Category: climate change

Free Heritage Carbon Webinars & Training for Industrial Heritage Organisations

Free Heritage Carbon Webinars & Training for Industrial Heritage Organisations

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Historic England continues to offer Heritage Carbon Literacy training, and free places on two new workshops:  ‘How to Measure a Carbon Footprint’ and ‘How to Write a Carbon Reduction Plan’. Both are designed especially for heritage organisations, such as industrial sites, who are just starting out on their carbon reduction journey.  Find out more and sign up here – https://historicengland.org.uk/education/training-skills/training/training-courses/carbon-reduction-training-for-the-heritage-sector/

Historic England has also published new guidance, factsheets, and resources to help cultural and heritage organisations develop Decarbonisation Plans for their heritage buildings. Developed by architects Haworth Tompkins through a co-funded Arts Council England and Historic England project, the free resources can be accessed here – https://historicengland.org.uk/advice/climate-change/your-organisation-to-net-zero/developing-a-decarbonisation-plan/. 

To accompany the resources HE are running a series of free webinars in March and April to go through the different steps in the decarbonisation process. More information and booking links here – https://historicengland.org.uk/education/training-skills/training/training-courses/carbon-reduction-training-for-the-heritage-sector/ 

Finally, Historic England is delivering a series of Heritage Carbon Reduction webinars. These have been developed especially for the heritage sector as part Historic England’s programme of Carbon Reduction training to help organisations reduce their carbon emissions. Topics include ‘How to get Trustee buy-in for your carbon reduction plan’, ‘Tenant/Landlord collaboration in lowering emissions’, and ‘Soil emissions in archaeology’. Training on further topics will be announced later in the year. Everyone is welcome to attend these free training sessions. If you can’t make it recordings will also be available on the Historic England website. Booking links here – https://historicengland.org.uk/education/training-skills/training/training-courses/carbon-reduction-training-for-the-heritage-sector/

Urban air pollution. Image copyright Historic England Archve.
Stormy seas crashing against a historic quayside. Image copyright Historic England Archive.
Shipley Glen Tramway Launches Fundraising Appeal

Shipley Glen Tramway Launches Fundraising Appeal

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The Shipley Glen Tramway, near Saltaire in West Yorkshire, is launching a fundraising appeal for £89,000, to pay for vital repairs to the trackway after prolonged damage by the weather. It opened in 1895 linking Baildon with Saltaire and is Britain’s oldest working cable tramway. The tramway has two tracks and a pair of tram cars and runs every Sunday between midday and 16:00.

The site has been run by a charitable trust since 2002. Trustee John Pitcher, speaking to the BBC, said that the electrically-powered funicular had been assessed as safe to continue to operate. However, for the works to be carried out it would have to be temporarily closed. “What has happened, over the years, is that the damp has washed away underneath the tracks actually into the track bed, so the track bed is now a little bit unstable. Over the years we’ve maintained it, and you can stick patches on for so long, but there comes a time when you need a little bit more than an Elastoplast.”

More details on how to donate here: https://www.shipleyglentramway.co.uk/

Museum of Making, Derby, Installs Flood Barriers

Museum of Making, Derby, Installs Flood Barriers

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New flood defences have been installed at Museum of Making, Derby. The protective barriers have been placed inside the old Silk Mill, now the Museum of Making, which was flooded by waters from the River Derwent to a depth of 0.7m during Storm Babet in 2023.

Alex Rock, director of commercial and operations at Derby Museums Trust, said “We’re delighted to add further protection to our building, and very grateful for the support of Derby City Council’s planning team and their engineering colleagues. Both departments have been crucial in securing the relevant permissions and funding from DEFRA for this work. It adds another layer of protection to two key operational areas, which means that should a flood event occur again – and it is worth bearing in mind that Storm Babet was forecast as a once-in-a-century event for Derby – then we’ll be able to shorten the period of closure. It protects the two areas of the ground floor that are most impacted by flood events.”

