Letter 4: "Exploring Louvre Abu Dhabi's Sustainable Path: From Vision to Implementation"

Dear readers and dear friends,

Marhaba, welcome, bienvenue to the fourth episode of “Louvre Abu Dhabi Letters”, our latest content series on our young museum.

In this letter, entitled “Exploring Louvre Abu Dhabi's Sustainable Path: From Vision to Implementation”, we explore the pivotal role museums, professionals, and artists play in addressing environmental challenges and aiming towards a more sustainable future for all.

In our last letter, “Manifesto”, His Excellency Zaki Nusseibeh and I delved into an exploration of what the universal museum meant for us – a beacon of diversity, tolerance, and an irreplaceable tool to feed our curiosity. Today, we want to address a subject that holds significant importance to the UAE. Extending the Year of Sustainability into 2024 demonstrates the nation’s commitment, and we find it imperative to dedicate an entire letter to examining the role of sustainability in the cultural world. As a museum, we are dedicated to implementing the vision set by the UAE. This letter will shed light on how sustainability shapes our mission as a universal museum. We aspire to serve as stewards of the past, an educational platform, and crucial participants in realising the UAE’s long-term vision.

I will first explore what today’s environmental imperatives mean for a universal museum like Louvre Abu Dhabi. In that perspective, we will have the chance to be joined by two members of our team, Ahmed Al Blooshi and Asma Al Kaabi.As the director of the Technical Operations Department at Louvre Abu Dhabi for now six years, Ahmed will give you an overview of what has been accomplished since the opening of our young museum, delving into Louvre Abu Dhabi’s sustainable path in its daily functioning. Asma, as one of our young and promising Museum Cultural and Research Associates, piloted some of our most original projects and will tell you more about these new approaches to sustainability that are progressively taking shape at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Louvre Abu Dhabi: an Enabler for Change (Manuel Rabaté)

I would like to begin by providing some contextual elements that frame Louvre Abu Dhabi's standing within a broader historical context and socio-economic landscape.

On the national and global level, the UAE is committed to the Paris Agreement, which means going carbon neutral by 2050. The latest COP28 debates and advances in terms of renewable energy, energy efficiency, CO2 capture, accelerating the transition in heavy-emitting sectors like aviation, stopping deforestation or implementing sustainable food systems have an influence on the cultural sector in many aspects.

At Louvre Abu Dhabi, we are working closely with our teams and partners to ensure that key objectives of the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) are met. As the UAE aims to reduce its dependency on fossil fuels, the need for alternative sources of revenues has guided the country for decades, hence the? important investments – Louvre Abu Dhabi being a key element of that strategy – made by Abu Dhabi’s Department of Culture and Tourism to turn the Emirate into a blue-chip cultural destination; the risk being to operate such economic transition without considering the environmental impact of the cultural sector itself.

The question was already considered even prior to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s construction and opening. During the negotiations between the French and Emirati governments in the 2000s, the environment was already underlined in Article 5 of the internal governmental agreement on the agreed principles for the design of the Museum.

The completion of the Museum shall adhere to a very high level of quality of construction, functionality, conservation, and security for the exhibits (…). The design of the Museum shall give particular consideration to environmentally friendly aspects.

On the other side, those requirements paradoxically apply to a monumental structure, with high maintenance costs. Maintaining the best museum standards for the public and the artworks in a sea-coastal building, with the sun, high temperatures in the summer, the abrasion of sand and salt is very resource-consuming. Louvre Abu Dhabi is a monumental structure located near an important natural reserve on Saadiyat Island, with its mangroves and endemic species. Immersed in an environment that demands reverence and diligence, we uphold rigorous standards in waste management and recycling as part of our commitment to responsible environmental stewardship.

A Museum like Louvre Abu Dhabi is a multifaceted entity, necessitating careful consideration of all potential avenues for action. One book that resonates with me is An Ecological Art by art historian Paul Ardenne. In this book, he delineates the criteria that define an exemplary ecological artwork. Beyond capturing the beauty of endangered landscapes, ecological art demands a holistic approach throughout the entire creative process—minimizing environmental impact, alongside authentic messaging, and social commitment from the creator. An ideal ecological art piece should encompass all these elements, and it's this comprehensive approach that a museum can embody. Sustainability, as a global theme and societal endeavour advocating for a liveable and better future, holds a central place in our raison d’être as a universal museum.

