National Gallery Singapore is ranked 4th most sustainable museum and 8th most sustainable cultural organisation globally in a study by the University of Lausanne (UNIL).
Our Vision Our Goals Our Initiatives and Impact Awards and Achievements Download Sustainability Report
Our Vision
As a progressive art museum, National Gallery Singapore is dedicated to fostering sustainability through practices that prioritize environmental respect, positive social impact, and financial responsibility. The Gallery is committed to being future-ready by developing its people, articulating its social impact, and adopting new sustainable practices that contribute positively to the wider arts community.
Our Goals
Environmental:
We are committed to sustainable environmental practices and aim to become a Super Low Energy building in the near future, working towards achieving net zero by 2045, aligning with the Singapore government's net zero target under the GreenGov.SG strategy. We also educate our audiences on the importance of taking practical steps to mitigate climate change.
Social:
Our focus on the future drives us to invest in our people, articulate our social impact, and adopt sustainable practices that positively contribute to our communities.
Financial:
We show financial resilience through responsible spending and investment practices for long-term stability and success.
Our Initiatives and Impact
Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Efforts
Energy Efficiency and Carbon Reduction Efforts
National Gallery Singapore has conducted a study on its energy performance and carbon emissions with the goal of reducing its impact on the environment. The Gallery aims to minimize energy consumption and its carbon footprint through implementing energy-saving measures, and to work towards certification as a low-energy building and strives towards a sustainable future.
Solar Panel Initiative
Solar Panel Initiative
The Gallery’s solar panels generated 170,197 kWh of electricity between January 2020 and May 2023, reducing 80,296 kg of CO2 emissions. This is equivalent to 27.8 tons of waste recycled or 1,328 tree seedlings grown for 10 years.
Sustainable Art Collection Management
Sustainable Art Collection Management
The Gallery prioritizes sustainability in managing its art collections and exhibitions by reusing, repurposing, donating, and recycling materials. This results in reduced waste generation and carbon footprint, demonstrating the impact of efforts to minimize environmental harm.
Efforts to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Art Transportation
Efforts to Reduce Carbon Footprint in Art Transportation
The Gallery has implemented an initiative to optimize the shipment and transportation of artworks to and from the Gallery. By consolidating deliveries whenever possible, the Gallery minimizes resources and reduces its carbon emissions. This effort results in the maximization of resources and a reduction in the Gallery's carbon footprint.
Gallery Wide Sustainability Workshops and Practices
Gallery Wide Sustainability Workshops and Practices
The Gallery hosts workshops to educate families and children on sustainability, promoting its use through practical activities and reducing waste. The workshops aim to raise awareness and encourage sustainability in the Gallery and its community.
Gallery Sustainability Team - Enhancing Internal Employee Engagement
Gallery Sustainability Team - Enhancing Internal Employee Engagement
The Gallery Sustainability Team is dedicated to fostering a culture of sustainability within the organization by educating and engaging internal employees. Through regular communications and interactive activities, the team aims to raise awareness, build understanding, and encourage action towards a more sustainable future. By focusing on their internal community, this initiative is working towards a more environmentally conscious and responsible workplace.
National Gallery Singapore is a signatory of the SDG Publishers Compact
National Gallery Singapore is a signatory of the SDG Publishers Compact
The compact seeks to inspire action among publishers and accelerate progress to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030.
As a signatory, the Gallery aspires to develop and adopt sustainable publishing practices and acts as a champion of the SDGs during the Decade of Action (2020-2030), partnering with suppliers to reduce carbon emissions and optimizing our publishing processes.
Awards and Achievements
BCA Green Mark (GM: 2021 In Operation) Gold Plus
The Gallery building has been certified BCA GM Gold Plus since 2015, with recertification awarded in September 2022.
Eco-Office Champion Certification Champion Award
Award given by the Singapore Environment Council for period from April 2023 to April 2025.
Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) Singapore Partner as of November 2022
The Gallery is proud to announce that we have joined the Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) Singapore.
CPLC Singapore is the decarbonization arm of the Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS), jointly launched by GCNS and World Bank’s CPLC. As the leading voice on corporate sustainability, GCNS leverages multi-stakeholder action to advance the stewardship sustainable business practices.
Green Nation Pledge at ADVOCATE level
The Gallery has made the Green Nation Pledge at the ADVOCATE level, adopting habits listed under CONTRIBUTOR and working towards meeting ADVOCATE requirements.
LowCarbonSG: Empowering Reduction in Carbon Emissions
LowCarbon SG is a capability-building programme to enable local businesses in Singapore to start monitoring and where possible, reduce their carbon emissions.
Low CarbonSG is helmed by Carbon Pricing Leadership Coalition (CPLC) Singapore, the decarbonization arm of the UN Global Compact Network Singapore (GCNS) and supported by the National Environment Agency (NEA) and Enterprise Singapore (ESG).
National Gallery Singapore is measuring and monitoring our carbon footprint via the Carbon and Emissions Recording Tool (CERT) built by CPLC Singapore with inputs from the NEA.
4th Most Sustainable Museum and 8th Most Sustainable Cultural Organisation Globally
National Gallery Singapore is ranked 4th most sustainable museum and 8th most sustainable cultural organisation globally in a study published by the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in February 2024. Over 200 major cultural organisations were surveyed, and the Gallery is proud to be the sole Asian institution named in the top ranks of sustainability champions.
For more information, UNIL’s press release can be accessed here. UNIL’s study "How Sustainable Are Cultural Organizations?” can be accessed here.
