Decarbonisation Pathways

The Victoria and Albert Museum (V&A)

In late 2020, Victoria and Albert Museum commissioned 3ADAPT to develop a net zero carbon target and a range of decarbonisation pathways to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2035. This target covers scopes 1, 2 and 3, which will be an interesting challenge for an organisation of this size and complexity.

Throughout the project, invaluable insight was gained through a series of workshops that enabled us to co-create recommendations for decarbonisation which were sensitive to the V&A’s wider vision as an organisation yet ambitious enough to achieve their net zero target. For scopes 1 and 2, multiple scenarios with detailed decarbonisation pathways aligned to a Science Based Target of below 1.5oC showed how operational emissions could systematically be reduced over time in the context of a heritage estate, the majority of which being in the heart of London

With multiple franchises, diverse museum services, and emerging quantification methods, scope 3 emissions were more challenging to quantify. However, a range of data was collated from multiple sources and proxies used to estimate Scope 3 emissions in key areas Subsequent recommendations focused on individual carbon streams to minimise emissions where possible, as well as improving data capture to increase the overall accuracy of carbon quantification. In order to achieve net zero carbon emissions, appropriate offsets will need to be carefully chosen to ensure that these result in the removal of atmospheric carbon equal to the organisation’s residual emissions, inline with numerous net zero accreditation schemes, including the Science Based Targets initiative.

A key output of this project was to disseminate the findings back to multiple departments within the museum through  workshops and webinars. Key individuals with responsibility in a range of areas across the V&A, including estates, procurement, operations and HR were brought together with facilitated sessions to explore how they could support and benefit from the delivery of the strategy. To share the findings more broadly with staff, athought-provoking webinar, which enabled individuals to reflect on their own activities and decision making and how this can influence the organisation’s emissions.

“3ADAPT have been a joy to work with, helping us to articulate the information and actions required to underpin our net zero carbon ambition . Supportive and knowledgeable, they have been great at engaging staff across the organisation and presenting complex concepts and data in an accessible way”

- Sara Kassam, V&A, Sustainability Lead

As a forward thinking organisation with a globally recognised brand, the V&A are eager to minimise their environmental impacts and lead by example, and 3ADAPT are excited to be a part of this journey. 3ADAPT continue to support the V&A on the integration of their sustainability strategies into project delivery.

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