About this Toolkit

Launched May 2021. The toolkit is updated on a monthly basis.

At CIMAM we recognize climate and ecological emergency and are seriously committed to working towards sustainability understood in the broadest terms set out by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, Agenda 2030. As an international organization dedicated to promoting best practices in modern and contemporary art museums, and to raising awareness and responding to the evolving needs of the profession, environmental, social, and economic sustainability is one of the main and most urgent aspects we should take care of.

Our mission is to foster change and facilitate our members with the resources, tools, guides, and examples to reduce museums’ carbon footprint in the short, medium, and long term. CIMAM encourages its members to commit to implementing the necessary changes for achieving the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by 2030.

This toolkit was produced thanks to the contributions of CIMAM Board members 2020–25, and the members and professionals who took part in the survey conducted by CIMAM in 2022. The study explored how modern and contemporary art museums achieve sustainable goals while upholding their core values, providing valuable insights into the sector's current challenges and opportunities, and highlighting the importance of museums leading by example, respecting society, the environment, and their role in educating communities as a catalyst for positive change.

The toolkit comprises the following sections on environmental, social, and economic sustainability aspects in museum practices:

(1) Examples of Immediate Actions

(2) Sustainability Action Plans

(3) Carbon Footprint Calculators and Certificates

(4) Sustainability Consultants

(5) Inspiring Projects, Platforms, and Resources

(6) Reading List

This Toolkit will be updated periodically with new strategies, ideas, and resources as they emerge in the museum sector to help institutions move towards environmental, social, and economic sustainability to achieve the 2030 Agenda.