The National Space Centre, which has been open since 2001, has already made a ‘giant leap’ when it comes to sustainability. In 2019 the Centre recorded that 621 tonnes of carbon had come through their standard operations. However, by 2022 this had dropped to 299 tonnes, cutting emissions by over 50% in just three years.
So how have they done this? The Centre’s Environmental Working Group was able to break down and categorise its greenhouse gas emissions into 3 ‘scopes’:
- Scope 1: Direct emissions – this is any carbon that is produced on-site, such as gas being pumped into their boilers and then released into the atmosphere. Scope 1 also includes company vehicles.
- Scope 2: Indirect emissions – this is the electricity they purchase to operate the building from energy providers.
- Scope 3: Indirect emissions (not owned) – this is effectively any carbon emissions that are produced indirectly by their operations; for example, petrol is used in cars that many visitors will use to drive to the Centre. Another example is the waste produced on-site, such as packaging and rubbish.
Having the 3 scopes identified meant that they were able to start working on pinpointing where carbon was being produced and where to start making changes.
Some of the changes they made included:
- Replacing all lights with energy-efficient LED alternatives throughout.
- Installing solar panels to power the exhibition and office spaces
- Removing the use of gas from kitchen and science lab spaces
- Switching to an ethically sourced electricity supplier with green credentials.
These actions targeted scope 1 and 2. To note during Covid-19 the Centre closed for 14 months which naturally reduced carbon emissions. But the numbers continued to fall, even after the Centre reopened post-lockdown due to the significant changes it had already made in its infrastructure.
The National Space Centre is now looking at further ways of reducing its emissions having taken steps to reduce its direct impact. The Environmental Working Group is looking to work with experts to identify and target the areas they can have the most impact. This includes research into alternative systems for heating and cooling, investing in producing more green renewables and looking at a natural composting system for all its compostable service ware and food waste.
Other steps mean big changes to the visitor experience with the installation of fresh water bottle refilling stations to stop any single use plastics brought on-site by visitors, as well as installing charging points to help increase the use of electric vehicles.
Jamie Coull, Environmental Policy Team Leader at the National Space Centre, said: “We are a science centre, so we listened to the scientific community when they declared a climate emergency and want to do our part to help.
“The team at the National Space Centre have done an amazing job getting where we are but we all know we still have a long way to go. Cutting our emissions in half is a great achievement but now our next big challenge is understanding our scope 3 emissions.”
No doubt there will be challenges and milestones ahead. But it looks like the National Space Centre will continue to make both small steps and giant leaps towards a healthier, happier planet.
