ACTIONS
- Protect and safeguard cultural and natural heritage
- Learning and educational opportunities
- Cultural participation/social inclusion
- Sustainable tourism
- Support research
- Employment (recruiting, training, safety)
- Energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions
- Waste management and reduction
- Transport (forms of, energy use)
- Commercial activities including copyright and IP
- Governance and management
- Security, disaster preparedness, risk reduction
- External partnerships and collaborations
SDGs
- Publication/report
- Toolkit/framework/roadmap
Evaluating the Conservation Mission of Zoos, Aquariums, Botanical Gardens, and Natural History Museums
Intended Audience
Employees and administrators of a collection-based institution
- Miller, B. et al, Conservation Biology 18(1): 86-93.
2004
“Collection-based institutions – zoos, aquariums, museums, and botanical gardens – exhibit wildlife and thus have a special connection with nature. Many of these institutions emphasize a mission of conservation, and, undeniably, they do contribute directly to conservation education and conservation science. They represent an exceptional opportunity for many urban residents to see the wonders of life, and they can contribute to education and habitat preservation. Because many collection-based institutions now hold a stated mission of conservation, we suggest eight potential questions to evaluate actions toward that mission... We hope they will help employees and administrators of a collection-based institution (and citizens of the surrounding community) think about and support their institution’s conservation activities. Public support and praise for institutions that are striving towards solutions for conservation problems and pressure on organizations that are moving more slowly toward a conservation orientation can help shift more resources toward saving nature.” (p.86)
Avaiable in
- English
SDGs LINKAGES
The resource can help collecting institutions assess how they contribute to SDGs 13 (Take urgent climate action), 14 (Life below water) and 15 (Life on land), to enhance their positive contributions and reduce their negative impacts.
Education regarding nature conservation supports SDGs 4.7 (Education for sustainable development and global citizenship), 12.8 (Promote universal understanding of sustainable lifestyles), 13.3 (Build knowledge and capacity to meet climate change) and 16.10 (Ensure public access to information…).
The resource can help support SDGs related to water use (SDGs 6.3, 6.4 and 6.6); energy use (SDGs 7.2 and 7.3); infrastructure development and scientific research (SDGs 9.1, 9.4 and 9.5); protecting and safeguarding natural heritage (2.5 and part of SDG 11.4); sustainable use of resources and reducing waste of all kinds (SDGs 12.1, 12.2, 12.3, 12.4, 12.5, 12.6, 12.7); conservation of marine life and ecosystems (SDGs 14.1, 14.2, 14.3, 14.4, 14.5, 14.7, 14.A and 14.C); conservation of terrestrial life and ecosystems (all targets in SDG 15). The resource aims to assess effectiveness, supporting SDG 16.7; effective policies supports SDG 17.14. Global and local partnerships for conservation that share resources supports SDGs 17.16 and 17.17.
Click on the SDG Target to discover Our Collections Matter indicators
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Collections development related to genetic diversity of seeds, cultivated plants, farmed and domesticated animals (notably of local or at-risk varieties) and related wild species, for example in herbaria, museums, seed and gene banks, and seed libraries.
- Number of educational programmes related to genetic diversity of domesticated plants, animals and wild relatives.
- Number of educational programmes related to fair and equitable benefits of use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, following international agreements (e.g. Nagoya Protocol).
- Number of educational and awareness programmes for people to ensure that they are aware of their rights and protections in terms of traditional knowledge, and exploitation of genetic resources.
- Number of research activities that help understand traditional knowledge, and genetic diversity of crop plants and animals.
- Ensure that producers of crop plants and animals are fairly compensated.
- Policies and procedures in place to ensure seed banks are soundly managed, in terms of risk management and emergency planning.
- Policies and procedures in place to ensure legal compliance with fair and equitable benefits of use of genetic resources and associated traditional knowledge, following international agreements (e.g. Nagoya Protocol).
- Number of partnerships at national, regional and international levels, as appropriate, to soundly manage seed and plant banks.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Numbers of people in each type of programme drawing on collections from different demographic groups.
- Increases in numbers of people in each type of programme from different demographic groups.
- Proportion of people involved in such programmes in relation to overall audience size.
- Evidence that learners have acquired knowledge and skills to promote sustainable development.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of pollutants, and reduction in pollutants, to water systems.
- Plans in place for the identification, reduction, replacement and recycling of hazardous chemical and materials, to prevent their release into water systems, with plans to eliminate their use as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of water-related ecosystems, including mountains, forests, wetlands, rivers, aquifers and lakes in a good ecological condition.
