Find out more about our purpose and vision
In a world seemingly beset by endless crises, why is preserving our cultural heritage important? UNESCO defines heritage as, ‘our legacy from the past, what we live with today, and what we pass on to future generations’. As heritage professionals, it is our responsibility and duty to ensure its conservation and to communicate its value to responding to the climate emergency.
In a world beset by crises, why is preserving our cultural heritage important? Culture lies at the heart of our human history and identity. It is integral to who we are. The actual and potential loss of these anchor points are deeply felt but can also act as a powerful impetus for resilience and action.
Culture can also be a resource in responding to climate change. The majority of human history is from pre-carbon times and lessons from past and living cultures who exist more sustainably can aid both carbon mitigation and climate adaptation strategies.
The value of traditional knowledge for climate action is acknowledged in Article 7 of the Paris Agreement which highlights its value for climate adaptation.
Established in 2026, the ICOMOS Climate Action Working Group (CAWG) has over 120 members from ICOMOS National Committees in 65 countries dedicated to protecting the world's cultural heritage from climate change, and promoting the value of culture in climate action.
The Climate Action Working Group is dedicated to preserving all cultural heritage from the impacts of climate change.. It strives to empower the heritage sector, preserve and strengthen identities and keep global temperatures to 1.5 degrees.
Through outreach, research projects, capacity building and training initiatives, the CAWG seeks to promote the value of cultural heritage to the wider heritage community.
The International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS), is a global non-governmental organization committed to the conservation and protection of monuments, ensembles and sites of cultural heritage. It is the only international non-governmental organization of its type dedicated to promoting theory, methodology and technology applied to the conservation, protection and presentation of monuments and sites.
With nearly 11,000 members in 113 countries from a wide range of backgrounds including anthropologists, archaeologists, architects, historians, geographers and planners, ICOMOS is ideally situation to respond to global challenges like climate change.
Climate change will - to some degree - have an impact on all aspects of our lives. Culture is equally embedded and entangled in society and so intersects with climate change in a myriad of diverse ways. The cultural heritage sector is uniquely situated to respond in a proactive, place-based and human-centered manner.
Some examples include:
Cultural heritage - both tangible and intangible - is currently suffering loss and damage due to the impacts of climate change. Current discussions on support and compensation must be inclusive of these losses which are very hard to quantify. Cultural heritage professionals have a unique role to play in these discussions.
Traditional land-use and building practices can aid in carbon mitigation, promoting more resilient and sustainable landscape management strategies and lower carbon more energy efficient buildings. Past and present adaptation strategies can also inform contemporary adaptation planning, reducing risks of maladaptation and promoting community inclusion. Cultural heritage professionals must advocate for the inclusion of culture based climate action at national and international levels.
Urgent climate action is needed to prevent catastrophic loss and damage. Cultural heritage is emotive and has immense communicative power. As heritage professionals, we can tell stories and utilize culture to encourage and inspire wider societal action and change. Cultural heritage professionals can speak about climate change in a unique and personal way, promoting wider climate action.