Thread by @MacalisterFiona

Fabulous discussion Mary Robinson and @natalieben #2021wiconf #MuseumSustainabilty chaired by @nickmerriman01 introduced by @LifeOnBaars @UK_ICOM (Would be great if transcript could be made available.) A few key points... Thread/

Mary Robinson: we all have to commit to net zero emissions by 2050, working back to 2030,and commit to practical steps to reach by 2030. Need this to be an urgent movement this year. /

.@natalieben Need to talk about a different society. Need social innovation. Need to show people that they can get together to build new structures in society. Deliver hope. /

Mary Robinson: not build back better, build forward, with justice. Collective human behaviour matters. Need to consume less, waste less, move to circular economy more rapidly. @natalieben pandemic has shown things can change rapidly. Move from 5 to 50% people wfh within a week /

Mary Robinson: Need both top down and bottom up approaches. Referenced podcast mothersofinvention.online Listening to people. Need to pay more attention to communities, often indigenous communities. Need to strengthen systems, and need whole government policies. /

.@natalieben need to celebrate our victories. Show people that victories matter. Need to reach people more effectively. eg. Museums in vacant shops post covid, mobile museums .../

Mary Robinson: spell it out, be vocal about changes you’re making. Talk about changes, make them evident. Exhibitions - more action/ sustainability focus. Be thought leaders. Examine how we can be part of the solution. Use trusted space in non-political way./

Mary Robinson: importance of COP26 + UK’s presidency. Museum leadership - take initiative even globally to encourage museums worldwide of the urgency of getting on course for a safe world. Museums have a trusted moral authority. Think about what we can do to help COP presidency /

.@natalieben Why is there any single use item in a museum cafe? Model the kind of behaviour you want. Show people how they can live their lives without plastic/

I’m being called away.... will finish thread later/

Difficult picking up the thread! Mary Robinson: have to imagine the world we need to be hurrying towards. (Link to the Mary Robinson Climate Justice website: mrfcj.org ) /

.@nickmerriman01 people often think museums are about past,but v present/ future orientated too. Keeping archive/collection for future. Perhaps don’t make enough of our future orientation. Imaging museums in 2050.What would we see in an exhibition abt how managed climate change?/

.@nickmerriman01 links between climate and social justice. Can be great gaps. How can we bring environmental and social issues together? /

Mary Robinson: 5 layers of injustice - disproportionately affects poorer states first; gender; children; injustice of different pathways; injustice to nature/ biodiversity. (Link to principles of climate justice mrfcj.org/principles-of-… ) /

.@natalieben teach through exhibitions etc; referenced #SDG’s. sdgs.un.org/goals Mary Robinson: should all be working in this direction. ‘The fierce urgency of now’ MLK Junior. Institutions built on the trust of the public must be engaged /

Other links @HornimanMuseum horniman.ac.uk/story/the-horn… and @Henry_McGhie google.co.uk/amp/s/curating… /

This was a great session. Thank you to the speakers; and the chair for the very direct and timely questions set. (Apologies for any misquotes. This thread is by no means fully comprehensive!)