At its core, a museum serves as an epicentre for dialogue, education, and societal transformation. Built to foster humanity’s shared connections, the primary role of Louvre Abu Dhabi revolves around its public. With a collection that must be preserved and transmitted to future generations, and an educational programme, all set in an iconic building, Louvre Abu Dhabi functions as a school-museum. Sustainability is explored both as a theme of debate and as a field of research, as well as a component of artistic creation. Positioned uniquely, Louvre Abu Dhabi serves as a platform that facilitates meaningful conversations, fosters transformative experiences, and embraces education that surpasses conventional learning.

Recently, a notable illustration was ART HERE 2023, our annual exhibition held in collaboration with Richard Mille . Centred on the theme of “transparencies”, this edition showcased artists like zahrah alghamdi and Sarah Brahim, who skilfully embedded sustainability into their works. In doing so, we not only fulfil the mission of fellow contributors but also spread awareness, underscoring that nature has persistently captivated artists, influencing not just the materials but also the concept and contemplations shaping their artworks. Our commitment to youth engagement is also reflected in initiatives such as the “Materiality Scavenger Hunt”. Designed for young visitors, this activity encourages exploration of artworks crafted from natural materials sourced from the environment. Additionally, among the selected artworks, the Portable model temple from Fiji, known as “Bure Kalou”, made of coconut fibres that are woven on a wooden structure, could be cited.

In the future, we wish to expand on these narratives by utilizing our open areas to facilitate a deeper connection between our audiences and nature. For example, the 2023 Art Here exhibition featured seven works prominently displayed under the dome. Leveraging light and shadow, these artworks harmonized with the natural surroundings to complement and enhance their artistic vision. This success inspires us to create more similar experiences in the future. Furthermore, we are eagerly looking forward to the opening of the Natural History Museum on Saadiyat Island, which will specifically emphasize natural preservation and further enrich the emirate’s commitment to environmental awareness. This exciting addition to Saadiyat Island, alongside the renowned Louvre Abu Dhabi, underscores the region's dedication to fostering cultural and environmental consciousness.

Considered as some of the most trusted institutions and invaluable sources of knowledge, museums play a pivotal role in promoting sustainability throughout every aspect of our daily lives—penetrating households, captivating the masses, and amplifying the message for a more environmentally conscious society.

In that regard, COP28 offered valuable opportunities for observation, learning, and participation. In collaboration with France Muséums, we organized a seminar on “Sustainability in Museums” on the 7th of December 2023. This event brought together global and local experts to emphasize the vital roles museums, professionals, and artists play in addressing environmental challenges and working towards a sustainable future.

The event featured three significant talks. The first, titled “University Take Over the Museum: The Sustainability Challenge: ‘Make the Intangible Tangible or the Tangible Intangible’” welcomed University students who shared their perspectives and concepts on Louvre Abu Dhabi, using the museum’s collection as a catalyst, and engaging with sustainability. The session included:

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·?????? Arwa Al Salami , Senior Museum Education Officer at Louvre Abu Dhabi

·?????? Kalitham Aljabri, UAEU student

·?????? Mariam Al Hosani, Zayed University student

·?????? Rhea Braithwate, Chinonyeren Ukaegbu, Ahsen Saaim, New York University Abu Dhabi students

·?????? Moderated by Sarah Louise N. , Education Unit Head at Louvre Abu Dhabi.

The second session was France Muséums Talk 1: “How to rewire the arts and culture fields to address climate change: three voluntary case studies with positive impacts,”. It featured compelling case studies and shared best practices on how museums can balance environmental responsibility with public engagement, support socially conscious artists, and explore the impact of environmental exhibitions within cultural practices and capacity building. The session included:

·?????? Bruno Girveau, Director of Palais des Beaux-Arts de Lille , France

·?????? Alice Audouin , Founder of Art of Change 21 , France

·?????? Maya Allison , Executive Director, NYUAD Art Gallery, UAE

·?????? Moderated by Etienne Bonnet-Candé , Deputy Manager at FM.