- Information on, programmes relating to, and partnerships relating to water-related ecosystems drawing on collections and collections-based institutions in place, to support protection of these as effective nature-based solutions and ecosystem services.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of energy that comes from renewable sources.
- Date to achieve net zero, and milestones towards that date.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Reduction in energy use.
- Upgrade of old equipment to more efficient equipment.
- Uptake of renewable sources of energy.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Development of research-useful collections to support reliable, sustainable and resilient use by researchers and others.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that support economic development and human well-being.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities and stores that provide affordable and equitable access for all.
- Investment in collections facilities.
- Inclusion of collections information in regional and transborder initiatives, notably via digital access for discoverability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that make efficient use of resources, with an ongoing drive for efficiencies and reductions in energy use and waste of all forms.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that use clean and environmentally sound technologies, including climate-friendly energy sources and materials, with an ongoing commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste of all forms.
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that adopt and/or prioritise collections-related processes and practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and waste of all forms.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of collections facilities that effectively support research and researchers.
- Number and proportion of staff who are appropriately skilled to undertake and support collections-based research.
- Expenditure on initiatives to enhance and upgrade collections facilities.
- Numbers of staff engaged in supporting and developing research use based on collections.
- Number of initiatives to encourage innovation drawing on collections.
- Increase in number of research and development workers per 1 million people.
- Increase in public and private research and development spending being used to develop and make use of collections.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Total expenditure (public and private) per capita spent on the preservation, protection and conservation of all cultural and natural heritage, by type of heritage.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the safe use of collections for a variety of purposes, protecting and safeguarding both collections and those who use them.
- Plans, policies and procedures in place for the identification, safeguarding and protection of cultural and natural heritage at risk.
- Collecting programmes in place to protect, safeguard and make use of cultural and natural heritage, addressing the needs of communities and stakeholders, and ensuring that collections can be an effective resource for sustainable development.
- Number and diversity of educational, awareness-raising, research programmes, and partnerships that aim to strengthen protection of cultural and natural heritage.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Reduction of material footprint in terms of reductions in consumption of biomass, fossil fuels, metal ores and non-metal ores.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantities, and reduction in quantities, of food waste, both in terms of waste going for treatment, and waste going to landfill or being otherwise discarded into the environment.
- Policies and plans in place to reduce and eliminate food waste as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantities, and reduction in quantities, of chemicals of all kinds, including chemicals used in maintenance of collections facilities, and chemicals used in care and preparation of collections, and all wastes throughout their life cycle, reducing release to air, water and soil.
- Plans in place to eliminate the use and release of hazardous chemicals and harmful wastes of all kinds into the natural environment as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantity and reductions in quantity of waste of all kinds, including avoidance/prevention of waste production, reuse, and recycling. Quantity of material recycled in comparison with quantity sent to landfill. Increases in recycling rate in comparison with landfill.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Clear visions, strategies and plans in place for all aspects of sustainability – environmental, social and economic (people, planet, prosperity)- across all areas of activity.
- Visions, strategies and plans relating to sustainability to be publicly available and incorporated into planning documents.
- Commitments to be in line with local, regional, national and/or international targets and ambitions.
- Incorporation of sustainability into reporting for funders and other stakeholders, including the public. Reporting to include commitments and progress towards targets.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Incorporation of sustainability considerations into procurement, in terms of advertisement and invitation to tender, contracts, and selection criteria for suppliers.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education; and (d) student assessment.
- Extent to which global citizenship education and education for sustainable development (including climate change education) are mainstreamed in formal, informal and non-formal education programmes and activities drawing on and related to collections.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Plans in place to enhance positive contributions to addressing climate change through use of collections. Plans in place to ensure collections, collections institutions and broader society can adapt effectively to climate change.
- Plans in place for effective education and awareness raising on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning.
- Plans in place to reduce negative contributions of collections-related functions, e.g. measuring greenhouse emissions with plans and targets in place to reduce them.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of collections-related programmes, for example research and education, that aim to reduce marine pollution.
- Quantity, and reduction, of waste of all sorts, with plans in place to eliminate waste of all sorts as soon as possible.
- Quantity, and reduction, of plastic waste, with plans in place to eliminate the production and release of plastic waste as soon as possible.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of marine and coastal areas in a good ecological condition.
- Numbers of educational and awareness-raising programmes, research activities, and partnerships drawing on collections aiming to support protection of marine and coastal areas.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Quantity and reduction of carbon emissions.
- Number of activities drawing on collections that support scientific activity to reduce ocean acidification.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of activities drawing on collections that support sustainable management of fisheries.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of collections-based activities that support designation, management and science for the protection of marine and coastal protection areas.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of activities that support sustainable tourism relating to Small Island developing States and least developed countries.
