Climate, environment and sustainability
Focused on sustainable practice, the Grimwade Centre brings together cross sectoral teams to progress solutions for environmental and climate change threats to cultural heritage
| How does cultural materials conservation promote positive change for the future? We meaningfully support the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals: |
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Environmental sustainability
Through our learning in preventive conservation, conservation materials science and conservation actions, mitigation strategies that reduce energy, material supply and waste production are realised in our laboratory. We re-use, recycle and limit waste, and examine the circular economy of conservation materials, their production, use and impact. We are committed to SDG 6 Clean and water and sanitation and SDG Responsible consumption and production. Our goal is to develop LAB-based targets and build knowledge to lead to adaptive practices.
Economic sustainability
We are committed to the economic value of sustainability and gathering data to support it. The embodied carbon of heritage collections, life cycle analysis of conservation processes and broadening the funding base and technical assistance for conservation services, can provide the meaningful economic data to support sustainable actions and climate sensitive cities.
Cultural sustainability
Conservation with its very intimate links with material culture and people, has strong links to the cultural, social and economic sustainability of cultural practices and liveable communities. One of the Grimwade Centre’s s and its graduate’s aspiration is to engender strong engagement with communities to examine agency, custodianship, authorisation, creativity, co-production and knowledge inequities. Our two field-based subjects Ngarraggarni: Gija and the art of country with the Warman Art Centre and Content in the Field co-hosted in the Philippines with the National Museum, and our foundational first year subjects, supports these goals and SDG 11 Sustainable communities & cities.
Social sustainability
We are building the capacity of emerging conservators to advance sustainable decision-making pathways in conservation and promote social cohesion. This is supported through subject learnings, SC@M, an elected student sustainable officer and contributions to our professional body, the AICCM. Our goal is to develop a community of practice and shared responsibility for future heritage collections and cultures.