As part of Derby City Council’s ‘Our City Our River’ scheme, flood defences are also to be improved around the museum. Work is underway to demolsih disused office buildings on the eastern bank of the river, close to the museum, at Stuart Street and Phoenix Street. This will allow the construction of a new flood wall, floodgates, and a riverside green area to provide a controlled corridor for flood waters fromt eh River Derwent to pass through the city.

More details here: https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/world/derbys-museum-of-making-gets-flood-defence-boost-after-closure-cost-six-figure-sum/ar-AA1PA7v1?ocid=BingNewsSerp

and here: https://www.derby.gov.uk/environment-and-planning/regeneration-and-economic-growth/our-city-our-river/our-city-our-river-project-overview/

The Museum of the Making (the Old Silk Mill), Derby. Image copyright Dr Michael Nevell.

Latest Historic England ‘How to write a carbon reduction plan’ Workshop Now Available to Book

Latest Historic England ‘How to write a carbon reduction plan’ Workshop Now Available to Book

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Historic England, with support from CIfA, are running a workshop on ‘How to write a carbon reduction plan’. Several dates are available with limited places on 30 October 2025, but further workshop places available on 17 and 26 November.

The workshop has been designed to support organisations, such as industrial heritage sites and museums, to build on their carbon footprint report by writing a basic plan for carbon reduction whilst also engaging with staff, volunteers, and visitors.

To book a place follow this link: How to Write a Carbon Reduction Plan

Adapting to Net Zero on Industrial Heritage Sites Online Seminar, May 2025

Adapting to Net Zero on Industrial Heritage Sites Online Seminar, May 2025

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The Industrial Heritage Support project is running a free online seminar on 22 May 2025 focussing on climate change and Net Zero. The seminar is designed to give an overview of Net Zero adaptation strategies on industrial heritage sites in England. This is a follow-up seminar from an event on climate change and industrial heritage sites run in 2023.

The seminar will include a short presentation from Historic England covering their latest research and advice on reaching Net Zero in the Heritage sector. This will be followed by three industrial heritage site case studies from Cromford Mills, the National Mining Museum in Wakefield, and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust discussing practical and future steps as these sites to achieve Net Zero. The seminar will finish with a discussion and questions.

The seminar is free and will run from 10:30am to 12 noon. To book via Eventbrite click here

Carbon Literacy Training for Heritage Organisations

Carbon Literacy Training for Heritage Organisations

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On the 24th February 2025, the Carbon Lieteracy Project will be holding an online Shareable Courses Launch Event. At the event they will be launching six ready-to-use Carbon Literacy courses that can be used to deliver internal Carbon Literacy training within archives, heritage organisations, libraries, theatres, public leisure/culture trusts, and across the cultural sector.

The online launch event is free, and will involve the course creators and people who have been delivering the courses. There will be presentations about the creators’ ambitions for the courses, how to access them, and how they can be used. One of the six new courses is for Heritage Organisations. This course is an affordable, flexible, and sector-specific training programme for heritage organisations based in the UK.

The Shareable Course for Heritage Organisations is built on the success of the Carbon Literacy for Museums Toolkit. Developed by Historic England and Historic Buildings and Places, the course aims to support the wider heritage sector, from organisations that manage heritage sites to those who provide heritage services. Book your place here.

Canal & River Trust Launch Emergency Appeal After Winter Storms Damage

Canal & River Trust Launch Emergency Appeal After Winter Storms Damage

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The Canal and River Trust, who cares for a 2,000-mile network of canals and navigable rivers in England and Wales, has launch an emergency appeal for funds to help the network recover from the ‘devastating and widespread’ damage inflicted by a series of winter storms in late 2024 and early 2025.

The Trust reports that Storm Bert’s high winds and torrential rain left boats adrift and flooded locks across the country in December 2024. Shortly after, at the beginning of January 2025, high winds and flooding risks returned as Storm Darragh hit the UK. This triggered a rare Red Warning from the Met Office, and felled over 400 trees along the network, blocking navigable waterways, damaging lock gates, and causing landslips. The charity estimates that it will cost hundreds of thousands of pounds to repair the canals and rivers affected.

