Sustainable Futures
Achieving rapid, deep and radical decarbonisation is an enormous challenge. We’re making changes and driving sustainable behaviour across everything we do.
The scale of the climate crisis is huge, but science and human ingenuity can make a difference. When we come together great things can happen.
As a science centre, we’re in a unique position to bridge the gap between science and society. We can play a motivating and encouraging role to help decarbonise the way we live and work.
We strive to:
Do – be a venue that’s as environmentally sustainable as possible
Talk – spark conversations to inspire our audiences to take positive action for the planet
Share – extend beyond our walls to support Bristol’s transition to carbon neutral and to lead climate action in our sector
It is brilliant having We the Curious as an active member of our Climate Leaders Group. Their ambition and commitment to climate action is clear and so it is hugely valuable having them share their experience. They are also regular supporters of our Climate Action Programme, generously giving their time to speak at events and provide case studies for others to learn from.Claire Jacob, Head of Communications and Partnerships - Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership
To help us achieve our decarbonisation targets, we’ve laid out a timeline of what we’ll be doing when.
Alongside our decarbonisation work we’re also focussing on:
Our partnership with the Sustainable Futures team at We The Curious has been pivotal to the work we've been doing to support ASDC members across the UK. Chris and Roddy have dedicated a huge amount of their time to provide invaluable talks, workshops and tools to support science centres in tackling their own sustainability goals and targets. Their leadership on curating the content for the decarbonisation group is testimony to their commitment to the sector achieving net zero.Cait Campbell, Project Manager - Association for Science and Discovery Centres
Welcome to the second blog in this series, where we’ll be digging into our sustainability pledge - and what we’re doing to achieve our decarbonisation target.
We’re delighted to announce the launch of the ‘Futures Series by We The Curious’ - a new programme of evening events designed to spark curiosity, conversation and collaboration around the future of sustainability, technology and health.
Welcome to this new blog series, where we’ll be digging into our sustainability pledge - and what we’re doing to achieve our decarbonisation target.
Between January – June 2025, The Box played host to ‘Nature Rising’ exhibition - a ground-breaking project led by Global Majority communities in Bristol. After the exhibition had finished, we took a moment to reflect and chat through how it all came…
Through the National Grid Community Grant Programme, £19,775 was donated to fund the development of three new interactive and engaging climate change themed workshops for school children aged between 5 and 16 years old.
Bristol educational charity and science centre, We The Curious, has launched a new decarbonisation target, committing to ‘a site powered without fossil fuels, using fully renewable electricity, and a 30% reduction in offsite carbon emissions by 2030’.
Science and Sustainability Director
As Sustainability and Science Director, I have been responsible for Sustainable Futures at We The Curious since 2010. During that time, I have introduced a sector-leading programme of environmental best practice, innovative technologies, and organisational change. In 2019, I led We The Curious to become the first science centre in the world to declare a climate emergency and pledge to meet ambitious decarbonisation targets by 2030, implemented alongside climate change adaptation.
Beyond We The Curious, I have held positions as Head of Environmental Sustainability at UKRI, Elected Director of the Bristol Climate & Nature Partnership, Mentor of Arizona State University’s Sustainability in Science Museums Global Fellowship, Chair of the ASDC Decarbonisation Group, Sustainability Advisory Group for Bristol Zoological Society, and member of the Bristol One City Environment Board. My background is in science communication and stand-up comedy.
Sustainability Manager
I’m the Sustainability Manager at We The Curious, having joined the organisation in April 2023. My role is really varied, spanning everything from measuring and reducing our carbon emissions to helping the organisation prepare for the impacts of climate change. I lead our sustainability work alongside our Sustainability Coordinator, working with teams across the organisation to turn our environmental ambitions into meaningful action. I also help share our sustainability journey and collaborate with other organisations across Bristol and beyond, including fellow science centres.
My background in the built environment led me to start my career in sustainability consultancy, working on BREEAM construction projects. I’ve also worked in festival sustainability, contributing to A Greener Future research and coordinating sustainability assessments for the Green Man festival. Being at We The Curious has allowed me to bring together these different experiences in a really unique way.
I love being part of such a forward-thinking and exciting science centre, where sustainability isn't just about how we operate, but also about inspiring curiosity and helping people engage in meaningful dialogue about the challenges of climate change and sustainability.
Sustainability Coordinator
As Sustainability Coordinator at We The Curious, I have the privilege to be part of somewhere that decarbonisation, sustainable practice and responding to climate change are embedded organisation wide. This eases our team’s work, but there are still many challenges and a lot to be done! Alongside the Sustainability Manager, I collect and analyse We The Curious’ carbon data, monitoring our emissions and our trajectory towards our decarbonisation targets. We are shaping this trajectory, delivering projects that reduce our environmental impact and providing in-house sustainable practice training. I also explore risks and solutions to current and future effects of climate change and am excited to help guide We The Curious as we adapt our site and operation to make us more climate resilient.
My background is in research and science communication and engagement. I have worked in several teams across We The Curious since 2018, including a current post in our Planetarium Team that is in addition to my Sustainability Coordinator role. Prior to joining We The Curious, I worked as a research scientist for the Met Office, striving to improve modelling capabilities for weather and climate prediction.
We’re always looking to collaborate with other organisations and visitor attractions, to share best practice and to learn from each other. Do get in touch to find out how we can help you to set, measure and hit your own sustainability goals. To find out more, email or give us a call on 0117 915 1000.
