STiCH: Collections Tools for Climate Action

FAIN: HAA-293423-23

FAIC (Washington, DC 20005-1704)
Tiffani Emig (Project Director: January 2023 to present)

The further development of the Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage (STiCH) Carbon Calculator, a computational analysis and modeling platform to assist heritage professionals in determining the carbon footprint of the materials used for the preservation and exhibition of cultural resources. 

The Foundation for Advancement in Conservation (FAIC) will refine the Sustainability Tools in Cultural Heritage (STiCH) Carbon Calculator; a free, open-access, digital tool designed to empower professionals with information to make climate-conscious materials choices for treatment, display, and transportation of cultural heritage. NEH Tier I and II Research and Development Grants (2017-2022) supported building the STiCH calculator software, data sheets, and website. STiCH uses Life Cycle Assessment (LCA), a science-based environmental modeling tool, to calculate the carbon footprint of materials. A key finding of Held in Trust (HIT), a partnership between NEH and FAIC to evaluate the state of preservation in the US, identified the importance of addressing the effects of climate change in the heritage sector. In this Level III NEH Grant, user-led evaluations guide redesigning the STiCH Carbon Calculator and producing tutorials aimed at changing behaviors towards climate action.