Bayeux Tapestry loan sparks call for climate action
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The British Museum is displaying the Bayeux Tapestry, a 70-meter-long embroidered cloth depicting the Norman invasion of England, after a loan arranged with Emmanuel Macron and due to renovations at the tapestry’s home in Bayeux, France.
The author argues the tapestry’s imagery of upheaval and societal collapse resonates with current climate warnings.
The United Nations recently announced the world has likely exceeded its target of limiting warming to 1.5ºC, and a UK government report detailed catastrophic consequences of ecosystem collapse including food shortages and mass migration. The author believes museums should proactively plan for these future disruptions, referencing a climate resilience report created after a conference at Tate Modern three years ago.
He suggests the British Museum commission a “Bayeux Report” to project its role over the next 40 years, considering not only decarbonization but also security impacts and the potential end of mass tourism. Nicholas Cullinan, director of the British Museum, recently affirmed the museum’s commitment to facilitating difficult conversations and public debate. The author proposes the museum initiate such a conversation about climate change, potentially by screening the documentary People’s Emergency Briefing and acknowledging its problematic sponsorship deal with BP.
He positions the British Museum, alongside institutions like the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, as key preservers of world heritage with a responsibility to address the current environmental crisis.