Lastly, for the third session, France Muséums Talk 2, “The sustainable journey of cultural institutions: landscape, population, and city transformation,” highlighted the crucial role of cultural spaces as environment cultivators, focusing on museums’ interactions with their ecosystem and surrounding city. This session provided an opportunity to delve into the ways in which museums contribute to sustainable urban development and population engagement, emphasizing the importance of environmental stewardship in cultural practices. Speakers for this session included:

·?????? Annabelle Teneze , Director of Louvre-Lens , France

·?????? Professor Amareswar Galla, PhD , Pro-Chancellor at Kalinga Institute , India

·?????? Andrew Potts , Heritage and Climate Action Adviser at Europa Nostra

·?????? Moderated by Zélie Roche , Institutional Affairs and Sustainability Manager at FM.

Additionally, guided tours were offered as part of the event, allowing museumgoers to explore sustainability through the architectural build and design of the museum. These tours examined the building’s unique environmental micro-climate, the environmental standards observed, and how they interweave with the UAE’s cultural heritage. Specific artworks were also highlighted during the tours, fostering discussions on materiality and heritage sustainability.

“Sustainability in Museums” provided a key platform for sustainability professionals, students, and cultural enthusiasts to network, exchange knowledge and ideas, and engage in lively debates aimed at inspiring concrete actions towards a more sustainable future.

Now, I shall turn the floor over to Ahmed and Asma to expand on the concrete solutions we've implemented to not only meet our sustainable goals but also continually strive for environmental protection and improvement.

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A Continuous Quest for Improvement (Ahmed Al Blooshi)

Many thanks, Manuel, for providing this comprehensive overview and articulating the long-term vision. In my capacity as the director of the Technical Operations Department, my responsibilities span a wide number of tasks for the seamless daily functioning of Louvre Abu Dhabi. These tasks encompass transportation, security, lighting, and energy consumption, all of which significantly impact our environmental footprint. We remain committed to playing our part in addressing climate change by implementing operational strategies to reduce, reuse, and recycle resources, thereby minimizing our global footprint and reducing energy consumption.

The COP28 held in the UAE last year was an important moment to remind us about the current and future challenges. Presently, we are earnestly working towards establishing a sustainability task force and appointing sustainability champions in each of the museum’s departments. This initiative enables us to engage at both micro and macro levels, internally as well as externally, across both the analogue and digital environments in which the museum operates. Looking ahead, Louvre Abu Dhabi is committed to collaborating with like-minded museums to champion sustainable practices, aligning with multilateral agreements such as the International Council of Museums (ICOM) ’s Declaration on Environment or the Bizot Green Protocol.

As Manuel aptly emphasized, Louvre Abu Dhabi was conceived with a commitment to various environmental standards, and we have diligently continued to uphold and advance that legacy. Thanks to its dome-architecture and microclimate, we hold a “Silver LEED” (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification, plus a Three Pearl Estidama Design Rating. In our daily operations, we have managed to maintain the same level of excellency over the years. In December 2023, Louvre Abu Dhabi became the first cultural building in the world to achieve WiredScore Platinum and SmartScore Platinum Certifications, demonstrating the museum’s high level of service for connectivity and user experience and meeting high global standards in terms of sustainability. To this day, key sustainability statistics include a 42% reduction in solar gain, 27.2% reduction in energy use, and 27% reduction in water use. Moving forward, Louvre Abu Dhabi is in the process of developing an Energy Management System (EMS) to systematically audit our progress in reducing energy consumption and carbon footprint.

The list of actions to reach these goals is extremely diverse. I could mention the provision of EV chargers in staff parking, the use of LED lights in the dome, light sensors for the park and exterior areas, sensor operated water taps, progressive reduction in the use of plastic water bottles, and the recycling of scenography, along with the use of modular showcases are some of the actions undertaken. However, these are just a fraction of our efforts; the list extends far beyond.

For any event or exhibition, eco-design and conception are now key to our practice. For example, in the 2022-2023 “Bollywood Superstars”, the exhibition team from Louvre Abu Dhabi and France Museums worked with the Maciej Fiszer scenography studio to develop the storytelling of the exhibition with special attention paid to eco-design stakes. 80% of the scenography of one of Louvre Abu Dhabi’s previous exhibitions had been reused for this show, saving energy and raw materials, while still offering a great new experience to the public. Also, very recently at Abu Dhabi International Book Fair, our colleagues from the External Affairs, Outreach and Cultural Engagement department used a sustainable stand with minimal environmental impact, with no extra walls that would end up in the landfill. The decorative elements and furniture used are made from salvaged wood from other projects and will also be repurposed for other events at the museum.

