Environmental Sustainability

The Postal Museum recognises the urgent need to take action to address the climate emergency.

We aim to make meaningful changes to our operation and be making tracked progress towards Net Zero emissions by 2040.

We want to embed environmental responsibility within all aspects of our work and ensure everyone understands their role in supporting delivery.

1. To minimise the environmental impact of our activities.
2. To communicate effectively about our environmental responsibility.

Where we want to be

• We want to achieve Net Zero emissions by 2040.
• We want to reduce our dependency on natural resources and our overall impact, from increasing biodiversity on our sites to reducing waste.
• We want our staff and volunteers to be confident communicating about our environmental responsibility and clear about their roles in achieving our goals.
• We want robust data collection and analysis, from greener procurement to better use of existing systems.
• We want our vision funded and resourced so we can meet our goals.

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We’re always working to make the museum more sustainable. Here are some of the key steps we’ve taken in recent years:

Energy efficiency

• We’ve changed how we use environmental controls, keeping our collections safe without using as much energy.
• We’ve changed lightbulbs across 1.2km of Mail Rail tunnels to energy efficient LEDs.
• Solar panels have been installed on our roof, with 100% of generated energy going back into powering the museum.
• We have worked with engineering students to evaluate our building management system and recommend improvements.

Recycling and waste reduction

• We’ve cut plastic use in the shop and expanded sustainable ranges.
• The café has switched to compostable cups and plastic‑free tea bags, and introduced food‑waste bins to ensure zero waste to landfill.
• We’ve reused materials for our new temporary exhibitions.
• We donate usable items to local groups and charities, and have strengthened reuse networks with other museums.
• We’re reducing orders of printed materials across the organisation.
• We have reduced emissions from goods transported to and from the museum.

Staff and organisation

• We had a large-scale rollout of Carbon Literacy Training across departments, gaining our own in‑house trainers and building internal expertise to embed sustainability into everyday decision‑making.
• We are working toward a Carbon Literacy Project Bronze Accreditation.
• We have a cross-departmental Sustainability Working Group spearheading our activity.

Programming and visitor engagement

• Family and community activities are now regularly delivered using low-impact and scrap materials.
• We encourage visitors and staff to use sustainable travel with bike storage and walking trails to the museum.
• We are rolling out improvements to onsite visitor-facing signage and digital content.
• We continue efforts to minimise waste and improve recycling clarity for visitors.

Reporting and planning

• We are now a Carbon Measured organisation with annual footprint reporting.
• We have an improved understanding of our existing data to guide our other long-term goals.

• We’re a Carbon Measured organization with a 2019 Carbon Baseline Report.
• Our Scope 1-3 emissions for the 2019 reporting year were 908.5 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e). That was about 177 homes’ electricity use for one year.

Since launching our Environmental Sustainability Framework in 2023, we have measured our Scope 1-3 emissions for each year. You can read our most recent annual updates below.

To help us reach our goals we have developed a framework which categorises our work into four areas of impact: place, people, programme and process.

Our Framework has been developed with carbon reduction insights from Eight Versa, ideas generated by the museums’ cross-departmental working group and supported by actions within our Arts Council England National Portfolio Organization plan.

Carbon Footprint – The greenhouse gas emissions we produce. This includes gases like Carbon Dioxide (CO₂), Methane (CH₄), and Nitrous Oxide (N₂O). We also measure emissions of gases like Halocarbons, Nitrogen Trifluoride, hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), and Perfluorochemicals (PFCs).

Baseline Carbon Footprint – Total emissions from our activities in a given year. This is the starting point for measuring progress against. The Postal Museum’s Baseline Carbon Footprint is for 2019.

Scope 1 Emissions – Direct greenhouse gas emissions from buildings, sites, or vehicles that we own or operate.

Scope 2 Emissions – Indirect greenhouse gas emissions linked to the generation and use of electricity, steam, heat, and cooling that we purchase and consume.

Scope 3 Emissions – Emissions resulting from activities we don’t own or control, but indirectly or directly impact. This includes emissions from items and services we buy, waste generated in our operations, emissions of spaces and items we rent, business travel, employee commuting, how customers disposal items they buy in the shop, and investments.

Tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) – A unit used to measure the total amount of greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere. It takes into account the different types of gases produced and calculates the amount of carbon dioxide that would have the same warming effect as all those gases combined.

Carbon Offsetting – The process of compensating for greenhouse gas emissions by funding projects that reduce or remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere elsewhere, such as renewable energy projects or planting trees.

Carbon neutral – This means that an organisation has achieved a net zero carbon footprint by a combination of emission reductions and carbon offsetting. It’s an interim step before you reach net zero.

Net Zero – To achieve Net Zero emissions, Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions must be reduced by 90% compared to our baseline carbon footprint. Once we’ve verified these reductions, the remaining emissions (10%) have to be offset using good quality carbon offsetting schemes.

Carbon Measured – We continuously measure and reduce our carbon footprint. We use the Natural Carbon Solutions Footprinting Protocol to demonstrate progress towards net zero by certifying each key milestone. We’re currently Carbon Measured, which means we understand our baseline emissions from 2019 and can track progress against this.