A curator once explained sustainability without ever using the word.
She said her job was to make sure objects would still make sense when none of us are around to explain them.
That sentence contains an entire strategy.
Cultural institutions don’t think in quarters.
They think in generations.
And yet, most sustainability frameworks do the opposite.
ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) has become the dominant language of sustainability. But it wasn’t designed with museums, libraries, or archives in mind. It comes from sectors that optimise, accelerate, measure.
Culture does something else entirely: It preserves, interprets, and transmits meaning across time.
This creates a quiet friction, because when cultural institutions adopt off-the-shelf ESG models, they are often forced into timelines, metrics, and priorities that don’t quite fit how they actually work.
What if ESG were born inside a museum, a library, or an archive?§
What if it were shaped by curators, librarians, and archivists- crafted for culture from the inside out?
This is the question at the heart of ESG4GLAM.
Instead of adapting external frameworks, ESG4GLAM builds an approach grounded in the daily realities of GLAM institutions (Galleries, Libraries, Archives, Museums).
The pillars remain the same, but the meaning shifts:
Environment.
In cultural institutions, environmental sustainability is never abstract.
It’s a daily negotiation between preservation and climate action.
Lowering temperature or humidity might reduce energy use but, it could also risk damaging collections.
The goal is not perfection, it’s resilience.
ESG4GLAM prioritises flexible, risk-aware decision-making over rigid standards—because safeguarding heritage requires nuance, not absolutes.
Social.
If there’s one area where GLAM institutions don’t need reinvention, it’s the social dimension.
- Inclusion
- Education
- Participation
- Public engagement
They are all core missions of the project, as ESG4GLAM recognises this by reframing social impact as a strategic strength, not a box to tick.
Governance.
Governance often gets reduced to reporting requirements.
But in cultural contexts, it can—and should—be something deeper.
Transparency becomes a tool for dialogue.
Ethical leadership becomes a daily practice.
Reporting becomes a way to learn, not just to comply.
ESG4GLAM positions governance as a mechanism for building trust—internally and with the public.
Culture.
ESG4GLAM introduces a fourth lens: culture.
It is the engine that drives everything else.
Because cultural value is what:
- gives direction to environmental choices
- shapes social impact
- grounds governance in purpose.
Without culture at the centre, ESG risks becoming a technical exercise.
ESG4GLAM is not a finished model build on urgency. It’s a starting point, a shift in perspective that allows cultural institutions to reclaim sustainability, and shape it on their own terms.
Culture has always been about continuity.
Now, it can also lead the way in defining what sustainability truly means.
🇪🇺 ESG4GLAM Project – Funded by the European Union.
Disclaimer: The views expressed are those of the author(s) alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union or INAPP. Neither the European Union nor the funding authority can be held responsible for them.