Another big impactor revolves around the cleaning of the dome and building to retain Jean Nouvel’s iconic design. Here, we have managed to reduce our water consumption, and in maintaining no more than one entry point and three to four outside exits for our publics, we help reducing our air-conditioning energy consumption and improve the conservation of the artworks. Grouping those artworks and limiting the necessity to have people travelling with them was also an interesting step. The Covid19 pandemic acted as a catalyst in this regard. The use of digital tools, witnessing artworks travelling alone and being monitored by cameras instead of people, had never been done before and proved effective. Asma will now tell you more about the initiatives we launched to promote the environmental cause amongst our communities and wider audiences.

New Paths in Raising Awareness and Fostering Debate (Asma Al Kaabi)

Thank you so much Ahmed for such precise and acute detailing of our environmental actions. As Manuel’s Cultural and Research Associate, I had the chance to coordinate projects in key sectors where we believe the museum can propose something totally new, the environment clearly being one of them.

In my opinion, sustainability involves a complete rethinking of our daily habits. Training and awareness sessions play a big role in this. The Climate Fresk workshops on the 10th of April and 25th of May 2023 was an important moment for all the museum employees. This very popular workshop has already attracted more than one million participants in 130 countries around the world. In our case, through 3-hours sessions, participants received a full synthesis of the IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) global reports in a ludic and proactive way, understanding the causes and consequences of climate change. Several awareness sessions were also delivered to Louvre Abu Dhabi’s contractors by the Technical Operations Department, leading to numerous improvements in terms of water consumption and waste disposal.

Raising awareness ultimately inspired innovative initiatives. One particularly cherished moment for me was the Turtles Rehabilitation Project. Since 2022, the temporary placement of sea turtles in the waters of Louvre Abu Dhabi has raised public awareness regarding the welfare of marine animals in the country. In collaboration between the Environment Agency and the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) , these turtles, rescued from UAE’s beaches and nurtured at the National Aquarium , were prereleased in the museum’s clean water basins in December 2022. They took sanctuary in the museum until summer 2023, when they were finally released into the beaches of Saadiyat Island. Since then, new turtles continue to be brought in and out of the museum as they successfully achieve their last step of the rehabilitation process. It has almost been two years of the project, allowing a bigger impact to be reflected and shared with our community. Involving participants from various sectors and all age groups, this ongoing initiative clearly demonstrates the museum’s role as a relevant agent for change and innovation. With these accomplishments in mind, confronting new ideas and debates will give rise to new projects our team will implement in the coming months and years. More than ever, the enthusiasm and desire to act are present.

I shall now let Manuel conclude with a few remarks.

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My warmest thanks to you, Ahmed and Asma for these very relevant examples, and all the incredible work you and your team have undertaken for Louvre Abu Dhabi.

Protecting the environment is not solely the concern of scientists and climate activists. We all share a collective responsibility to safeguard and maintain our ecosystem.?

Museums stand at the crossroads of those debates. As places of moral authority, the expertise and trust they convey within society are powerful tools to trigger and accelerate change.?

Transmitting, defending, and acting on those values is ingrained in our DNA as custodians of the past and architects of the future. As we strive to construct a sustainable and inclusive organisation for visitors, stakeholders, and collections, our ambition as a young universal museum is poised to reach new horizons; I take pride in what we have accomplished to this day, and we at Louvre Abu Dhabi are looking forward to doing more on this essential matter.

Thank you once again, dear reader, for joining us in this vital reflection. My warmest thanks also to all who joined us during our Sustainability talk on the 7th of December 2023, for your contributions, we thank you all.

In the coming weeks, our fifth letter, entitled “The Digital Dilemma: Art In-Person or Online?” will delve into the fascinating changes recent technologies have brought to the museum world and how Louvre Abu Dhabi stands at the crossroads of these innovations. See you all soon for this exciting new journey!

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