Scientific evidence is essential to understanding climate change and developing effective strategies to address it. Scientists have been studying climate change for decades, and their work has provided us with a wealth of information about the causes, impacts, and potential solutions to this problem. While the scientific evidence on climate change is clear and compelling, the challenges remain in building trust in scientific evidence, ensuring deeper understanding of science by non-experts and actively using scientific evidence in addressing the climate emergency. Engaging different communities helps raise awareness and understanding of climate science. When people from various backgrounds and walks of life are involved in discussions and initiatives related to climate change, they become better informed and equipped to advocate for action. This increased awareness can lead to a groundswell of support and a collective commitment to addressing the climate crisis. Equality and inclusion As free and inclusive spaces libraries can play a vital role in their communities. This can be through sharing resources (books, toys, tools and equipment through Libraries of Things, and plants or seeds) but also through offering warm spaces in winter and cool spaces in summer, and through the information that can be shared to enable people to become active and well-informed citizens. In all our work, we need to be conscious of the interconnected and complex issues around climate change, equality and fairness. Climate change affects most the poorest in society, who have contributed least to the problem. Those on lower incomes cannot generally afford the kinds of climate action people need to take such as insulation, heat pumps and solar panels for their homes, electric cars, and buying locally-sourced food. Our public engagement always needs to be conscious of this. Between 2024–2030 our aims are to: • embed sustainability and climate change within our exhibition and events programme. For this to include, in spring/ summer 2025, a major exhibition and season of programming on gardening • co-create with our users and communities a new strand of programming on climate literacy skills, increases the visibility of climate science and empowering positive climate action by adults and families and young people, in and outside of formal education, as part of our wider Information Literacy Strategy. For this to include workshops featuring collection items and sources as well as external sources, guides, and online resources • through our hyper-local community engagement in Somers Town, and through our national partnerships with public libraries in our Living Knowledge Network, support community-centred sustainability projects and engagement that are connecting people to their sense of place and environment at a local level • take an active part in Green Libraries Week events and activities each year, using this as a key moment in our calendar to raise awareness, inform, and encourage climate action by a variety of audiences (including staff) • develop ways to measure the success of these activities, particularly impact assessment in terms of changes to participants’ knowledge and behaviour over time. Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy_2024_Final Issued.docx 39
2.3. Enabling sustainable business and enterprise Helping businesses to innovate and grow is one of our six core public purposes. Enabling more green business to flourish will have widespread environmental impacts, as well as creating new green jobs and economic benefits. Since 2006 our Business & IP Centre (BIPC) has created a unique model, providing targeted help to aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage businesses, and helping established small and midsize enterprises (SMEs) to scale. We also support the BIPC National Network (21 library authorities and 85 local hubs in 2024), run in partnership with local authorities and library service providers in other parts of the country. Purpose-driven businesses With the impact of the climate and environmental crisis being felt globally and locally, research has shown that consumers hold companies most responsible – more responsible than governments or themselves – for a host of environmental and social targets and standards. No matter how small the business or what industry it is in, a commitment to sustainability could make a real difference – to the planet, to customers and to their running costs. Small businesses will soon be asked to commit to cutting carbon emissions in half by 2030, reaching net zero by 2050. A BIPC survey revealed that over half (55%) of surveyed businesses indicated they were driven by a social impact and over one quarter (27%) an environmental impact. In response to customer need, BIPCs across the Network have established programmes and support services for small businesses that wish to make a positive environmental or social impact, such as BIPC Greater Manchester’s How to start a business that makes a difference and BIPC North East’s Green Business Guide and accompanying activities offered by their green business experts. Many BIPCs have also become co-signatories of the Green Libraries Manifesto (Appendix 2), outlining a sector wide commitment towards a shared vision: to lead by example through our own environmental actions and use our power and reach to inform and inspire people to take positive action and build resilience in the diverse communities we serve. Looking forward, the BIPCs need to articulate to our audience more clearly that, while sustainability is a challenging prospect, it also provides business opportunity. This includes how sustainability can be good for business and how it offers a range of benefits including cost savings, improved reputation, brand development and increased customer trust. Between 2024–2030 our aims are to: • ensure awareness and actions on sustainability is a core part of the BIPC service, integrating sustainability in our programmes, resources and industry guides • showcase and signpost our green collection for users, including our IP collection • include sustainability questions in annual survey • offer sustainability training for staff in Information Specialist and Reference Librarians • reduce travel while improving accessibility through improving online resources and ensuring that most of our workshops are hybrid. Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy_2024_Final Issued.docx 40
2.4.
International collaboration
Climate change and sustainability were introduced as core topics of focus in the International
Strategic Framework, signed off by the British Library Board in November 2021, and then
subsequently embedded under the International Purpose in Knowledge Matters.
The framework outlines that our international engagement work is affected by several significant
geopolitical and societal changes, such as climate change and the urgent need for large public
institutions to contribute to actions to reduce carbon emissions (p.2 A changing world). It further
notes that a shift towards actions on climate change is on many governments’ agendas, making it
a key engagement topic for cultural and public institutions who may benefit from support and
funding opportunities (see sections in the framework on South Asia and Africa).