- Economic benefits by value to Small Island Developing States and least developed countries.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number of collections-related activities that aim to increase scientific knowledge, and develop research capacity for the conservation and management of marine biodiversity, and to support its sustainable use.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of terrestrial and inland freshwater systems in a good ecological condition.
- Information on, educational programmes, collections development, research and partnerships relating to terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems drawing on collections in place.
- Policies relating to collections and their use aligned with international agreements for conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of forests in a good ecological condition.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to forests drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and effective functioning.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of soils and land area in a good ecological condition, with reference to desertification, drought and floods.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to soils and land use (with reference to desertification, drought and floods) drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and effective functioning.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of mountain ecosystems, including their biodiversity, in a good ecological condition.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to mountain ecosystems and their biodiversity drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and effective functioning.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of habitats, notably endangered habitats, and species with favourable conservation status, with special reference to locally, nationally and globally endangered species.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to habitats and species drawing on collections in place, to support their protection and continued existence.
- Measures taken to enhance biodiversity value of green space associated with collections institutions.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Policies, plans and agreements in place for access and benefit sharing relating to use of collections, in line with the Nagoya Protocol (notably relating to natural history collections, gene banks, tissue banks, seed banks).
- Effective communication and dissemination methods in place to promote access to resources, and access to relevant policies, plans and agreements, in place.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Policies and plans in place to ensure objects and specimens of protected species (for example ivory, rhino horn) in collections are protected against theft and do not enter supply chains.
- Policies and plans in place to ensure that objects and specimens are only acquired in line with national and international legislation, or with legal dispensation.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to poached and trafficked species, notably protected and endangered species, to end poaching and trafficking.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and proportion of invasive alien species for which effective measures are in place to reduce their impact on land and water ecosystems.
- Information on, programmes relating to, collections development, and partnerships relating to invasive alien species, to support their effective management, and to prevent spread and impact.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion and number of relevant plans, processes and strategies that incorporate ecosystem and biodiversity values, and their relationships with effective collections.
- Plans in place to ensure that development of collections facilities contributes to effective conservation and restoration of terrestrial ecosystems.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Revenue generated to conserve and sustainably use biodiversity and ecosystems.
- Direct financial support given to projects and organisations for conservation and/or sustainable use of biodiversity and ecosystems.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Revenue generated to conserve and sustainably use forests, including conservation and reforestation, and that support local and Indigenous peoples.
- Direct financial support given to projects and organisations to conserve and sustainably use forests, including for conservation and reforestation, and that support local and Indigenous peoples.
- Other forms of support provided to projects and organisations to conserve and sustainably use forests, including for conservation and reforestation, and that support local and Indigenous peoples.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Policies and plans in place to ensure objects and specimens of protected species (for example ivory, rhino horn) in collections are protected against theft and do not enter supply chains.
- Policies and plans in place to ensure that objects and specimens are only acquired in line with national and international legislation, or with legal dispensation.
- Revenue generated to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, and to support local communities to pursue sustainable livelihoods.
- Direct financial support given to projects and organisations to combat poaching and trafficking of protected species, and to support local communities to pursue sustainable livelihoods.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of the population [audience/users/non-users] satisfied with their last experience of public services.
- Access to information, and accountability policies and mechanisms, in place.
- Effective institutional arrangements, both for own working and for working in partnership with other sectors, in place.
- Plans and arrangements in place for extraordinary circumstances such as natural and human-caused disasters.
- Effective arrangements in place to fulfil legal and social obligations and responsibilities.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent communication and reporting of institutional performance.
- Effective arrangements in place for transparent decision-making and accountability.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Adopt and implement constitutional, statutory and/or policy guarantees for public access to information.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to enhance public access to information relating to collections.
- Plans in place, and plans implemented to support fundamental freedoms, in line with human rights, national and international agreements and legislation.
- Plans and procedures in place for public access to information relating to the operation and management of collections-based institutions.
- Complaint mechanism in place for public to use where public access to information and fundamental freedoms not supported or fulfilled.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Proportion of policies that incorporate sustainable development considerations, linking to SDGs and targets.
- Incorporation of policy considerations from outside the collections sector into policies of collections-based institutions, to facilitate partnerships and effectiveness.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of global and international multi-stakeholder partnerships involving developing countries that share collection-related knowledge, expertise, technology and financial resources to address the SDGs.
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Our Collections Matter indicators:
- Amount of United States dollars committed to public-private and civil society partnerships.
- Number and/or increase in number, and diversity of local, national and regional multi-stakeholder (public, public-private and civil society) partnerships that address the SDGs drawing on collections, or that otherwise involve collections-based organisations and institutions.