A sustainable Louisiana
From the very beginning, Louisiana has been formed by its coastal location, interaction with nature and strong commitment to society. The museum has therefore, quite naturally, chosen to take on a special responsibility and set ambitious goals when it comes to showing the way towards a more sustainable future.
Louisiana’s sustainability strategy – which sets a number of ambitious goals for the museum for the coming decades – was formulated at the end of 2023 and reflects the museum’s desire to contribute actively, solution-oriented and inspired to the colossal and global challenges of our time in regards to climate and the environment.
The strategy is based on four pillars: climate, circularity, biodiversity and social responsibility, each of which resonates in its own way with the impact, the museum has managed to have on its surroundings over the years, and which extend from the experience of the individual guest to the international art world.
OUR STRATEGY
“With a targeted, ambitious and knowledge-based effort, Louisiana will ensure that sustainability becomes a pillar of every activity at the museum. This is crucial for the continued organic and dynamic development of the museum both as an an international landmark and as an exceptional venue for art, culture, nature and people.”
Vision for the museum’s strategy towards 2050.
CLIMATE FOCUS
Efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in both its own operations and in the museum’s value chain constitutes one of the four focus areas of the strategy. Louisiana’s emissions reduction target for 2030 has been verified as part of the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). This standard for companies, which is based on the UN Global Compact, is considered the leading knowledge-based standard for complying with the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees (compared to pre-industrial levels).
GREEN ATTRACTION
Louisiana has been awarded the Green Attraction certification in recognition of the museum’s work with environmentally and climate-friendly initiatives. “Louisiana works seriously and on a comprehensive scale with environmentally friendly initiatives,” reads the justification for the award, “and uses its international position to increase focus on environmental concerns in the industry in general and to modernize workflows for the benefit of the environment and climate.”
Green Attraction is an eco-labeling scheme, specially developed for Danish attractions. It is a sister scheme to the international tourism eco-label Green Key.
Efforts and initiatives
Sustainability is a focus area for all departments across the museum. New initiatives and improvements are launched and implemented continuously, especially in those departments where it is possible and fitting to achieve the best results.
Electricity, climate control and waste
In 2024, Louisiana achieved a total CO2 reduction of 34% in scope 1 and scope 2 compared to the baseline year 2019. This was due to a significant reduction in electricity consumption, but also to the fact that the Danish electricity grid has generally become “greener”.
Rebuilding the museum’s ventilation system and experiments with AI monitoring of air conditioning systems have also contributed significantly to this consumption reduction – at the same time as the framework for climate control has been made more flexible.
District heating was installed on two of the museum’s land plots in the spring of 2024.
The museum is working to reuse and recycle materials to the greatest extent possible, also when it comes to installing new exhibitions. When it comes to waste, the recycling rate continues to increase considerably year to year.
Louisiana Cafe
Louisiana Cafe has reduced its CO2 emissions from food by more than 50 percent since 2019, which means that goals set for 2030 have already been met.
Beef and lamb are no longer served, and in the effort to make the dishes greener, more legumes and more local, seasonal ingredients are used.
The cafe focuses on animal welfare – all fish is caught without trawling – and has doubled the proportion of organic ingredients so far this past year.
The results have been achieved in collaboration with Nordic Sustainability and Meyers Madhus.
Louisiana Butik & Webshop
The range in the Louisiana Butik & Webshop, including own brand products, is continuously monitored and renewed with a focus on bringing in alternatives that pose less damage to the climate.
There has been an increase in collaborations with suppliers who use recycled wood and polyester as well as surplus meter goods and materials such as apple leather, eelgrass and organic cotton.
The majority of the plastic used is recycled or replaced by alternative materials. There is a focus on Danish products, locally produced crafts and vintage clothing has become a permanent part of the range in accordance with a more circular mindset.
Biodiversity
In 2024, the consultancy firm Habitats conducted a mapping of the biodiversity on the museum’s ground. Based on this, a so-called UrbanBioScore was prepared that can be used to compare future efforts, including conservation and a focus on invasive species.
Social responsability
We strive to develop and shed light on the many projects undertaken by particularly the Louisiana Learning department and Children’s Wing in relation to local communities and groups with special needs
Across the museum, there is a focus on projects which can make a difference for young people who are marginalized and do not thrive. Initiatives such as dementia days and youth evenings have been introduced, and special openings are being offered for vulnerable children and young people.
Materials for recycling are being passed on, as are posters for decorating spaces frequented by vulnerable groups and people with physical or mental illnesses. In general, priority is given to impactful projects with special social responsibility.
Publications and printed material
Louisiana’s printed materials, including exhibition catalogues, Louisiana Revy and Louisiana Magasin, are printed locally in Denmark. Water-based, environmentally friendly inks and paper with a low CO2 footprint are used.
All paper is FSC-labelled, which means that the wood used to make the paper comes from responsibly managed FSC-certified forests and other responsible sources such as recycling. The paper in most of our publications is also Nordic Eco-labelled.
In catalogues and magazines you will find the so-called ClimateCalc figure, which is a calculation of the CO2 emissions of all stages of production, ranging from the paper to the printing itself and on to transport.
COLLABORATIONS
Louisiana’s partners play an important role in the efforts to make sustainability a central aspect throughout the museum’s work. This is the background for the preparation of a code of conduct with environmental, social and ethical requirements. It is intended to ensure that we reach and meet new standards in collaboration with our partners.
HELP US
Inspirational ideas, concrete initiatives and major changes are all necessary to achieve the visions for the museum’s sustainability strategy. That’s why we are continuously working on both obvious and less visible changes around the museum. And in this connection we also need our guests’ input and help. For example, it is important that our guests remember to sort any waste correctly when they visit. Remember to ask at the museum if you are in doubt.
Your guide to sorting waste at Louisiana
Do you have questions, suggestions, input? If you have comments, ideas etc. about Louisiana’s work with sustainability, you are very welcome to contact us. Please write directly to sustainability@louisiana.dk