Norwegian Glacier Museum is an environmental lighthouse
This summer we were certified as an Eco-Lighthouse. The aim was to raise our own awareness in order to contribute to a greener and more sustainable future.
To become certified, we went through a process where we had to satisfy a number of requirements relating to the working environment, purchasing, transportation, energy consumption, waste, aesthetics and other environmental aspects. Many of the requirements were things we were already working on as a company, but in retrospect we have put more of our operations into a system and we have set ourselves the goal of becoming even better in these areas.
As befits the occasion, we received a grand visit from Sogndal municipality, represented by Mayor Jarle Aarvoll and Deputy Mayor Laura Kvamme.
Present at the presentation were (from left to right) Laura Kvamme (deputy mayor Sogndal municipality), Pål Gran Kielland (technical manager and nature guide Norwegian Glacier Museum ), John Brekke (director Norwegian Glacier Museum ) and Jarle Aarvoll (mayor Sogndal municipality).
Eco-Lighthouse certification was an extensive process for a small museum with limited resources. But it was easier to complete with support and help from various stakeholders. Visit Sognefjord has been an important driving force for labeling as a sustainable destination, and has encouraged all its members to consider environmental certification. In addition, Sogn og Fjordane County Council has a grant scheme for environmental certification, for which we received financial support through Innovation Norway. More about Sogn og Fjordane County Council's grant scheme here.
Much of the work on the actual certification was done in collaboration with Eco-Lighthouse consultant Bodil Lande at GreenCo. Since Norwegian Glacier Museum in Fjærland and Greenco in Stavanger are a stone's throw from each other, telephone meetings via Hangouts were the solution. It worked very well, we had good and efficient meetings and we spent zero emissions on travel. The collaboration with GreenCo has really increased our knowledge of how to run a sustainable tourism business.
Everyone at the museum has contributed to making the certification possible - from the top administrative management to the summer employees at the museum. There has been a particular focus on saving water and electricity, proper waste management, HSE work and creating and developing awareness of sustainability among employees, but also among our suppliers.
We thank everyone for their help and cooperation in this process, and are now proud to call ourselves an Eco-Lighthouse.
