Museums can drive climate justice action

Over the past seven years, since we began presenting public programming as the US’s first climate-dedicated museum, we have witnessed strong wins for climate progress and, at the same time, destructive setbacks. Today, we find ourselves in an acutely challenging moment.

The world experienced the warmest January on record, while the fossil fuel pollution heating the planet is still increasing. In the US, devastating wildfires in Los Angeles followed Hurricane Helene, which ravaged areas previously thought to be climate havens.

On top of this, every day is filled with severe attacks on climate progress from the US’s new administration. Throughout all this, however, something important has remained constant: the public wants climate action and museum visitors want to know what they can do.

This eagerness for action-oriented programming reflects a broader public consensus. Research by George Mason and Yale universities reveals that 63% of Americans favour transitioning the economy to 100% clean energy by 2050. Furthermore, most voters across the political spectrum support policies that promote climate justice goals.

These statistics demonstrate that our task is not to convince people of the urgency of the climate crisis or the necessity of acting on it – it is to help people find their agency and transform their concern into action.

But why isn’t this supermajority already speaking up and taking action? One reason is that we incorrectly perceive ourselves to be in the minority in caring about climate.

In New York, for example, where the Climate Museum is located, 72% of people are climate concerned, but residents estimate that only 44% feel this way. In all states, residents feel outnumbered and outscaled, as if their actions won’t matter. This misperception creates a self-perpetuating cycle of inaction and silence, as people feel their individual efforts won’t make a meaningful difference.

As trusted spaces for community gathering, museums are well positioned to counter this isolation by fostering collective action. Many visitors believe that the scope of their actions is limited to reducing their own individual carbon footprint – a narrative promoted by the oil and gas sector to deflect corporate responsibility on to individuals.

The Climate Museum emphasises actions that are expressive, civic and outward-facing, such as contacting elected officials, voting for climate-forward candidates and initiating conversations about climate with family and friends.

We make collective action visible through installations such as our sticker wall, where visitors publicly commit to specific climate actions. As the commitments accumulate in the form of stickers on the wall, they create a visual representation of community engagement that inspires others to join the movement – a ripple effect. This approach mobilises individuals. Research indicates that encouraging visitors to take mission-aligned action strengthens public trust in museums.

One challenge is countering the narrative that climate change is overwhelming and hopeless. Our last exhibition, The End of Fossil Fuel, demonstrated how museum programming has the opportunity to reshape this narrative.

We observed a transformation in visitors, who often entered feeling unsure but left energised and determined to take action. A study of this exhibition by George Mason University confirmed that visitors left with increased determination to talk about climate and a hope in our ability to achieve climate progress together.

The Climate Museum will continue to mobilise visitors for climate action, with our permanent home opening in 2029 and an interim space being created before then. Scaling to a year-round home will allow us to empower more people to act on their values. 

All museums have a huge, largely untapped opportunity to drive positive change on climate. Together, we can build a cultural shift, creating the ground for the policy we need.

Saskia Randle is the senior design and curatorial associate at the Climate Museum, New York