Last Sunday we visited Kelvinhall behind the scenes, where Lee Scott (Visitor Experience Manager) gave us a tour. Glasgow City is currently all preparing for COP26. Therefore, we took the chance to talk about the Hunterian’s environmental practices.
The University of Glasgow Climate Strategy
The Hunterian Museum is part of the University of Glasgow, which recently published their draft for a Climate Change Strategy. Being climate-friendly is easy in Kelvin Hall, as it is only four years old. For instance, by reusing heated water to heat the building. Because of this, Kelvin Hall has a five star Green Tourism Award, which awards organisations who are sustainable. Working at the Hunterian Museum is, according to Lee, more difficult. The Hunterian is within the University of Glasgow, which is an old listed building. Making sure they are as energy-efficient as possible is one way to ensure that green tourism is front and centre. In addition, The Hunterian has a Green Team which advises on climate-friendly measures.
A Research Hub for COP26
Lee agrees that COP26 coming to Glasgow is a “fantastic opportunity” for the city. Because it means that businesses and organisations can lead the way in their own practices. She also highlights the importance of honesty: “People will have to stand up and be honest about shortcomings” – as well as their successes. For COP26, the University will hopefully be one of the hubs for events surrounding the conference. The Hunterian is mainly a research museum, which might be the focus of the events they will participate in. “Tourists want to travel sustainably. For conferences, the first thing people ask the venue is how sustainable it is,” Lee thinks. This shift in public interest in the environment is a positive step forward. COP26 is sure to give exciting possibilities for everyone to show off their work within sustainable tourism.