We have partnered with Environment & Culture Partners to develop the Carbon Neutral Visiting Initiative (CNVI), which focuses on working with museums and other cultural organizations to understand, measure, and educate their visitors about climate change, carbon emissions, and low carbon projects around the world.  

Why Visitors’ Carbon Emissions Matter

While many cultural institutions can and do make choices to help slow the rapid and dramatic impacts of climate change, there is a new opportunity to invite visitor engagement to respond to this complicated problem. 

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reports that “The transportation sector is one of the largest contributors to anthropogenic U.S. greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions…29% of total U.S. GHG emissions in 2019”. Furthermore, more than two-thirds (68 percent) of American adult travelers say they included a historic activity or museum while on a trip of 50 miles or more.

With over 35,000 cultural institutions in the U.S. welcoming millions of visitors each year and contributing to this value, the CNVI was developed to mitigate the impacts of travel to cultural organizations. Through a small fee, often a dollar or less per person, visitors can offset these emissions by supporting a climate action project. Projects may focus on forest conservation, renewable energy, or clean water and sanitation, all of which help our planet.

The First of Its Kind Program Targeting Cultural Organizations

Prior to the establishment of the CNVI, there was no initiative dedicated to helping members and visitors understand and mitigate their carbon footprint. As educational resources, cultural institutions must take responsibility for sharing basic information about climate change and how to limit it. Therefore, we think it is necessary to incorporate Carbon Neutral Visiting in the sector of cultural institutions.

Benefits of Joining the Initiative

• Fill in the gap missing in cultural organizations’ sustainability plans
• Receive customized carbon estimates for your visitors/members
• Educate your visitors/members about climate change and greenhouse gas emissions 
• Support high quality carbon credit projects around the world 
• And more!

Olivia Fussell, Founder & Managing Director of Carbon Credit Capital:
“This is a powerful way to engage and educate visitors on the importance of understanding their carbon footprint, as well as providing guidance on how small changes in their everyday activities can have a positive impact on the world’s climate. At Carbon Credit Capital we are committed to demonstrating the simplicity of offsetting your carbon footprint and this partnership is one of many that will help us achieve this goal.

Sarah Sutton, Co-founder & CEO of Environment & Cultural Partners:

“The Climate Neutral Visiting Initiative gives cultural institutions a direct path to offsets for the carbon costs of visitor and member travel. The participating museums, zoos, gardens, and historic sites that opt-in are leading by example. Taking important climate action while modeling best practices for any institution that cares about its community and how climate change is affecting our planet.”

For more information and inquiry, please contact [email protected].