The Green Museum awarded the Green Attraction eco-label
Director Anne Bjerrekær (left) and Operations Manager Lars B. Andersen enjoy the spring sun in front of some of the museum's many solar cells.
The name is binding. There was therefore no doubt that The Green Museum would work hard to become among the first museums in Denmark to achieve certification and award of the new environmental label, Green Attraction. This has now been achieved!
The name of the Green Museum actually covers the fact that it has national responsibility for 'the green areas' – the cultural history of hunting, forests, agriculture and food.
But the development of these areas has also historically had a major impact on both welfare and challenges in the world we live in today – and must help solve the challenges we face today.
It has therefore been natural for the museum to think green, and with the certification the museum commits itself to maintaining and developing a focus on the environment and the green transition – and helping guests to behave in the same way. It is about responsibility on the part of management and staff, and making it clear to guests that we must all act and develop in a green and sustainable direction.
The Green Museum, assisted by the Danish Agency for Palaces and Culture, has worked to reduce the museum's environmental impact in a wide range of different areas. For example, there has been a great deal of focus on optimizing how and when the museum uses electricity and water. This has led to an investigation into how museum employees can move tasks around the museum in order to make optimal use of the museum's solar cells. As a result, a number of tasks that previously took place at night now take place during the sunny hours. However, all products used by the museum for cleaning have also been reviewed, and all cleaning supplies have now become environmentally friendly.
In addition, the museum has optimized the opportunities for both guests and employees to properly sort waste in an environmentally friendly manner. Furthermore, the museum is also focusing on recycled materials and minimizing resource waste in connection with the upcoming exhibition, which is currently in the EU tender.
Green Attraction is a new eco-labelling scheme for Danish attractions – including museums. Being certified as a Green Attraction requires that you work to reduce your CO2 emissions and meet certain requirements within, among other things, water and energy consumption, environmental management and food. For museums, there are also special requirements for working with exhibitions, among other things.
The award of the Green Attraction certification pleases the director of the Green Museum, Anne Bjerrekær, who says:
– It has been a lot of work for our operations department in particular to get here. So I am very proud that we have now taken the first step with certification, and have systematized our work so well that we can now be certified. There are quite a few attempts at green-washing around, but Green attraction requires that you work with the problem all the time, and improve year after year. We want that too!
The Green Attraction scheme has been developed in collaboration between the Organisation of Danish Museums, Danish Zoological Gardens and Facilities, the Association of Amusement Parks, the Knowledge Educational Centres and HORESTA. Green Attractions is facilitated by Horesta and supported by the Danish Business Development Agency.
You can read much more about Green Attraction here.
