FOMU, the photography museum in Antwerp, had set itself a clear strategic objective: to demonstrably reduce its carbon footprint over time. But “demonstrably” requires a starting point, and that was exactly what was missing. Before any reduction can be claimed, an organization needs a credible, comparable baseline to measure against.

For a cultural institution, that baseline is anything but straightforward. FOMU is not a single building with a single activity; it combines a museum, offices, a café and a cinema, often behind shared meters. Its impact reaches far beyond its own walls, into the materials of every temporary exhibition, the international transport of loaned works, the goods and services it buys, the waste it generates, and the tens of thousands of visitors who travel to see it. Capturing all of that in one consistent, standards-based picture was the real challenge.

The FOMU Fotomuseum of Antwerp houses one of the most significant photo collections in Europe, featuring both equipment and photo documents. Each year, the FOMU presents several temporary exhibitions by nationally and internationally renowned photographers.

The museum’s displays change every four months, showcasing photography as a medium that is part of a broader social and cultural context. Visitors can also attend lectures and workshops, visit the museum shop and the museumcafé Pixel.

FOMU now has a robust 2024 base year that turns a strategic ambition into a measurable reality. Year after year, the museum can track its progress against a consistent, standards-based reference rather than relying on good intentions.

Just as importantly, the exercise made visible where impact actually concentrates, and translated that into a prioritized set of reduction levers. Alongside the numbers, FOMU gained a repeatable measurement method and a supplier-engagement process that will keep improving data quality over time, and a credible foundation to communicate about its climate progress with confidence.