Sustainability at the Peabody Museum

The Peabody and Climate Change

The Peabody Museum acknowledges the urgency of climate change and biodiversity loss and its own impact on the environment. The museum understands that stewardship extends beyond collections. Thus, the museum works to assess and reduce its impact on the environment.

The Peabody commits to environmental sustainability in all operations including collections care, office activities, and building maintenance. These efforts are informed by goals set by the Harvard Office for Sustainability's Green Office Program and include support of public-facing activities and cultivation of a sustainability mindset among the museum's staff.

Ongoing work includes:

  • Promoting waste reduction through purchasing choices, lower-impact materials, LED lighting, recycling, and more.
  • Working to reduce impact in collections-related and exhibits activities.
  • Engaging staff in sustainability practices through staff newsletters and sustainability-themed events.
  • Connecting with cross-University initiatives to promote and share sustainability-related programming.

Sustainability Highlights

In 2017, the Peabody approved and assisted with the installation of solar panels on its offsite collections storage building.

Rows of solar panels on the roof of a building. They shine in iridescent purple.In October 2017, the Museum replaced nearly 350 fluorescent tubes in its offsite storage building with LED tubes. LED tubes last several times longer and consume 20-60% less energy than fluorescent equivalents. Additionally, LED tubes are safe for the collections because they emit no harmful UV rays.