Under the section of professional leadership and dialogue the framework suggests “increasing
visibility and engagement on key topics of debate in the international library world, including
sustainability, climate change, diversity and inclusion, and cultural property. So far, for instance,
the British Library has not actively participated in international library networks which collaborate
around the UN Sustainable Development Goals, nor on many of the areas of focus described
within them. It is, however, intrinsically well placed to contribute on broad common objectives
dynamically through its projects and portfolios, including Everyone Engaged and Everything
Available, promoting open access to information for everyone.”
The Library has been formulating several emerging priorities which match key aims of the
Strategic Development Goals (SDGs) (see Appendix 1), including number 13 Climate Action. We
believe that organisations such as the British Library can only benefit from participating in
exchanges of ideas, experiences and challenges with others across the world, to tackle these
issues together.
Between 2024–2030 our aims are to:
•
through programmes such as the Endangered Archives Programme, work with
institutions worldwide whose collections are at risk from climate change
•
use this and other work with international partners to amplify the voices of libraries
and their communities already at risk due to climate change
•
use our convening power to programme discussions with international partners
on a variety of topics, as well as enabling staff to join international networks and
working groups to participate in exchanges including sustainability and climate
change.
Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy_2024_Final Issued.docx 41
Priority 3: Our partnerships Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy_2024_Final Issued.docx 42
Priority 3. Our partnerships Climate change is a complex and urgent issue that requires a global response. No single country, organisation or sector can address it alone. That is why partnerships are essential to fostering climate action. Throughout this strategy, partnerships and collaboration have been mentioned regularly; they are a core part of how we will achieve our objectives and support others to achieve theirs. Our partnerships will help us to facilitate sharing of knowledge, best practices, and lessons learned across different regions, institutions and stakeholders. By building capacity and fostering a global, national and local communities of experts, citizens and organisations, we will enhance our collective understanding of climate change and promote effective action. International partnerships Section 2.4 has set out our extensive work around the world, through supporting individual countries libraries and archives. This also includes the International Library Leaders Programme and contributing through membership of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) and other international bodies. UK partnerships The Library has strong partnerships in England and the wider UK, including the Green Libraries Campaign, the National Museum Directors Council, and Fit for the Future Network. Through these networks, we will convene thought leaders across the library sector to tackle shared challenges at a strategic level, and to enhance the positive impact of our work and theirs. We will use our spaces and networks to convene groups to discuss and take action for planet and people. The Green Libraries Campaign As a founding partner of the Green Libraries Campaign we have undertaken a commitment to support cross-sector capacity-building work with other libraries and related stakeholders to enable positive climate action in relation to library buildings, operations, community engagement and communications. Green Libraries Campaign began with the Green Libraries Partnership, and has gathered unprecedented momentum across the UK. Hundreds of libraries have signed the Green Libraries manifesto (Appendix 2), 15 have been funded to take environmental action, the Green Libraries Conference was a sell-out success, and Green Libraries Week turned 250+ libraries green in October 2023. The aim of the Green Libraries Campaign is to ensure that every library in the UK becomes a green library. To this end the Green Libraries are currently working on expanding their membership to higher education, research and health libraries, strengthening the processes that enable us to know what it means to be a green library in practice, and broadening a range of its engagement activities. Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy_2024_Final Issued.docx 43
We coordinate the Living Knowledge Network (LKN); a vibrant network of library peers across the UK. Through this, we are well-placed to provide space for discussion to inspire collective progress, improving sustainability practice across the sector and supporting community environmental awareness in libraries, in accordance with the principles established by the Green Libraries Manifesto (Appendix 2). Through this work, together with our BIPC network and our partnership with CILIP, we can share positive stories about the role of libraries in sustainability, raising the sector’s profile. To support research and subsequent action, we are an excellent position to bring together a range of research partners, such as The Alan Turing Institute, UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), Aria, the Knowledge Quarter (home to world-leading research institutions in climate science and climate response including Nature, University College London and the Wellcome Trust), and many different university partners, with a range of local, national and international communities, as well as other cultural organisations, industry and policy makers. Local neighbourhood partnerships Through active local community engagement with Camden and Leeds-based charities, organisations and forums, our insight and knowledge into sustainability-focused initiatives are amplified and enriched (see section 2.3 on public engagement). By partnering with these local neighbours we gain access to community expertise, resources and networks, fostering grassroots involvement and empowering us all to drive lasting change. Membership in alliances such as the Camden Climate Alliance and the Knowledge Quarter Net Zero Advisory Group facilitates cross-sector collaboration, knowledge exchange and collective advocacy, accelerating progress toward shared sustainability goals. For example, we will contribute as a major local organisation to Camden’s Climate Action Plan. Additionally, engagement with Leeds Anchors enables initiatives to draw inspiration from successful practices elsewhere and advocate for systemic change at the city and regional levels, ultimately positioning the community as a key driver of positive environmental impact in the local landscapes. Between 2024–2030 our aims are to: • support and amplify the work of the Green Libraries Campaign with the aim that every library in the UK becomes a green library embed sustainably in the work of the Living Knowledge Network, including a touring exhibition linked to gardening in 2025; sharing successes and knowledge, including hyper-local insights which can inspire new initiatives for libraries nationally; and creating training initiatives, toolkits, and frameworks that encourage participatory events • contribute to local neighbourhood partnerships in Camden, Leeds and the wider Yorkshire region, to share knowledge and jointly foster climate solutions • contribute to, share and amplify a briefing note for policy makers on the fundamental sustainability of libraries, and the positive role of local libraries in delivering sustainability. Sustainability and Climate Change Strategy_2024_Final Issued.docx 44