Pillar 2:
Ecological transition in the field of culture

Priority 13:
Taking creative climate action to improve health and wellbeing

In Toulouse Metropole, two municipal cultural centres are particularly engaged in taking creative climate action: the Quai des Savoirs (Platform of Knowledge) and the Museum of National History. Both are part of the department of scientific, technical and industrial culture of the Metropolis.

Since 2019, the Quai des Savoirs has organised several workshops on recycling, aimed at 8-15-year-olds. These focus on textiles, the creative recycling of plastic used by 3D printers, as well as activities reusing old plastic bottle caps.

In 2023, the institution presented the “Fire, mega fire” exhibition. It included an entire section dedicated to giant forest fires, designed and produced by the Quai des Savoirs to shed light on current events and highlight the findings of the latest IPCC report. Usually, side events are also organised in different locations around the metropolitan area, as part of festivals or off-site events.

Toulouse’s libraries are also committed to raising awareness of environmental issues, as part of their social, educational and cultural missions.

For two months of 2023 Toulouse’s libraries worked on Ecology in the Spotlights: Going green, a programme that was both pragmatic and forward-looking, highlighting concrete initiatives and discussing climate challenges that have yet to be imagined. A second edition held in March 2024 focused on sustainable food.

In April 2024, the museum of natural history opened a new 350 m² area dedicated to biodiversity in the permanent exhibition circuit. Structured into three different sections, it showcases the biodiversity in visitors’ bodies and the different microbiota that have a direct effect on people’s health. The exhibition ends with the concept of ‘One Health for the Planet’, which presents the current challenges of preserving biodiversity.

Installed for a minimum of three years, this semi-permanent exhibition is included in the visitor itinerary at no extra cost.