May 2025
Titanic Belfast has been committed to sustainability from its conception – as it heads into its second decade of operations it’s developing a new strategy to drive standards to the next level .
Provide a brief background on your organisation.
Titanic Belfast is a world leading tourist attraction, located on the spot where the famous ship was designed, built and launched.
The iconic six-floor building features the Titanic Experience, which extends over ten interactive galleries where you discover the sights, sounds, smells and stories of Titanic, as well as the people and city that made her. The Titanic Experience ticket includes admission on board SS Nomadic, RMS Titanic’s tender ship and the world’s last remaining White Star Line vessel.
Since opening in 2012, Titanic Belfast has continued to go from strength to strength, firmly establishing itself on the local, national and international stage, having welcomed 9 million visitors from over 145 different countries. It is a must-see for anyone with an interest in the fascinating Titanic story.
Outline the reasons your company is working towards improving sustainability credentials
At Titanic Belfast, we have always been committed to sustainability from our initial conception as a BREEAM Excellent rated building. As a world leading visitor attraction, it’s our vision to enhance our sustainability by driving social, economic and environmental goals to benefit our destination and create a positive impact across these areas while protecting the Titanic legacy.
Whilst we have our own sustainability initiatives and projects in place that deliver on our sustainability goals, aligned to 10 of the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we also have a charter that outlines our commitment to visitors. Work is progressing on our Sustainability Strategy and will underpin all we do, enabling us to drive these practices to a higher standard across all areas and futureproof the business as we look to the future.
List five things that your business had to adapt to become more sustainable.
1) In 2024, we appointed a dedicated Sustainability and Project Manager to lead the delivery of our Sustainability Strategy, underpinning all aspects of our operations and long-term decision-making. At the beginning of this year, we invited a student from Queen’s University Belfast’s MSc Leadership for Sustainable Development programme to undertake a 16-week placement with us. During this time, they have developed and implemented a comprehensive Scope 3 emissions framework to enhance our carbon data collection processes. Their work has also involved identifying key areas for improvement, supporting the launch of sustainability initiatives, and helping to establish our internal Sustainability Committee to drive long-term action.
2) We have been working closely with our suppliers, particularly in our Retail Outlets to ensure we are reducing waste at every stage and buying local where we can.
3) We have launched our Community Impact Fund, with 45p from every adult ticket sold supporting initiatives and organisations that will have social, environmental and economic impact with our local and national communities.
4) In recent years we have adapted our marketing and visitor experience collateral in favour of digital/mobile options to reduce printed materials and have recently launched a new ticketing system to help drive online purchases.
5) Our building facilities are continuously managed to minimise environmental impact and maximise efficiency. We utilise a Building Energy Management System (BEMS) to optimise heating and ventilation in line with energy-saving parameters, ensuring resources are used responsibly. Our Rainwater Harvesting Unit supplies recycled water for toilet facilities, reducing reliance on mains water. We’ve also enhanced our waste management strategy by updating our glass, cardboard, and general waste recycling policies, supporting a more sustainable and streamlined approach to operations.
Have you received an international recognised accreditation or are you working towards this and how do you think this will benefit the organisation in the future?
We are enthusiastic about our future sustainability journey at Titanic Belfast and we are delighted to have been the first organisation on the island or Ireland to receive Silver Awards for the Green Tourism and Green Meetings accreditation which will help to drive forward our own sustainability practices as well as support this practice within the wider destination. We achieved Bronze in the BITC’s 2024 Northern Ireland Environmental Benchmarking Survey, progressing from entry level in the previous year. This is the leading environmental benchmarking exercise in Northern Ireland and we aim to continue to improve our standing to help reinforce our commitment to sustainability.
What is your advice to a business aiming to improve their sustainability performance and work towards accreditation?
While our sustainability journey is still ongoing, we’ve already seen how small, thoughtful changes can make a meaningful difference. Starting with a simple audit of current practices is a valuable way to establish a baseline for reporting, whether it’s carbon emissions or waste management. Improved data collection can reveal clear areas for progress. Engaging with similar organisations can also support benchmarking and inspire new ideas. Sharing challenges and successes often leads to unexpected opportunities and helps make the journey more collaborative. Every organisation’s path is unique, but even small steps can build momentum and inspire lasting change across teams.
