%.
Scope 3 emissions
Scope 3 emissions increased by 12%, mainly driven by increases in franchise emissions from our partner sites (V&A Wedgwood Collection) (+47%), purchased goods and services (+16%), employee commuting (+15%) and investments (+12%).
Emissions from operational waste dropped by 30%, and fuel and energy-related activities decreased by 12%. The increase in emissions from purchased goods and services is due to construction and maintenance projects undertaken at V&A South Kensington and V&A East Museum.
Our partnerships
Tackling climate change cannot be done alone. We are keen to learn from others, share expertise and work with cultural, heritage and academic partners locally, nationally and globally.
This includes actively participating in networks such as Culture in Crisis and the Bizot Museum Group, and collaborating with peers to generate insight and innovation in museum practice.
South Kensington Zero Emissions Nature Positive Neighbourhood (SK ZEN+)
- We play an active role in the South Ken ZEN+ Programme, an initiative of the Exhibition Road Cultural Group (ERGC), externally known as Discover South Kensington. It brings together 23 organisations to work together to develop a neighbourhood response to climate the biodiversity crisis.
London Climate Ready Partnership
- We are part of the executive group of the London Climate Ready Partnership, driving awareness and action on ensuring London is ready for impacts of extreme weather due to climate change.
- As part of this work we hosted a culture sector round table for the London Climate Resilience Review, highlighting challenges of adapting and being resilient to climate change
Bizot
- We were part of the international working group to refresh the Bizot Green Protocol, outlining how museums can implement sustainable practices across all areas of museum activity including collection care, exhibitions and loans.
- The Protocol is supported by science-based guiding principles, with climate control guidelines and practical tools to help facilitate adoption and implementation, including a handbook on adopting the guidelines, and another on greener transport.
- We have adopted and are implementing the guidelines overseen by our Bizot Working Group. Progress is reported into the Bizot Group annually by our Director.
- In February 2024, we hosted the second tranche of the Changing Climate Management Strategies Workshop, part of the Getty Conservation Institute's (GCI) Training for Sustainable Collection Care. The workshop brought together over 50 museum professionals from 23 countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. The focus of the workshop was to share the V&A's experience with evidence-based risk analysis for sustainable management of collections environment. This also initiated a 12-month research collaboration between the V&A and the GCI to monitor objects in galleries with different environmental controls, to inform more sustainable approaches to collection care.
- We have updated our Collection Management Policy address’ our strategic objectives for sustainability, access, and collections care
Sustainability blog
Every day we're making progress on our sustainability journey. From reusing exhibition materials, to working with creatives, find out how we're embedding sustainability across the museum on our blog.
Resources
Want to play your part? Take a look at our practical resources for sustainable living.