Storms and flooding not only destroy towpaths and damage historic locks. They can also pollute and damage the habitats of the wildlife in and around the canal network. CRT teams have been working around the clock to deal with the impacts of these storms but the charity needs further funds to deal with future storm events.

For more details on how to donate online, follow this link: https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/support-us/our-campaigns/perfectstorm

Landslip on the the Huddersfield Narrow Canal in Saddleworth as a result of Storm Darragh, Janaury 2025. Image coutersy of Canal & River Trust.

Museum Decarbonisation Case Studies

Museum Decarbonisation Case Studies

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The National Musuem Directors’ Council (NMDC) has published the findings of a series of case studies looking at the actions and costs required to decarbonise museum buildings. It worked with a consulting engineer and a construction consultancy on a study of potential improvements to the energy performance of six different museum sites across the country, identifying where changes could be made to make buildings more efficient and reduce carbon emissions.

The National Museum Directors’ Council represents the leaders of the UK’s national collections and major regional museums. Aware that many museums haven’t yet carried out baseline surveys or carbon audits due to capacity and affordability, and that some who have done so can’t share results widely due to  commercial sensitivities, six museums agreed to share their findings publicly to increase sector literacy about potential improvements and outline costs. Each case study considers three categories: quick wins, maintenance, and capital projects, and within these demonstrates a range of potential carbon savings for individual measures – ranging from reviewing boiler controls or time schedules, to more ambitious interventions such as upgrading roof insulation, window repairs, or replacing gas boilers with Air Source Heat Pumps.The detailed case studies can be read by clicking the link here.

The importance of baseline carbon surveys to identify such measures cannot be overstated, as implementing these may mitigate potentially larger costs of more advanced maintenance or capital work, for which considerably more external funding is necessary.

*all carbon savings and costs are estimates. See case study document for full details.

Emergency and Risk Management Network: Extreme Environments Training for Museums, 5 November 2024

Emergency and Risk Management Network: Extreme Environments Training for Museums, 5 November 2024

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Join Museum Development Midlands (MDM) and Anita Hollinshead for this session exploring extreme environments and their impact on conditions in museums, collections, visitors, and staff on 5th November. The free workshop will include a number of case studies and measures that can be put in place to minimise risks.

Delegates will be encouraged to share their own experiences of extreme weather conditions, including high temperatures, flooding, and storms and the impact of climate change on collections management, all issues familiar on for industrial heritage sites. This workshop is part of MDM’s Emergency and Risk Management Network, helping museums prepare for emergency situations and develop skills in risk management and mitigation.

Places are limited to a maximum two delegates per organisation. Priority will be given to delegates from non-NPO and non-National museums in the Midlands which are Accredited or officially Working Towards Accreditation. You’re welcome to book a place if you are not from a priority museum, including non-Accredited museums, on the understanding we may ask you to release your place if the event becomes oversubscribed. Fololow this linbk to book the free trainbign session: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/emergency-and-risk-management-network-extreme-environments-tickets-1028753909637?aff=oddtdtcreator

Historic England Publish New Guidance on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy & Carbon Efficiency

Historic England Publish New Guidance on Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy & Carbon Efficiency

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Historic England has published new advice on balancing climate action with building adaptation. The new advice note ‘Adapting Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency’ is aimed primarily at local authorities, heritage consultants, and those involved in the planning process. It makes clear that historic properties can be retrofitted with energy-efficient measures such as heat pumps, solar panels, and insulation.

The guidance is intended to “provide clarity and support consistent decision-making” for proposals to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings, while conserving their significance. It reflects current planning policy and covers:   

  • Advice on what permissions, such as listed building consent, are needed for some of the common changes required to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings 
  • Advice to assist local planning authorities – and other parties involved in the planning process – in determining proposals to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings to enable positive climate action. Some typical building adaptations in response to climate change impacts are also included 
  • Signposting to other relevant information, advice, and guidance. 

Download the Adapting Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency advice note here.