Gerade wir als Kunst-, Kultur- und Wissenschaftsinstitutionen schaffen mit unseren anspruchsvollen Inhalten sowie deren qualitätsvoller Präsentation und Vermittlung gesellschaftliches Bewusstsein.
Wir sehen eine wichtige Aufgabe darin, einen relevanten Beitrag zu nachhaltigem Handeln, zu Umweltschutz und zu einem respektvollen Zusammenleben ohne Ausgrenzung und Diskriminierung zu leisten. Dies wollen wir einerseits durch konkrete Maßnahmen bei der Organisation unserer Kunst-, Kultur- und Wissenschaftsbetriebe sowie bei der Umsetzung von Ausstellungen und Veranstaltungen erreichen. Andererseits wollen wir Nachhaltigkeit in der Kommunikation mit unserem Publikum aktiv thematisieren. Schließlich wollen wir auch eine Auseinandersetzung der Kunst und Wissenschaft mit Themen der Nachhaltigkeit fördern.
Zu diesem Zwecke hat die NÖKU-Gruppe mit dem „NÖKU-Nachhaltigkeitsstandard“ im Herbst 2020 einen Leitfaden für alle ihre Mitarbeiter:innen, für ihre knapp 40 künstlerischen und wissenschaftlichen Institutionen und ihre Betriebsstandorte, für die Durchführung von Veranstaltungen und Ausstellungen sowie für die NÖKU-Holding selbst geschaffen, der schrittweise und konsequent von allen Betrieben umgesetzt wird.
Es geht um eine ganzheitliche Betrachtung und Evaluierung aller wesentlichen Aktivitätsbereiche in der Planung und Durchführung von Veranstaltungen und Ausstellungen: Veranstaltungs- bzw. Ausstellungsort, Veranstaltungs- bzw. Ausstellungstechnik, allg. Beschaffungsvorgänge und Abfallwirtschaft, Soziales (wie z. B. Barrierefreiheit), Mobilität/Transport, Catering/Gastronomie, Kommunikation, Unterkünfte.

Die NÖKU-Gruppe wirkt durch ihre Nachhaltigkeitsstrategie an der Umsetzung der Agenda 2030 der Vereinten Nationen und ihrer 17 nachhaltigen Entwicklungsziele (die sog. Sustainable Development Goals – SDGs) mit. Kunst, Kultur und Wissenschaft sowie die Förderung der Kreativität tragen gleichermaßen zu den wirtschaftlichen, sozialen und ökologischen Dimensionen der Agenda 2030 bei.

In der neu geschaffenen NÖKU-Plattform für Nachhaltigkeit tauschen sich die Nachhaltigkeitsbeauftragten der einzelnen Betriebe regelmäßig aus, um einen Wissenstransfer und Erfahrungsaustausch zu ermöglichen. Die umgesetzten Maßnahmen werden erstmals Anfang 2022 evaluiert und regelmäßig intern/extern kommuniziert.

The Museum Niederösterreich is part of the project "17x17 - 17 Museums 17 SDGs UN Sustainable Development Goals", an initiative of ICOM Austria in cooperation with the BMKÖS.
Together with 16 other museums, we act as a mediator and role model for the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The Museum Niederösterreich focuses on SGD 15 - "Life on Land".

"17 MUSEUMS × 17 SDGs" is a project that aims to show that museums are committed to the SDGs and are making concrete contributions to them.

• It aims to raise awareness and visibility, both internally, towards all employees, and externally, towards the public, i.e. visitors and stakeholders.
• It is intended to make the international community's vision of a good future for all accessible to a broad audience, including in the cultural sector. After all, museums and exhibition institutions are an important social actor with a major impact.

Did you know that humans make up 32% of all terrestrial vertebrates on earth? And did you know that of the remaining 68%, the majority are a few breeds of farm animals bred by humans? Only 2% of the total biomass of all terrestrial vertebrates on earth are wild species.

Globally, ten to one hundred times more species are currently becoming extinct than has been the case in the last ten million years. The loss of biodiversity leads to the instability of ecosystems and thus endangers our livelihoods. The biodiversity crisis is a real threat and requires swift action - but what needs to be done and how can people get involved in protecting species?

The Haus für Natur has extensive expertise in communicating knowledge of species and understanding ecological relationships. As part of the 17 Museums x 17 SDGs project, we are creating further opportunities for a wide range of target groups to learn more about "life on land" and its fragile composition and provide impetus on how each individual can contribute to the preservation of biodiversity.

We look forward to welcoming you to our state-certified museum! Your well-being and that of the environment are very important to us, which is why we have been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel by the Ministry of the Environment. We have undertaken to comply with many strict criteria and to have ourselves checked by independent bodies. We carry this award as a visible sign of our commitment to the environment.

You can find further information at www.umweltzeichen.at

As an educational institution, the Museum Niederösterreich is aware of its role model effect and therefore places particular emphasis on the implementation and communication of sustainable business practices.

It is our goal to provide our visitors with special food for thought and to show them perspectives and alternatives in their daily actions. As a museum, we have also addressed the topics of energy and climate efficiency as well as sustainability and identified existing strengths and opportunities for improvement.

We have a holistic control system for the optimized use of heating, ventilation and air conditioning, including heat recovery systems, and do not use heaters and air conditioning systems/appliances in outdoor areas. In addition, we mainly use energy-saving lighting.

Our building is already largely equipped with water-saving sanitary facilities and will be further improved in this area with any new purchases. When it comes to waste, we aim to avoid it as far as possible. Where waste cannot be avoided, it is separated and sent to appropriate recycling systems. We also use appropriate containers and signs to make our visitors aware of waste separation in the building.

Exhibition walls and fixtures are reused as often as possible and then recycled by an external company. Existing display cases, picture frames, screens, projectors and loudspeaker boxes are regularly reinstalled and taken into account when designing new exhibitions.

When it comes to detergents, washing-up liquids and cleaning agents, as well as office materials, we ensure that they are used sparingly and that we purchase sustainable products with the appropriate quality seals. We do not sell drinks in cans, but order in returnable containers.

We do not use synthetic chemical fertilizers, pesticides or peat in the museum garden. In addition, no invasive alien species of Union importance are used for planting the open spaces. The Museum Niederösterreich has excellent connections to the public network. We also use our communication channels to draw our visitors' attention to this offer and motivate them to use more sustainable mobility.

With our certification for the Austrian Ecolabel, we are also committed to continuously evaluating and improving our sustainability efforts and communicating our successes.

Do you have any comments on our sustainability strategy or ideas on how we can continue to improve? Let us know and send a message to Lisa Kolb.