Climate museums: powering action

Abstract

ABSTRACT Innovative museums dedicated to climate change have opened over the past decade. At the same time, increasing numbers of established museums are rethinking their missions and activities to refocus on care of nature and its people, using diverse approaches and methods. While the museum sector has only recently started to draw together in more interlaced conversations about shared goals in the face of the climate crisis, there is nevertheless a notable degree of cohesion of mission across these institutions as they face the shared global challenge. The missions and activities of five climate museums in Bremerhaven, Hong Kong, Rio, New York and Olso are explored, finding high levels of audience reach and impact. This paper focuses on the ways these museums are helping people to understand, care about and act on the climate crisis, stepping up to local and global collective efforts to bring the changes we need.