Sustainability
OUR SUSTAINABILITY COMMITMENT
NGV is committed to a future in which it operates sustainably within the natural and built environments. We manage our resources to minimise environmental impacts, while maintaining public access to the State Collection and conserving it for future generations.
We seek excellence in our water, energy and waste practices to reduce consumption of resources and improve outcomes, and we actively consider ways to reduce our environmental impact across a range of our activities. NGV Annual Reports document the following operational performance measures:
- Energy Consumption
- Water Usage
- Waste and Recycling
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Working with Sustainability Partner, ACCIONA, NGV are looking beyond operational efficiencies to reduce the carbon footprint of our exhibitions.
Retallack Thompson and Other ArchitectsGarden wall 2017 (detail)
Commissioned by the National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne with the support of RMIT University, The Golden Age Group and The Hugh D. T. Williamson Foundation
Photo John Gollings
Some of our key initiatives to optimise the sustainability of our operations are:
Air Conditioning Optimisation
We minimise the number of hours we use air conditioning by taking advantage of the NGV International building’s thermal mass.
Harvesting Rainwater
We collect the rainwater from the roof of the NGV International building for use in our moats.
Efficient Equipment
We have made improvements to our plant, equipment and systems to increase our energy performance.
Recycling
We have implemented a recycling program in our back-of-house and administrative areas so that more waste is recycled and less ends up in landfill.
This year, we’ve completed the NGV Energy Performance Contract, a project which has already delivered a 16% reduction in our greenhouse gas emissions. The project is part of the Victorian Government’s Greener Government Buildings Initiative to reduce energy usage in existing public buildings.
Some achievements of the NGV EPC Project are:
Energy Generation
The installation of 360 solar panels on the NGV International roof which will generate power for use at the Gallery.
Energy Savings
Upgraded light fittings at the NGV from halogen to LEDs, which use less energy and don’t have to be replaced as often.
Upgraded air conditioning filters from carbon filters to electronic ones which require less maintenance and use less energy.
Optimised set point in NGV International gallery spaces, enabling for greater flexibility in environmental conditions, leading to lower energy consumption.
MELBOURNE WINTER MASTERPIECES® EXHIBITIONSNGV has partnered with ACCIONA to improve the sustainability performance of its Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® exhibitions.
Commencing with Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® 2022, The Picasso Century, ACCIONA undertook a life cycle assessment of the exhibition, calculating the exhibition’s carbon footprint. ACCIONA and NGV collaborated to gather insights and lessons learned from the pilot project, which can be applied when planning future exhibitions, to reduce their residual carbon emissions.
In response to the lessons learned from the pilot project, NGV staff implemented a range of changes to their practices in building operations, construction and collection management to exhibitions, including the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® series.
Again in 2023, ACCIONA will complete a life cycle assessment of the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® 2023 exhibition Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi to assess the performance improvement of the exhibition. NGV has committed to offsetting any residual carbon from the exhibition.
ACCIONA, an international sustainability leader, is well-positioned to partner with the NGV and drive the shift towards a decarbonised economy, fostering sustainable outcomes across administrations, society, and organisations.
NGV AND ACCIONA PARTNERSHIPAs the NGV’s inaugural sustainability partner, ACCIONA is working closely with the Gallery to improve the sustainability performance of our buildings and collection operations.
ACCIONA is a global leader in providing innovative infrastructure solutions and renewable energy projects. The company is leading the transition towards a low-carbon economy, leveraging technical excellence and innovation to design a better planet.
ACCIONA, an international sustainability leader, is well-positioned to partner with the NGV and drive the shift towards a decarbonised economy, fostering sustainable outcomes across administrations, society, and organisations. ACCIONA are supporting NGV to better understand the causes of Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® exhibition carbon footprints, to reduce the emissions going forward and ensure a more sustainable future for the Gallery.
The sustainability partnership between NGV and ACCIONA first commenced for the 2022 Melbourne Winter Masterpieces®: The Picasso Century and the NGV is proud to be applying the learnings from this exhibition to adopt more sustainable practices for our day-to-day operations.
The NGV is again proud to partner with ACCIONA on the Melbourne Winter Masterpieces® 2023 exhibition Pierre Bonnard: Designed by India Mahdavi. Together, we look forward to further implementing sustainable practices at the Gallery, creating a lasting impact on the environment and our community.
To find out more about ACCIONA, please visit their website.
SUSTAINABLE CONSERVATIONSome of our initiatives to ensure a sustainable collection environment are:
New Standards
The Bizot Group made up of the world’s leading museums, revised international standards for temperature and humidity parameters for museum collections.
Bizot Green Protocol
The NGV has endorsed the Bizot Green Protocol for the State Collection and hosted a one-day round table with Council of Australian Art Museum Directors (CAAMD) members to investigate ways of implementing new standards for loans.
NGV is monitoring, researching and leading discussion around loan requirements and display conditions for art works aiming to minimise the environmental impact of maintaining the museum environment.
The NGV has a formal partnership with the Getty Conservation Institute to research artwork responses to climate fluctuations under these parameters.
Learn more about the NGV’s sustainable conservation approach