Climate Change and
Sanctuary Facilities and Operations

1. About
2. Policy & Planning
3. Climate Change
4. Sanctuary Facilities and Operations

Sites throughout the National Marine Sanctuary System are reducing the environmental footprint of sanctuary offices and facilities, and working to ensure that our day-to-day operations are conducted in a climate-smart manner.

Human activities resulting in greenhouse gas emissions are the leading cause of climate change. By reducing greenhouse gas emissions from sanctuary facilities and operations sanctuaries can contribute to addressing the climate crisis, often while reducing operational costs.

Actions sanctuaries are taking include:

• Working with the Department of Energy to retrofit buildings to increase energy efficiency.
• Widely adopting green practices such as using low and zero emission vehicles and installing electric vehicle chargers on site, using virtual alternatives to in-person events and meetings to avoid emissions, reducing energy use, and conducting rigorous recycling programs at facilities.
• Converting some vessels to bio-based lubricants, hydraulic fluids, and cleaners.
• Using geothermal heating and cooling at Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary’s buildings.
• Using solar energy at visitors centers and facilities in Florida, California, and Hawai‘i.