Natural History Museum’s air miles in spite of climate stance
STAFF at the Natural History Museum have taken thousands of flights despite the institution declaring a “planetary emergency” over climate change.
The London museum announced in January that the planet was in peril and young people should be made into “advocates” in order to protect it, while the museum itself would be a “global, scientific and cultural leader” for the environment.
This leadership stance has been labelled “contradictory” after The Sunday Telegraph found staff at the museum have taken more than 4,000 flights in their work for the climate-conscious institution in the past three years.
Taking its cue from Sir David Attenborough, the museum told the public “we are not taking effective action to combat our destructive impact”, announcing it would help create environmental advocates and “empower people so they can make informed decisions about their own behaviour and actions”.
Figures obtained by The Telegraph under Freedom of Information laws reveal that staff at the museum have taken 4,419 flights since 2017, at a cost of £845,572 – and a sizeable carbon footprint.
The museum has said it is working to reduce its environmental impact and advised staff on travelling sustainably.
It said travel was for research, field work and transporting specimens to “avoid damage that can occur during sea transportation”.
Steve Westlake, PhD researcher on the environmental policies of institutions, said: “The signals being sent are contradictory.
“The action being taken is not consistent. People hear the message, then they see the behaviour. If it’s not consistent it can undermine the message.”
In 2017/18, staff at the institution took 1,401 one-way flights, followed the next year by 1,592, and 1,426 the following financial year. More than a ton of CO2 is estimated to be released into the atmosphere for a flight from London to New York, with smaller amounts for shorter flights.
Costs for the museum’s flights, almost £300,000 a year, were covered by the Natural History Museum and by third parties.
The institution in South Kensington has urged action in its Strategy to 2031 over what it has termed a “planetary emergency”, and has pledged to secure its future as a sustainable museum, and an inspirational resource for young people, encouraging them to feel connected to the planet, and fight for it.
A statement from the museum said: “We regularly update our travel policy and encourage all our staff to think sustainably when considering travel options.”