Additional funding to green Scotland’s museums

The Scottish Government is to make more than £1m available to museums and galleries to help them achieve net zero emissions.

The Scottish Climate Engagement Fund, worth £550,000, aims to build understanding of the climate emergency and to mobilise climate action among communities.

Grants of between £50,000 and £100,000 will be awarded during 2023-24.

The funding is for public events, festivals and skills development. It will not support capital projects such as installing solar panels.

The deadline for applications is 1 September 2023.

The Scottish Government is also to give £500,000 to Museums Galleries Scotland towards running costs and resilience.

The money is intended to enable organisations across the country to reduce their capital costs and carry out crucial repairs and maintenance work.

“Given the current cost-of-living challenges and their impact on the ability of museums to run their services for the public, this £500,000 in funding will enable the museum sector to be more energy efficient,” said Culture Minister Christina McKelvie.

“In particular the fund will prioritise projects that will directly reduce carbon use or have a positive environmental impact.”

This work will contribute to achieving Scotland’s target of net zero emissions by 2045, she added.

“As well as encouraging the sector to be more sustainable, the aims of the fund align with our national priorities and will contribute to Scotland’s target of net zero emissions by 2045.”

CEO of Museums Galleries Scotland Lucy Casot said the additional government funding will “safeguard these spaces for years to come”.