Climate Action
This programme provides training and funding to help museums address environmental responsibility in management, delivery of operations and in how they raise awareness.
Training comprises events in the national Roots & Branches programme and the London local authority programme.
The grants support museums to accelerate their action for environmental responsibility and enable them to respond to climate change.
The climate emergency is the most significant challenge for us all today. This programme has been developed, using funding from Arts Council England, in line with the Art Council England’s Investment Principle to create environmental responsibility in the cultural sector.
The grants give museums a helping hand in understanding and reducing their own impact and communicating climate actions with audiences, peers and stakeholders.
We fund grants in the following three areas:
- Understanding the data – museums use data to understand their environmental impacts and responsibilities in the context of local and global impacts of climate change
- Plan, action and change – museums take organisation-wide action, developing plans to adapt, change, and mitigate their impacts
- Influence and advocate – museums become advocates of environmental action in their local communities and wider cultural sector, seeking to accelerate action
How to apply
Applications for our 2025–2026 funding round has now closed.
This grant will reopen from April 2026 for a new round of applications.
Current grants
In 2025–2026 the grant is funding the following museums:
- Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Foundling Museum
- Fulham Palace
- London Museum of Water and Steam
Projects will be completed by March 2026 and detailed case studies will be available from June 2026 onwards.
Previous grants
2024–2025
The grants funded the following museums:
- Dulwich Picture Gallery
- Foundling Museum
- Fulham Palace
- Hackney Museum
- London Museum of Water and Steam
- Wimbledon Museum
- Royal College of Nursing Museum
PDF: 1.4 MB
Read detailed case summaries about the projects, completed in March 2025.
More programmes
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Diversity Matters
Identifying and addressing who's under-represented in your audiences
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Family Friendly
Encouraging museums to develop their offer for children and families
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Fund the Future
Helping museums improve their income generation strategies
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Local authority programme
Improving the resilience of local authority museums and archives service
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Measuring Up
Measuring exhibition quality with self-assessments, peer reviews and surveys
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National EDI
Helping museums embrace equality, diversity and inclusion
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Recharge
Helping museums respond to increasing challenges without any budget increase
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Roots & Branches
Creating an environmentally aware and active sector
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Victory 80
Supporting museums to commemorate the 80th anniversary of victory in Europe and Japan