Trendswatch | Localism

Localism can play a key part of museums’ response to the climate emergency. Buying from local producers, businesses, makers and charities reduces delivery distances and transport emissions, while supporting sustainable development and helping local areas to thrive.

Localism is an opportunity to build relationships with suppliers that align to your values and jointly champion them.

Local procuring can be developed in four stages.

Stage one: start small

Many venues already use local suppliers, but this is often limited to selling local produce or craft items in shops and cafes. A more systematic approach is to build working with local suppliers into a wider review of procurement across your whole organisation, to uncover options that are more sustainable.

This might include business purchases from furniture to catering supplies; capital expenditure such as small-building works; and services such as cleaning companies and web design.

When deciding who to work with, Julie’s Bicycle, a charity that supports climate change action in the cultural sector, advises museums to focus on the environmental impact of the product or service itself, as well as the supplier’s operational impact.

Consider energy use, travel, packaging materials, waste and recycling.
Also probe how suppliers approach their own sourcing, how they measure their sustainability and whether they have a sustainability policy.

Look for suppliers with shared values, including supporting local communities. Businesses might not be at the same stage as with their environmental work, but may be willing to talk through possibilities
and make changes.

For example, when the Cartoon Museum in London wanted to reduce its energy footprint, it found that many suppliers it spoke to could not provide data on their own carbon footprints. It needed to be flexible, and eventually decided to work with local businesses for graphics, catering and office supplies, as part of reaching its initial target of an overall 10% reduction in its footprint.

The museum’s director, Joe Sullivan, says: “Understand the impact of some green measures on quality and be prepared to explain this or to potentially make a contravening choice if necessary – and consider how that sits in your overall environmental plans.”

Stage two: tell your sustainable story

Buying locally is becoming more attractive to visitors. Many people rediscovered their local area during the Covid pandemic and this is continuing with hybrid working.

Consumer research by companies such as international shipping courier UPS reveals that people are increasingly interested in the values of local businesses and institutions and are willing to support them.

Be transparent about how you are working with local suppliers and why. This is an opportunity for museums to show how they are a key part of local life and actively support their local area.

This is a story worth telling with a receptive audience, adding value to the museum and giving a reason to visit.

Stage three: promote sustainable activity

Local supplier relationships can be taken a stage further by promoting the range of sustainable activity that you are undertaking. As trusted organisations with public profiles, museums are in a strong position to flag up activity when it happens, while offering a platform and space for local businesses to tell their story, as part of a partnership.

This can reinforce the individuality of local makers and suppliers, and increase their visibility.

Learn from shops and other businesses that make a feature of local producers and craft makers, highlighting exactly how local they are, their history in the area and explaining any sustainable elements of production.

Stage four: become a sustainability hub

Partnering with local suppliers supports communities and makes museums part of a network, strengthening community links and relevance. Museums can champion change by becoming the focal point for sustainable activity, promoting action at a local level and becoming a partner in neighbourhood programmes.

Acting as a sustainability hub leads by example and is a powerful way of engaging visitors in climate issues, complementing displays and programmes.

It is a different take on generating a sense of place and gives scope to a focus on the past, present and future of a locality.

The Rural Life Living Museum in Surrey has worked to embed itself in the local community through sustainable working with local businesses.

Director Ed Fagan says: “Local produce is really important to the museum and its general messaging – not only as a way of being more environmentally sustainable but also as a way of preserving the intangible heritage of local businesses, makers and produce.

“We want to do more with people to strengthen links between local communities and the museum, and to encourage more local people to take part in what the museum offers.”

Colin Mulberg is the director of Colin Mulberg Consulting